Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam on Bhishma Ekadashi Day

[Guest guest]

Pranams to All

This is an announcement for celebration of Bheeshma Ekadasi day (signified as

the Birthday of Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam)on February 4th, Sunday at 9 :00 AM to

1:00 30 PM at Rajdhani Mandir. Please participate in the Sri Vishnu Sahasranama

Puja and mass chanting of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama. There will be a discourse in

English on Significance of Sri Vishnu sahasranama and the importance of chanting

this Maha mantra. The Bheeshma Ekadasi day celebration will be concluded with

Bhajans and Kirtans praising maha Vishnu. The details of the puja , directions

to Rajdhani Mandir are attached. Please pass on the word to your family and

friends about this Divine event. Please come and get the blessings of Lord

Sriman Narayana!!

(Brief text given below on the history and significance for those who may not be

able to attend)

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SRI RAJDHANI MANDIR and JET Washington DC Center

Cordially invite you for

SPECIAL VISHNU SAHASRANAMA PUJA AND VIRAT SRI VISHNU SAHASRANAMA STOTRA

PARAYANAM - A MASS PRAYER FOR WORLD PEACE AND PROSPERITY

 

4th February 2001 - 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Anugna, Sri Vishwaksena Aradhana, Maha Sankalpa, Nava kalasa sthapana, kalasa

puja, japam and Homam with Purusha Sukta, Sri Sukta, Bhusukta, Neelasukta, Sri

Vishnusukta and 1008 AHUTI with Sri Vishnusahasranamam.

ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND.

 

Venue: Sri Rajdhani Mandir

4525 Pleasant Valley Road, Chantilly, VA 20153,

Phone: 703-378-8401

Directions: From beltway Rt. 495, take Rt. 66W to Rt. 50W or from Fairfax County

Parkway take Rt.50W. Pass Rt.28 intersection. Continue on Rt.50W for about 2

miles and take left at Pleasant Valley Rd. Rajdhani Mandir is located at 4525

Pleasant Valley Road.

For details please contact the following:

Ravi Aharam 410-992-8616 raharam

Barathi Reddy 301-890-0407

Satish Chandra 703-866-4241 satischandra

Krishnaveni Vedula 703-264-5834 yegessa

Tejaswi Raparla 703-715-2531

Mrinalini Sadananda 703-459-5909

Madhavan Nadadur 703-280-0217

Venkatramana Melacheruvu 301-324-2476 ramana100

 

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF BHEESHMA EKADASI AND SRI VISHNU SAHASRANAMAM

Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama was revealed in the month of Magha, according to lunar

calendar, on the 11th day of waxing moon, that is sukla paksha ekadasi which

comes exactly after 2 months of Githopadesa. Bheeshma Ekadasi is an auspicious

occasion, the birth day of Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama Sthothram. This sthothram was

revealed to Pandavas by Bheeshmacharya when he was on the bed of arrows, after

the Mahabharatha war. Lord Krishna revealed Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. Though

Arjuna was able to converse with Lord Krishna and clear many of his doubts, he

couldn't absorb it completely as-it-is from the view point of the Lord.

Fortunately, Sanjaya who is televiewing and explaining the happenings of the war

to the blind King Dhrutharashtra was able to view this upadesam also through

whom Bhagavad Githa came into this world. Ekadasi day(11th day of the full/new

moon phase) is considered to be very holy day on which devotees take minimum

food and spend most of their time contemplating on the Lord. It is the day on

which the Saththvik nature in man blossoms more easily and opens up the way for

one's enlightenment. How fortunate we are if we are with our Acharya taking

upadesam from Him about the best of the secrets a man needs to know in his life

!!

 

In the Kurukshethra war, between Pandavas and Kauravas, Krishna was the

sarathi(charioteer) for Arjuna. After the day's battle, when they returned to

the camp, Arjuna asked Krishna to get down and open the gate. This request

baffled Krishna as He did not get the respect of a Guru who taught him Bhagavad

Gita. Hence He concluded that, all His teaching was a waste. Then Krishna

decided to choose an acharya who can teach dharma to Pandavas. According to

Bhagavad Gita's Chapter 4 sloka 34,

Thath viddhi pranipathena pariprasnena sevaya

Upadekshyanthi the jnanam jnaninah thathva-darsinaha

The path of spiritual realization is difficult. Krishna therefore advises

Pandavas to approach an enlightened master for the realization of dharma. The

above sloka dictates the principle behavior of a student, to his teacher, before

anything could be learnt from the master.

