SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - vanamAlI..., phala Sruti - Part 1.

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SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam – `vanamAlI gadI SAr'ngI….'.

 

vanamAlI gadI SAr'ngI Sa'nkhI cakrI ca nandakI |

SrImAn nArAyaNo vishNuh vAsudevo'bhirakshatu ||

 

This Slokam is not found in the Critical Edition we referred to in

the posting on `sarva praharaNAyudhaH'. However, many people chant

this as a result of their traditional training. SrI BhaTTar has not

included it in his vishNu sahasra nAma bhAshyam. However, Prof.

Srinivasa Raghavan has added the meaning in English, after noting

that it is not found in the mahAbhArata and is not commented by SrI

BhaTTar. SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri also makes the same comment, and has

given the meaning in tamizh. The meaning in English is given below:

 

"SrIman nArAyaNa is adorned by the garland by name vanamAlA, and is

armed with the Mace, SAr'nga – the bow, the Conch, the Discus and the

sword by name nandaka. He is vishNu (all-pervasive), and vAsudeva

(Who resides in all and in Whom all reside). May that vAsudeva

protect us all".

 

iti idam kIrtanIyasya keSavasya mahAtmanah |

nAmnAm sahasram divyAnAm asesheNa prakIrtitam || (1)

 

The above is addressed by bhIshma to yudhisThira at the end of the

107 Sloka-s containing the 1000 nAma-s of bhagavAn. The meaning

is: "Thus, the thousand divine names of bhagavAn keSava, the Supreme

Being, Who is worthy of being praised, have been sung in their

entirety". SrI BhaTTar comments that the word `kIrtanIyasya' has

been chosen to indicate that bhagavAn richly deserves the praise, and

that by using this word, bhIshma is telling yudhishThira that he

should begin the recitation of the names right away. The reason for

the same is given by the choice of the name keSava (the Creator of

brahmA and Siva – see the interpretation for the nAma keSava – nAma-s

23 and 654), and mahAtmanah (He is the Supreme Being). The

word `divyAnAm' (divine) applied to the nAma-s signifies that the

nAma-s are worthy of being sung in this world as well as in SrI

vaikunTham. The word `aSesheNa' is used to denote that nothing that

is significant or important has been left out by bhIshma in his

communication to yudhisThira, and everything that needs to be known

has been taught.

 

SrI Sa'nkara explains the word `aSesheNa' to mean `a-nyUna, an-

atirikta' – neither less, nor more, but exactly thousand nAma-s. The

implication is that the choice of the thousand names by bhIshma are

significant, and are not randomly chosen. SrI Sa'nkara also refers

us back to one of the initial six questions – kim japan mucyate

jantuh (see Introduction for detailed meanings), and points out that

these 1000 divine nAma-s are the ones that are the object of `japa'

referred to therein. He points out that `japa' consists of three

kinds - ucca, upAmSu, and mAnasa – loud, whisper, or in the mind

(trividha japo lakshyate – uccaA, upAmSu, mAnasa lakshaNah trividho

japah). The words prakIrtitam in the current Sloka answers that all

three means – chanting loudly, through a low tone, or by

contemplating in the mind, can be used in singing His praise

(kIrtana).

 

This Slokam emphasizes that these nAma-s are divine, and are sung in

SrI vaikunTham by the nitya sUri-s themselves. They are specifically

selected as sung by the Rshi-s (Rshibhih parigItAni – see the

Introductory section). This stotram is unlike any other stotram that

we know of. It was first revealed in Lord kRshNa's presence.

 

ya idam SRNuyAt nityam yaScApi parikIrtayet |

nA'Subham prApnuyAt ki'ncit so'mutreha ca mAnavaH || (2)

 

In this Sloka, the qualifications for reciting the stotra, and the

result from recitation are declared in general terms. "Nothing

inauspicious or unwelcome will accrue to that man in this world or in

the world beyond, when one hears this daily or recites it".

 

SrI BhaTTar comments that he, who according to his qualification and

ability, hears it or meditates on it in his mind, will encounter

nothing inauspicious in this world, or hereafter. Note that the

benefit is attained by chanting, as well as by listening.

