Śiṣṭeṣṭā शिष्टेष्टा (411)

Śiṣṭa-s are those who follow the righteousness prescribed by śāstra-s.  Śiṣṭa-s is also explained to mean those who control their senses and knower of Veda-s.  Their actions are based on the śāstra-s that are derived from Veda-s.  She likes these śiṣṭa-s. Viṣṇu is known for His righteousness.  It is also said that one should worship God, as prescribed by their respective orders and not simply by flowers, etc.  Viṣṇu Sahasranāma nāma 310 is also Śiṣṭeṣṭā and the interpretation given there to, is that He (Viṣṇu) likes men of knowledge (jñāni).

Kṛṣṇa Himself says this in Bhagavad Gīta (VII.17) “Chief among them is jñāni, ever constant and one pointed in devotion.  I am exceedingly dear to him and he is exceedingly dear to me”.  Kṛṣṇa did not stop with this.  He proceeds to say “A man so illuminated is hard to find and such a stage is reached after many incarnations” (VII.19).

Śiṣṭapūjitā शिष्टपूजिता (412)

She is worshipped by such śiṣṭa-s referred to in the previous nāma.  Jñāni does not worship someone who is not worthy of worship.  He will worship only the Supreme Self, the Brahman.   This nāma is an extension of the previous nāma which confirms Her Supreme stature. 

Aprameyā अप्रमेया (413)

She cannot be measured.  Brahman alone cannot be measured.  Because She is aprameyā, She is worshipped by jñāni-s and śiṣṭa-s.

Viṣṇu Sahasranāma nāma 46 is also aprameyā.  He cannot be known through senses as He is devoid of qualities such as sound, etc.  He cannot be visualized because He is beyond visualisation.  He cannot be known through examples because there is nothing to make a comparison (this is based on the simple logic that a rat cannot be compared to a lion though both have four legs, a tail etc.).  He cannot be known either by affirmations or by negations as we do not have any basis for such affirmations and negations.  But Veda-s and Upaniṣads try to explore (though by affirmations and negations, as the perceptive knowledge can be inferred only by such affirmations and negations only) Him as “That” and says that He exists as self-illuminating light witnessing the activities of His creation. 

 Kena Upaniṣad (I.6) explains this point more elaborately.  “Know that alone to be Brahman which the mind cannot comprehend and which yogi-s say makes the mind function.  Brahman is not this sense world, which people worship”.  The Upaniṣad continues to say “If you think (guru addressing his disciple) ‘I know the Brahman well’ then it is for certain that you know little about the nature of the Brahman.  You know only Its manifestation in the individual self, the gods, and the phenomenal world.  Therefore, Brahman should still be thoroughly investigated”.   But, we need some basic inputs to know Him.  This is explained in the next nāma. 

Svaprakāśā स्वप्रकाशा (414)

She is Self-illuminating.  Brahman alone is self-illuminating and all other illuminating objects like sun, moon, stars etc derive their light only from the Brahman.  Only because of this self-illuminating light, we are able to see this materialistic world. 

This concept is explained in Bṛhadāraṇayaka Upaniṣad (IV.iv.9) which says “revealing His own lustre by His own light”.  This is the state where the light is free from everything else, let it be even the five basic elements.   He is not afraid of any one, because, there is no one besides Him. 

 Kaṭha (कठ) Upaniṣad says (II.ii.15) “In the presence of Brahman the sun does not shine, nor the moon and stars, nor does the lightning, let alone this fire.  When Brahman shines, everything else follows.  By Its light all these are lighted”.   This nāma also reaffirms Her as the Brahman. 

{Further reading on Self-illumination: The soul which is also known as jīva when placed in an empirical self, the divine transcendental light ever shines within its glory, but unfortunately hidden from our perception because of our thought constructs.  This Self-illuminating light is known as prakāśa form of the Brahman and referred to as Śiva.  This is also known as the Supreme consciousness or Supreme light of consciousness.  When there is a harmonious synthesis of prakāśa form of Śiva and vimarśa form of Śaktī, manifestation of the universe takes place. Vimarśa form reflects the Self-illuminating light of prakāśa form and the one without the other becomes incapable of causing manifestation.}

Mano-vacāmagocarā मनो-वचामगोचरा (415)

The qualities of aprameyā (nāma 413) are now being explained.  She is beyond mind and speech. This stage has been explained by Kena Upaniṣad which has been discussed earlier.  If She is known as the One beyond the perception of mind, everything else is struck down as they are only intersections of mind. 

Taittirīya Upaniṣad (II.ix) also explains this situation.  “That from which, words come back, they turn away. How can words express the Self?  Can that which is finite express the Infinite?  No.  It is beyond words, beyond thought.  The mind also cannot grasp this Brahman. You can think of something that is familiar, that is known to you, but how can you think of something about which you have had no experience at all?  Our thoughts are always limited by experience”. 

This nāma says that She can be realized only through pure knowledge, the knowledge to which we are never exposed to.