The student should surrender and this should be shown by a few activities which

are dictated in the sloka. Prostrating before Guru, without any inhibition or

ego Pranipatha. When the students are being taught, the disciple should be able

to understand the essence of all those teachings. Thus, if the student gets a

doubt, he should wait for the proper time and present them before his Guru in a

prescribed way Pariprasnena. Gurus' may not clarify the doubts at once, at times

they wait few months or even years to test the disciples' commitment and

curiosity, and it may take a long time to get the answers. Till then the student

should serve the master in a pleasing way which is called the "seva". Atlast the

teacher who is a seer of the truth will reveal the ultimate secrets.

Krishna realizes that the most eligible person to talk about the ultimate truth

would be Bheeshma, who at that time was lying on the bed of arrows in the

battlefield, ready to leave his mortal body. Krishna took Pandavas to Bheeshma

and requested pithamaha(grandsire) to teach the Pandavas about the Ultimate

Truth and Dharma. Krishna promised pithamaha that He would restore his memory

that was buried deep due to the pains in his body.

As it was imparted from a great acharya chosen by the Lord Himself, Sri Vishnu

Sahasra Nama is considered the essence of Gita and all the Vedas.

Bheeshmacharya was lying on the bed of arrows after being put down by Arjuna

during the war. After the war, Pandavas approached Bheeshma to teach them the

higher principles of life and wisdom, from all his great experiences. Bheeshma

who is a great Man of Action and Sacrifice, mastered the whole Dharma Sastra and

practiced it strictly throughout his life. Even the Lord of Death feared to

approach Bheeshma without his permission. Dharmaraja asks him to tell them the

greatest of the secrets that made him so great and that he thinks is the best

that can liberate all beings from the cycle of births and deaths and lead them

to planes of highest Happiness, Bliss, The Lord. Then Bheeshmacharya having

obtained boon from Lord Krishna to be able to speak in clear voice and memorise

his past deeds reveals the essence of all that he learnt from a number of sages

who had the vision of Lord in different forms. Bheeshma observed a number of

austerities imposed by the sages, served them for long periods, satisfied them

that he deserves to be taught the secret they have obtained after strenuous

efforts, and finally obtained from them the secrets. Like a honey bee that

collects the honey drops from all the flowers, Bheeshmacharya collected all the

manthras from different sages and composed Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Sthothram

which he used to practice daily. When Dharmaraja asked him to reveal the

greatest of secrets, Bheeshma reveals this to Pandavas on Magha Suddha Ekadasi

day in presence of Lord Krishna, showing Him and telling them that He is Lord of

all Lords and praying Him with all 1000 names is all one can ever do to become

more dear to Him which itself leads to salvation. Reciting it regularly or even

listening to it is itself a great thing that empowers one with the strength to

overcome all the difficulties and get on to the right path of Salvation.

The Benefits

As was pointed out earlier, traditionally our prayers end with a phala sruti - a

section on the benefits of reciting the prayer. The Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram

is no exception.

The necessity of cleansing our body regularly to maintain our physical hygiene

and good health is recognized by every one. But perhaps because we do not "see"

our mind the same way as we see our body (i.e., as an externally visible

entity), the necessity of keeping our minds clean is not as clearly recognized.

However, those who do not "cleanse" their mind on a regular basis become

"mentally" sick over a period of time, just as they become physically sick if

they do not cleanse their body on a regular basis. Prayers are a means to mental

cleansing when they are chanted with sincerity and devotion.

 

The importance of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram is that the deity being

worshipped is none other than Vasudeva:

Perhaps the most important of the benefits attained by one who chants the

Stotram with devotion and sincerity is the cleansing of one's mind from all evil

thoughts, and this is a very important and desirable benefit since this is the

first step towards achieving pure happiness and absolute bliss. Firmness of

mind, good memory, happiness of the self (inner happiness), and freedom from

anger, jealousy, and greed, are some of the benefits that accrue to one who

recites the stotram with devotion and eagerness. The key is: sincerity of

purpose and devotion. The person who chants or recites is not the only one who

benefits. Those who for whatever reason are unable to chant benefit by just

hearing the chanting (ya idam srunuyan nityam )

Importance of Chanting

Some might say that they do not understand the meaning of the Sanskrit words in

the stotram and therefore do not feel comfortable chanting it. Sri

Chandrasekhara Saraswathi Swami has given us his guidance on this issue in one

of his discourses. He advises us that learning the chanting of prayers even

without knowing the meaning is a worthwhile act, and can be compared to finding

a box of treasure without the key. As long as we have the box, we can open it

whenever we get the key of knowledge later, but the treasure will be already

there.

