Sriman Narayanan-Lord of liberation- from the Hindu Religion column

[Guest guest]

The Lord of liberation

 

CHENNAI, JULY 20. Human life's inevitable aspect is

the manifold problems that crop up from time to time.

When things go wrong or events turn against us, a

sense of despondency prevails. ``I am heart broken''

is a common refrain. People are often told not to lose

heart and instead have faith in the Lord.

 

Despite its many travails, life continues to hold us

all in its thrall, enticing us with its many

attractions. Nothing could prevent us from enjoying a

sugar candy when placed on our tongue. Similar is the

case with the sensory pleasures to which we all are

slaves. At such moments, none stops to consider the

repercussions of living a life given over only to

satiation of the senses, which is at best temporary.

The question then arises, ``How does one achieve

lasting happiness?'' Only by reposing total faith in

Narayana — like saint Nammazhwar, who wished nothing

else but the benedictory feet of the Lord — one could

achieve permanent happiness, said Sri Asuri

Madhavachariar in his discourse on Vishnusahasranama.

Yudishtra too was plagued by such questions and at the

end of the Mahabharatha war, he approached Bhishma

with a set of six questions — Who is the greatest

among the Gods; Which god does one surrender to? Whom

should one pray to in order that people may benefit?

Whom should people praise in order to attain

prosperity in this and the next world? In your

(Bhishma's ) opinion, which is the best dharma of all?

By chanting which nama can people be free of the

bondage of rebirth?

 

The doyen answered the last question first, saying

that he who chants the thousand names of the lord of

the universe, the one who has neither beginning nor

end, Lord Narayana, will be released from shackles of

sorrow and be liberated. One may wonder as to why

Bhishma answered the last question first. Everyone in

this Kaliyuga wants quick fixes — none cares to toil

or suffer hardships for a long duration. The

Vishnusahasranama, easy to chant, yet potent in its

reach, is offered as an easy `do-it-yourself' kit.

 

Why should we pray only to Vishnu for liberation? He

is the only Omniscient one even during the great

deluge; Upanishads too point Him out as the saviour,

and as one who discoursed to Brahma on the logistics

of creation, He is held to be the Supreme. He is

hailed by all the Vedas; the more we pray to Him

without expectations but in total devotion, the less

we suffer. The hallmark of virtuous living is to pray

with unswerving devotion to Narayana and surrender to

Him who is the ultimate source of liberation for all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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