Significance of Vijaya in Vijayanaama Samvatsara

Om! Gam! Ganapathaye! Namaha! Om! Sri Raaghavendraaya Namaha! Om! Namo! Bhagavathe! Vaasudevaaya! Om! Ham! Hanumathe! Sri Raama Doothaaya Namaha! Significance of Vijaya in Vijayanaama Samvatsara Vijaya literally means victory; conquest; success; triumph etc. VIJAYA is one of the several thousand names of Lord Vishnu. Bhraajishhnur-bhojanam bhoktaa sahishhnur jagadaadijah Anagho VIJAYO jetaa vishvayonih punarvasuh  (Sri Vishnu Sahasranaama Stothram - sloka # 16) Lord Vishnu the supreme Lord Himself is VIJAYA personification. He is ever victorious. He is invincible. His very nature is Victory and ever triumphant. His very name, thought and devotion bring victory to His devotees. He is the one who grants success in endeavours (VIJAYA) to the deserving. Lord Vishnu is both Vijaya and Jaya. Sri Narasimha Ashtottara Sathanaama Stothram describes the Lord as Vijayo-Jaya Vardhana; the one who always flourishes in victory. Vijaya was one of the names Arjuna the hero of Maha Bhaaratha called by. He was a victorious warrior. Devi Navarathri festival is concluded on the 10th day called Vijaya Dasami. It is celebrated to mark the victory of Goddess Vijaya (another name of Goddess Durga) over the demon Mahishaasura; victory of Good over evil. Goddess Durga (Vijaya) is invincible (Aparaajitha).  In Durga Stuthi, Arjuna eulogizes Goddess Durga as Vijaye-Jaye. In Ashta Lakshmi concept, Goddess Lakshmi is depicted as Vijaya Lakshmi, the one who bestows upon (Vijaya) success. Jaya & Vijaya are the names of the Divine Dwaarapaalakaas (gate-keepers) of Sri Vaikunta the abode of Lord Vishnu. Vijayawada one of the famous commercial cities of Andhra Pradesh earlier known as Vijayavaatika was believed to have been named after Goddess Durga (Vijaya) who manifested on the Indrakeelaadri hills on the banks of sacred river Krishna at Vijayawada. In Indian history the empire of Sri Krishna Devaraaya was famously known as Vijayanagara Saamraajya (kingdom). Vijaya and Jaya are the names of Hindu years in the 60 year cycle of Ugaadi Samvatsara.  We find a reference to the term Vijaya in the concluding stanza of Bhagawad Gita… yatra yogesvarah krushno  yatra paartho dhanur-dharah  tatra srir vijayo bhutir  dhruva nitir matir mama (sloka # 78–canto-18–Moksha Sanyasa Yoga) Wherever is Sri Krishna the lord of Yoga; wherever is Paartha the archer; there; are prosperity; victory; happiness and firm (steady/sound) policy (morale/ Dhruvaneeti). Lord Sri Krishna representing the primordial supreme Lord and Paartha (Arjuna) representing the mortal (Paarthiva) the one who is ready to brave the challenges in life; the one who is ready to put forth efforts in his actions; in such a case there is no power that can stop him from success. Meaning of Vijaya and Jaya seems similar i.e. Victory/success; but Jaya is victory where there are no losers and Vijaya is victory where there is always a loser. Every one would be longing for success and they have their own measure of it. Their goal could be political success or financial success or business success or domestic success or professional success or spiritual success or social success. Success (Vijaya) is a relative term difficult to define. In a battle field if every one wins there would be no losers but, in reality it will not happen like that. Life is also a battle field.  All may not be successful in life but, overcoming aberrations and obstacles is also a success.  From a winner you learn what is to be done and from a loser you learn what is not to be done. Every failure has got a cause and every cause has got a cure.  An attempt may be a failure; but there should not be a failure of attempt (never give up). It is not the failure that is a great failure; but to take failure as a failure is a great failure. Greatest test of courage is to bear the defeat without losing heart.  Success does not come to you; you go to it.  There is no short cut for success; the only short cut is hard work. Bhagawad Gita advises that, if success you seek; then never strive with a mind dissipasted with anxieties and fears for fruits. Thy right is to work only; but never to its fruits.  To worry for the results is to worry for future and to live in future is not to live in the present. Behind success there is always an element of cooperation and sacrifice. No achievement is impossible for a man; if he knows how to act in the discipline of co-operation and if he is ready to bring forth into his activities the required amount of non attachment and spirit of sacrifice.   Vijayosthu Sri Vijayanaama Samvatsara Digvijayosthu … to the Supreme Lord, the primordial person; the creator of eternal Time the Kaalachakra who Himself is Time personification; who is an embodiment of Vijaya; Lord SriManNaaraayana without whose grace and worship one cannot achieve any Vijaya or success in endeavours. Then only one can achieve success in achieving chaturvidha purushaarthaas (four goals of human life) viz. dharma; artha; kaama and moksha which is the ultimate success (Digvijaya) to a human being. Sri Krushnaarpanamasthu  Sri Moola Raamo Vijayate Sri Jaya Raamo Vijayate Sri Digvijaya Raamo Vijayate Sri Raamo Vijayate Sri Seetaa Raamo Vijayate