Some could feel that they do not know the correct pronunciation, and so do not

want to chant incorrectly. H. J. Achar, in his book "Sri Vishnu Sahasranama - A

Study", Sharada Press, Mangalore (1972), has given the analogy of a mother to

whom a child goes and asks for an orange. The child does not know how to

pronounce the word "orange", and so asks for "ange". The mother does not turn

away the child and does not refuse to give the child the orange just because the

child does not know how to pronounce the word. It is the spirit or bhava that

matters; so as long as one chants the name of God with sincerity, considerations

such as not knowing the meaning, not knowing the pronunciation, etc., do not

matter, and God who is the Mother of all of us will confer His blessings on us.

The Final Word

Sage Vedavyasa concludes the Stotram with the assertion - twice stated -that

there is no way a devotee of Vishnu can meet with any dishonor or disgrace of

any kind (na te yantiparabhavam - ne te yanti parabhavam om nama iti). If this

is not worth striving for, with as little investment as the mere chanting of the

thousand names of Vishnu with sincerity, then nothing else is worth striving

for.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Nirbhay and Geetha have provided a beautiful description for

VishhNusahastranaama. As I understand Shankara's first text was

commentary on the on this naamaavali. Shree Ramanuja group did not

like that commentary. Hence following VishishhTaadvaita tradition,

Shree Bhattar has written another commentary. The commentaries are

available on line through VishishhTaadvaita list serve.

 

While the material benefits of the puja - puujaphala is also

emphasized - in the sankalpa it is explicitly stated as - Shree maha

Vishnu preetyattham sahastranaama jape viniyogaH - is for the

pleasure of Lord Vishnu - There is also angapuuja - where the

meditator identifies each part of his body with the Lord Narayana.

 

Following understanding would help in the correct frame of mind

before chanting. - 1. In the sankalpa it is stated as the paarayanam

or chanting is done not for one's own benefit but for the pleasure of

the Lord. A question always arises in a rational intellect as why

the Lord should be pleased when one chants his naamaavali. It can

not be that He does not know His names that one should remind Him.

Nor His pleasure depends on our chanting and without chanting He

will be feeling measurable. By definition He is already full and

complete. He being the source of infinite auspicious qualities,

ananta kalyaana guNa aashraya, any thing we say about him in terms of

praise, sthuti or sthava is less than what He is or what He has.

Hence we cannot really praise Him; it is like addressing a

billionaire as Oh! millionaire!, a billionaire in fact may feel

insulted. But Lord being an embodiment of compassion He understands

our problems and ignores all that. What He is pleased about is our

recognition of the fact that He is infinite and unlimited - sahashara

is generally used to indicate not just 1000 but unlimited number or

infinite, particularly when we are chanting loud. By recognizing His

glory or His vibhuuti, our ego gets humbled. Only in humility the

knowledge can take place. In addition by invoking his presence in

the body of ours, through anga puuja, one recognizes that one is

embodiment of Lord Naarayana himself. In VaishhNava tradition, there

is ceremony wherein the Shanku and Chakra of the Lord on imprinted on

the vaishhNava's shoulders. The implication is that one should

recognize that the body belongs to Him and to be used for His

service. And where is He for us to serve? Not far away in VaikunTa.

The very first name in this VishhNusahasra naamaavali starts with

 

vishvam vishhNu vashhaTkaaraH

 

He is Vishhvam - He is the entire universe that is manifesting right

in front of us - As we are studying in the Brahmasuutra - the second

suutra - janmaadhyasya yataH - Iswara is defined as - pratyaksha

prapanchasya shrushhTi sthiti layaaH kaaraNam - In the explanation

provided it was stated that He is Upaadaana karaNam, nimitta kaaraNam

as well as ananda swaruupam. He is also vishhNu - vyaapakatvaata

vishhNuH - the one that pervades this vishvam - He is omnipresent -

By stating first vishvam - it is important to recognized him first

from what we can see, feel, touch etc - by restating that He is

VishhNu, the emphasis is to shift our attention that He is beyond

what we see though our senses, He pervades as the very substratum of

this entire universe - mayatata midam sarvam jagadavyakta muurthinaa|

B.G. 9-4 - I pervade this entire universe in unmanifested form - says

KrishhNa.

