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Sri Vishnu Sahasra NAmam - Part 2.

 

Part 2 of the Overview of Sri Vishnu Sahasra Namam follows:

 

-Dasan Krishnamachari

 

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The Organization

 

Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram as printed for chanting purposes

consists of three sections:

 

- A prolog, which gives the background on why the Stotram was

imparted to the great and just Yudhishthira by Bhishma.

 

- The thousand names of Vishnu, organized

in a poetic format in 107 stanzas, in the anushtup chandas, (a

meter with 8 syllables in a quarter), with two quarters per line, and

two lines per stanza.

 

- The phala sruti, or a recounting of the benefits that can accrue

by chanting the Stotram.

 

The above is the typical organization of many stotrams, for example,

the Lakshmi Ashtottara Satanama Stotram with which many of us are familiar.

 

The Prolog

 

In the introductory part of the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram,

Yudhishthira asks Bhishma six questions, related to

how mankind can attain happiness.

These are contained in two stanzas starting with "kim ekam daivatam loke"

in the Stotram. These questions are:

 

* Who is the One (Supreme) Deity?

 

* What is the highest goal of life?

 

* By praising which Deity's auspicious qualities

will human beings attain prosperity in this world as well as

bliss in the next?

 

* By meditating on which Deity

will human beings attain prosperity in this world as well as

bliss in the next?

 

* By reciting

which mantra will man be released from the

bondage of the cycle of birth and death?

 

* Of the three means referred to above (i.e., recitation, praise or

archana, and meditation),

which is the best

means for attaining the grace of the Supreme Deity

based on your vast experience and knowledge?

 

Bhishma's response to the above questions follows in the next ten stanzas.

In his considered opinion, a person tides over all the sorrows in this world by

reciting with undiluted devotion

the Thousand Names of the Eternal Person, worshiping Him always with

devotion, meditating upon Him, glorifying Him,

saluting Him by prostrating before Him, and adoring Him (dhyayan,

stuvan, namasyamsca, yajamanas tameva ca).

 

Bhishma adds that of all the dharmas, the

dharma or practice involving service done to the Lotus-eyed Lord Krishna,

without any desire for benefit, through

worship (archana) and hymnal praise (stava),

is the best dharma.

 

Note that praising is easy, involving only

speech, and does not involve any material sacrifice or bodily

exertion.

It

is open to all, and does not need

help from, or dependence on, others. Other kinds of worship might require

money or other resources to perform the worship,

or the need to impose on other people for their involvement

(e.g., a priest to give instructions on the method of worship etc.).

For the purpose of chanting the name of God,

there is also no constraint on the

asrama (i.e., brahmacharya, grihasta, etc.) to which a person

belongs, unlike, for example, the

constraints that the vedas place in performing

the ceremonial rites with sacrificial fire. There is also no

requirement regarding time, place, status of purity, etc.,

for the chanting of the stotram.

The key element of the act of chanting as a means to attain the

Lord's grace is the sincerity and purity of mind, and there is no

other constraint or consideration.

 

In summary,

Yudhishthira asks Bhishma:

"Given my despair and sorrowful state of mind, I want to expend

the least effort and get the most benefit out of it,

viz. relief from my despair.

Please tell me the means for this."

And Bhishma's response is "Chant the thousand names of Lord Krishna WITH

DEVOTION. This does not require any effort other than the

willingness to chant. This is the best way to get relief from all

miseries, sorrows, and sins".

 

The text will be continued in Part 3.