Sri Vishnu SahasraNamam.

[Guest guest]

I had submitted an overview of Sri Vishnu SahasraNamam in four parts earlier.

The following can be considered Part 2, which I will submit in 2 sections.

The first section deals with the benefits of analysing and understanding

the meanings of the Lord's Names.

 

Dasan Krishnamachari

 

==============

Sri Vishnu Sahasra NAmam - Part 2 - Section 1.

 

In the previous write-up, I had presented the view that it is beneficial to

chant Sri Vishnu Sahasra NAma Stotram even if we do not know the meaning,

even if we do not know the correct pronunciation, etc. In the current and

subsequent articles, I am going to attempt to present the meanings of the

Names occurring in Sri Vishnu Sahasra NAmam. One can legitimately ask the

question: Why spend our time to learn the meanings, when the benefit of

chanting is obtained anyway even without knowing the meanings? In fact, one of

our devotees had sent me mail privately earlier, referring to the sloka

that occurs in the phala sruti portion:

 

sri rAma rAma rAmeti rame rAme manorame

sahasra nAma tat tulyam rAma nAma varAnane

 

(As stated by Lord Siva to PArvati - if you just chant the name "RAma", it

is equivalent to chanting the 1000 names of Sri MahA Vishnu").

 

Sri Bhattar very nicely gives the explanation on why it is desirable to delve

into an analysis of the meanings behind the Names: "Names

pronounced merely and without knowledge of their meanings is beneficial

(upakAriNAmapi), but

revelation through etymological interpretation quickly affords DELIGHT TO MIND

AND PURITY TO HEART (mana: prAsanatvam pAvanatvam ca).

 

Sri Bhattar also refers to the chapters in MahAbhArata relating to the

significance in knowing the meanings of the Names in addition to just

chanting without knowing the meanings:

 

nAma karmArtavit prApnuyAm purushottamam (Udyoga Parva 59)

 

While I am not proficient in Sanskrit, I certainly derive great mental delight

in trying to understand the meanings behind the Names; and in trying to

understand

the grammatical interpretation

behind these Names. The reason for the latter is that it helps one to

delve deeper mentally into the

guNas of Sri Vishnu and enjoy His qualities even more.

 

In his Bhagavad guNa darpana, Sri Bhattar proceeds to explain the names of MahA

Vishnu in accordance with rules of grammar, etymology, and interpretation by

the great Sages, with special reference to their significance, context,

and propriety. Etymology according to the English dictionaries is the

analysis of a word, based on its origin and development, including how the

words are formed from their simple roots. Sri Bhattar also indicates in his

introduction that even though the same name may occur more than once, its

interpretation is different depending on the context in which it occurs,

and there

is no redundance or repetition in Sri Vishnu SahasranAmam based on the

interpretation.

 

In his commentary on Sri Vishnu Sahasra Namam, Sri Bhattar has beautifully

traced a thread of connectivity in the sequence of the 1000 names as they

occur in the stotram. He has identified an organization and structure in the

composition that refers to the guNas of the Lord in the five manifestations

in which He has revealed Himself to us, as described in the PancharAtra Agamas.

These manifestations are:

para, vyuha, vibhava, archa, and antaryAmi. Thus, for instance, Sri Bhattar

has noted that the first 122 names in the stotram describe the qualities of

the Lord in his para vAsudeva form. The next set of names describe the vyuha

forms etc. Thus the names as they occur in the stotram are not just a random

collection of names, but have a beautiful thread of organization and structure

to them.

Sri Bhattar has identified 44 such manifestations of Bhagavan in his exposition.

Sri Srinivasachariar, in his editorial introduction to Sri Vishnu Sahasra

Namam published by LIFCO, (1967), describes this beautifully as an arrangement

of the petals of a rose 44 layers deep, or a step of stairs with 44 steps

leading to the enjoyment of the Supreme. I will not go into the enumeration

of these 44 forms at this stage. but will identify these as we go along. The

enumeration and the corresponding slokas can be found in the LIFCO publication.

 

A brief introduction to the five types of manifestations of the Lord

will follow in the next section.