 

Thus if one dwells on the Naamaavali - every name becomes a

contemplative name indicators or pointers to that which transcends

all the names and forms. The paarayaNam with the meaning would

obviously become a meditations tools for the mind and one can get the

full benefit out of the chanting. But as Nirbhay and Geetha

emphasized it is useful to chant even if one does not know the

meaning, keeping of course the Lord image in the mind so that mind

does not run away from him since it considered as bad manners by

calling someone who is very busy otherwise and not pay attention to

him. We are supposed to look at Him and talk - Since He is not

far-way and is there in our own heart, it is better to see Him right

there and chant. At least commit yourself to chant the naamaavali on

that day.

 

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

>

>

>SIGNIFICANCE OF BHEESHMA EKADASI AND SRI VISHNU SAHASRANAMAM

>Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama was revealed in the month of Magha,

>according to lunar calendar, on the 11th day of waxing moon, that is

>sukla paksha ekadasi which comes exactly after 2 months of

>Githopadesa. Bheeshma Ekadasi is an auspicious occasion, the birth

>day of Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama Sthothram.

........

Nirbhay and Geetha

 

 

 

--

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

Thanks to Nirbhay & Geetha, and Sadananda for reminding us of

this very special occasion.

 

Bhishma is proverbially associated with the qualities

of 'resolve', 'vow', etc. and one who sticks to such a vow is said to

have made a'bhiishhma-pratij~naa'.

 

So, may we seek his blessings to undertake this vow of chanting.

 

As Gita & Vishnu-sahasra-nama are parts of the great epic

Mahabharata, here is how Vyasa himself concluded the epic:

 

 

Bharata Savitri [chatuH-shlokii or verse-quartet]]

[bharata-Saara-Sangraha or Essence of Mahabharata]

 

maataa pitR^isahasraaNi putradaarashataani cha .

sa.nsaareshhvanubhuutaani yaanti yaasyanti chaapare .. 47..

 

"Thousands of fathers and mothers and hundreds of sons and wives

were known and had gone, are going and will go in the future, in the

course of Samsara."

 

harshhasthaanasahasaNi bhayasthaanashataani cha .

divase divase muuDhamaavishanti na paNDitam.h .. 48..

 

"Thousands of occasions for joy and hundreds of causes of fear,

engross everyday the mind of the ignorant but not that of the man of

wisdom."

 

 

uurdhvabaahurviraumyeshha na cha kashchichchhR^iNoti maam.h .

dharmaadarthashcha kaamashcha sa kimartha.n na sevyate .. 49..

 

"With uplifted arms I shout, but none hears me; from Dharma result

Artha and Kama, why then is Dharma not observed?"

 

 

na jaatu kaamaanna bhayaanna lobhaa/-

ddharma.n tyajejjiivitasyaapi hetoH .

nityo dharmaH sukhaduHkhe tvanitye

jiivo nityo heturasya tvanityaH .. 50..

 

"Not out of passion or fear or avarice, not even for the sake of

life, should one ever abandon Dharma. Dharma is eternal, Happiness

and Misery are not eternal. The soul is eternal. That which embodies

it is not eternal."

 

imaaM bhaarata saavitriiM praatarutthaaya yaH paThet.h .

sa bhaarata phalaM praapya paraM brahmaadhigachchhati .. 51..

 

"One who recites this 'Bharata Savitri' upon awakening in the

morning, will having obtained the merit of the recitation of the

whole Mahabharata, realise the Supreme Truth."

 

[svarga-aarohaNa parva]

 

 

Regards,

 

s.

 

 

 

 

advaitin , "K. Sadananda" <sada@a...> wrote:

> Nirbhay and Geetha have provided a beautiful description for

> VishhNusahastranaama. As I understand Shankara's first text was

> commentary on the on this naamaavali. . At least commit yourself

to chant the naamaavali on

> that day.

>

>

> Hari Om!

> Sadananda

>

> >

> >

> >SIGNIFICANCE OF BHEESHMA EKADASI AND SRI VISHNU SAHASRANAMAM

> >Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama was revealed in the month of Magha,

> >according to lunar calendar, on the 11th day of waxing moon, that

is

> >sukla paksha ekadasi which comes exactly after 2 months of

> >Githopadesa. Bheeshma Ekadasi is an auspicious occasion, the birth

> >day of Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama Sthothram.

> .......

> Nirbhay and Geetha

[Guest guest]

>From bhakti-list:

 

The address for Vishnu sahasranaamaavali -

http://people.we.mediaone.net/surfings/sahasra/sahasra.html

 

It is not complete and it is an ongoing series in bhakti-list.