 

By the term `hereafter (amutre ca)', lesser worlds than SrI

vaikunTham, such as svargam, brahma lokam etc. are meant. SrI

Sa'nkara points the case of yayAti and his father nahusha, both of

whom ended up suffering after reaching brahma lokam and indra lokam

respectively, because they committed sins against brAhmaNa-s after

reaching these higher worlds. Such inauspicious instances won't

happen to those who chant or hear this divine stotram – yayAti

nahushAdivat aSubha prApti abhAvam.

 

vedAnta-go brAhmaNah syAt kshatriyo vijayI bhavet |

vaiSyo dhana samRddhah syAt SudraH sukham avApnuyAt || (3)

 

The next few Sloka-s declare the benefits attained by chanting the

hymn, hearing it chanted etc. SrI BhaTTar has categorized the

benefits as follows:

 

- The current Slokam declares the benefits attained by people

of the four varNa-s, when they chant the stotram without necessarily

directing their chanting for any specific benefit, and do so without

necessarily following any special discipline etc.

- The next Slokam (Slokam 4 in this sequence) declares the

benefits attained by those who chant the stotram with specific

benefits in mind.

- Sloka-s 5 to 8 declare the benefits attained by those who

chant the hymns following discipline such as getting up early in the

morning, taking a bath etc., before chanting.

 

The organization along the above lines will be clearer as we see the

meanings of the Sloka-s, in particular, Slokam 5 etc.

 

Thus, there is benefit that is bestowed by the recitation of the

hymn, whether it is done by those with intense devotion or is chanted

without necessarily following any specific discipline, whether

specific benefits are sought by the person chanting the hymn or not,

etc. (Note: Based on Slokam 2 of this sequence, whatever benefit

is described for chanting the hymn, equally applies for listening to

the hymn being chanted).

 

The current Sloka declares that by reciting this hymn or hearing it

being chanted, (without necessarily following any specific rules

etc., and without specifically seeking any benefit), still certain

benefits are attained by people belonging to the four varNa-s. Thus,

a brAhmaNa reaches the knowledge of the vedAnta-s, in other words,

the knowledge of the self and its relation to the Supreme Self. If

he is a kshatriya, he will be victorious in war. A vaiSya

(businennman) will attain immense wealth, and a SUdra will be

bestowed with great happiness.

 

SrI Sa'nkara gives an elaborate explanation for the words `vedAnta-go

brAhmaNah syAt', and using the meaning "The brAhmaNa will get

KNOWLEDGE of the vedAnta-s, he proceeds to argue that sage vyAsa is

declaring through this Slokam that simply reciting the hymn is not

the means to salvation (japa karmaNA sAkshAt mukti Sa'nkAyAm,

karmaNAm sAkshAt mukti hetutvam nAsti, api tu j~nAnenaiva moksha iti

darSayitum `vedAntago brAhmaNah syAt' ityuktam) , but the knowledge

obtained by the recitation is the path to salvation. We won't go

into elaborate details of SrI Sa'nkara's argument on this point in

the vyAkyAnam for this Slokam; however, this is one instance of how

the vyAkhyAna-kartA-s orient their vyAkhyAna-s so that they can

establish their philosophy, and argue that important works such as

this one by veda vyAsa can be `shown' to support their system of

philosophy. SrI v.v. rAmAnujan explains that the knowledge that is

attained by chanting the hymn is the realization of the eternal

relationship between the soul and the Supreme Soul as servant and

Master (not the realization that everything is imaginary and non-

existent, except Brahman, as SrI Sa'nkara defines true knowledge).

 

One commentator adds that this Slokam – by referring to the benefits

attained by all the four varNa-s, implies that there is no constraint

in anyone chanting the hymns. Some AcArya-s have asked the women

among their followers to refrain from chanting the hymn either in

part or in full. The instructions vary from being allowed to chant

only the 107 Sloka-s starting from "viSvam vishNuh" up to "Sa'nkhabRn-

nandakI", not chanting anything, chanting the stotra in its entirety,

etc. To my knowledge, there is no restriction listening to the

hymn, which is as powerful in conferring benefits as chanting the

hymn. In all cases, one's own AcAryan's instructions should be

rigorously followed.

 

dharmArthI prApnuyAt dharmam arthArthI cArthamApnuyAt |

kAmAn avApnuyAt kAmI prajarthI cApnuyAt prajAm || (4)

 

In this Slokam, it is declared that those who desire righteousness

(dharma), will be blessed with that; those who desire wealth will be

blessed with wealth; those who are after the pleasures of life, will

be bestowed with all pleasures of life; those who desire progeny will

be blessed with children.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)