These notes are excellent. They compare the commentaries of shrI

shankara and shrI parAshara bhaTTa.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

--

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

> Nirbhay and Geetha have provided a beautiful description for

> VishhNusahastranaama. > --

 

Not to take credit for something we did not put together (though we share

the sentiments of the text), I would like to say that I wanted to fulfil my

responsibility of publizing the event to the local members and merely

forwarded information. The credit of putting the text together goes to the

organizing committee. Hope some of you can introduce others who may not know

about it and encourage them to attend the function. Thanks

 

Geetha

[Guest guest]

>Revered Sadananadji / Madhava

>

>You are indeed a minefield of information.

>

>May I ask you why did they choose the 11th lunar day for ekadashi?

>Is there any astrological and or philosophical reason?

>

>regards

>jay

>Vivekananda Centre London

 

Jay - I do not know about the astrological aspect. But I can guess

about the spiritual significance. ekaadashi - literally it means the

11 or here 11th day. One can give a philosophical significance to

the 11th - from the reference of an individual, the ten corresponds

to the ten indriya-s, five j~nana indriya-s and five karma indriya-s,

that is five sense organs and five organs of action. The ten-headed

monster, Ravana is symbolic of the one who is centered on these ten

heads engulfing all the sensuous experiences gulping into his

stomach. That is all he cared for. Only a teacher who is well

established in Brahman in the disguise of Rama with brahmaastra (aham

brahma asmi) could destroy that ego-centered Ravana.

 

Centered on the 11th, which is the mind, one now starts behaving like a man -

 

Mana eva manushhyaanaam kaaranam bandha mokshayoH|

bandhaaya vishhayaasaktam maktai nirvishhayam sR^itam||

 

Mind is the responsible for both bondage and the liberation. Longing

for the sensuous objects is the cause for bondage, and freedom from

that is the liberation.

 

Hence mind has to be pulled out of sensuous objects and redirected

towards moksha. That commitment is signified by the ekaadashi day.

Symbolically, one fasts on that day - fasting is not just control of

intake of food but control of intake through all the sense organs.

That is just one aspect. The second aspect is to redirect that mind

which is now free towards the higher - hence puuja and medication -

that is what the true observance of ekaadashi.

 

Unfortunately the practice has deteriorated to the degree that people

fill their stomach instead of normal food with more delicious fat

food snacks and say they are observing ekaadashi. Ekaadashi is vratam

and it is meant for saadhana so that the mind is redirected to the

higher. In B.G. 2-59 Krishna emphasizes this aspect -

rasavarjyam raso.apyasya param dR^ishhTvaa nivartate|

 

The taste - rasam- lingers in the mind, even if one fasts and that

can be surrendered only by redirecting the mind - param dR^ishhTvaa.

And that is the true ekaadashi vratam.

 

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

 

--

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

The first name in the vishhNu sahasranaama is vishvam. This concept that the

Lord IS the

universe is brought out very picturesquely in the following dhyaana shlokam

which is

recited before the chanting of the thousand names is begun.

 

bhuuH paadau yasya naabhir viyad-asur- anilash- candra-suuryau ca netre

karNaav- aashaash- shiro- dyaur-mukhamapi yasya vaast-eyam-abdhiH

antas-stham yasya vishvam sura-nara-khaga-go-bhogi-gandharva-daityaiH

citram ramramyate tam tribhuvana-vapushham vishhNum-iisham namaami .

 

Given below is a simple meaning of the verse, with the sandhi-s

dislinked,

and the words rearranged to suit the english prose order.

Those who are not comfortable with sanskrit can read just the english

meanings

in the order given below.

 

namaami - I bow to

tam vishhNum iisham - that Lord VishhNu

tribhuvana-vapushham - whose body consists of the three worlds ;

 

yasya - whose

padau - feet (are) bhuuH - the earth/ pR^ithvii

naabhiH - (whose) navel (is ) viyat - the sky / aakaashaH

asuH - (whose) breath (is) anilaH - the wind /vaayu

netre - (whose) two eyes (are) candra-suuryau - the Moon and the Sun,

karNau - (whose) two ears(are) aashaaH - the directions ,

shiraH - (whose) head (is) dyauH - the heaven,

mukham api - (whose) mouth (is) dahanaH - fire / agni

yasya vaastaa - whose abdomen (is) iyam abdhiH - this ocean /aapaH

 

yasya antasthsam - contained within whom

visvam - the universe (populated by many different kinds of being such

as)

sura - devas,

nara - humans,

khaga - birds,

go - cows,

bhogi - snakes,

gandharva - celestial beings,

daityaiH - (and by) demons

citram ramramyate - is entertaining in its variegated splendour.