Vishnu Sahasranama

[Guest guest]

Om Namo Narayanaya

Shri Gurubhyo Namaha

 

In this posting, I have tried to cover the introduction to the Vishnu Sahasranama.

 

The Vishnu Sahasranamam begins with a prayer to remove obstacles that may come in way during our prayers. This is followed by a salutations to Vyasa who has composed Mahabharata, of which VS is a part. Vishnu is the deity that we pray to in the VS, hence we contemplate on him before we while we chant the namas.

shukla ambara dharaM vishhNuM shashi varNaM chatur bhujam | prasanna vadanaM dhyaayet sarva vighnopa shaantaye || (1) We meditate on Vishnu who is clad in a white cloth, whose complexion is like that of the moon and has four hands. We pray to Him, who has a placid expression to eradicate all the obstacles.Since, Lord Ganesha is prayed for the removal of all the obstacles, this stanza also be considered a prayer to Lord Ganesha. [in that case, the word “Vishnu” in the stanza is interpreted as the “all pervading”.]vyaasaM vasishhTha naptaaraM shakteH pautram akalmashham | paraasharaatmajaM vande shukataataM taponidhim || (3) VyAsa is the great grandson of Vasistha and the grandson of Sakti, son of ParAsara, and the father of Suka. He is untainted by defects (akaimasa) of any kind and is a mine of austerities (tapO nidhi). I offer my obeisance to Him.vyaasaaya vishhNu-roopaaya vyaasa roopaaya vishhNave | namo vai brahma nidhaye vaasishhThaaya namo namaH || (4) Salutations, to VyAsa, a visible aspect of Lord Vishnu and to Lord Vishnu who, in turn, is also a visible aspect of VyAsa, the sage descended from Vasistha and a veritable treasure of vedic knowledge of Brahman.avikaaraaya shuddhaaya nityaaya paramaatmane |

sadaika roopa roopaaya vishhNave sarva jishhNave || (5) Salutation to Lord Vishnu who is immutable (unchangeable, not subject to any variation), who is inherently pure and eternal, the Supreme soul who has a consistent undiversified form in all times and ages and is the conqueror of one and all.yasya smaraNa

maatreNa janmasaM saara bandhanaat | vimuchyate namastasmai vishhNave prabhavishhNave || (6) My salutation to that all powerful deity, Vishnu the mere contemplation of whose name frees all persons from the bonds of samsara, the terrific cycle of birth and death. || OM namo vishhNave prabhavishhNave || Salutation to that all powerful Vishnu denoted by Om shrii vaishampaayana uvaacha -

shrutvaa dharmaan asheshheNa paavanaani cha sarvashaH | yudhishhThiraH shaantanavaM punarevaa-bhyabhaashhata || (1) Shri Vaisampayana is considered the second editor of the Mahabharata. Mahabharata has undergone three editions and with each editor the title and subject matter has changed. In its original form as written by Sage Vyasa was known as 'Jaya', Triumph. The 'Jaya' of Vyas was small work

having not more than 8800 Slokas. The subject matter was mainly the war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. In the hands of Vaishampayana, a disciple of Sage Vyasa, it grew into 24000 verses and was called the Bharat. Sauti was the third editor, in whose hands the epic grew to 96836 Slokas and was called the Mahabharata. All the smaller floating legends and historical stories which existed independently of the Bharata were brought together by Sauti so that they might not be lost or that they may be found together.Sri Vaisampayana said: Having heard all the dharmas, in their entirety, and all other purifying acts;

Yudhishthira addressed again Santanu's son (Bhisma) as follows:In this stanza Shri Vaisampanaya says that Yudhishthira, also known as Dharma Raj, a knower of all Dharmas was not satisfied even after having acquired all the knowledge. His mind was still disturbed. He wanted to know about the Supreme Being, who is the refuge for all. by glorifying whom man reach the Auspiciousness, by doing japa of what can “creatures” (jantu) go beyond the bonds of samsara? Krishna then, directs the Pandavas to Bheeshma Pitaamaha,

when the mighty grandsire of the Kuru family was lying on the bed of arrows, unconquered and in conquerable, waiting for the scared hour of his departure to the feet of the Lord. The following are the six questions that Yudhishthira asks Bheeshmacharya, followed by the answers given.

Yudhishtira Uvaacha

Question 1. Kim ekam daivatam loke?

Who is the greatest Lord in the world?

Answer 1. Pavitraanaam pavitram yo Mangalaanaam cha mangalam Daivatam devataanam cha Bhootaanam yo avyayah pitaa.

He who is very sanctity which sanctifies all scared things; he who is most auspicious; he who is the god of gods; he who is the eternal father of all creatures is the one god – VISHNU.

Question 2. Kim vaapyekam paraayanam?

Who is the one refuge for all?

Answer 2. Paramam yo mahat-tejah Paramam yo mahat-tapah Paramam yo mahat-brahma Paramam yah paraayanam.

He who is the great effulgence; He who is the Great controller; He who is the Supreme All-Pervading Truth; He who is the Highest (Param) Goal (Ayanam)-the Lord Vishnu.

Question 3. Stuvantam kam praapnuyuh Maanavah subham?

By glorifying whom can man reach the Auspiciousness (peace and prosperity)?

Answer 3. Jagat-prabhum deva-devam Anantam purushottamam Stuvan naama-sahasrena Purushah satatotthitah.

The supreme Purusha, who is ever up and doing for the welfare of all, the Lord of the world the endless – Sri Maha Vishnu.

Question 4. Kam archantah praapnuyuh Maanavaah subham?

By worshipping whom can a man reach auspiciousness (peace and prosperity)?

Answer 4. Tameva cha archayan nityam Bhaktyaa purusham avyayam Stuvan naama-sahasrena Purushah satatthitah.

By meditating upon, by worshipping and by prostrating at the same Purusha, man can reach true Auspiciousness.

Question 5. Ko dharmah sarva-dharmaanaam Bhavatah paramo matah?

What is, in thy opinion, the Greatest Dharma?

Question 6. Kim japan muchyate jantuh Janma-samsaara-bandhaaat?

By doing japa of what can “creatures” (jantu) go beyond the bonds of samsara?

Answers 5 & 6. Anaadi-nidhanam vishnum Sarvaloka-maheshvaram Lokaadhyaksham stuvan nityam Sarva-duhkha-atigo bhavet.

The greatest Dharma is the one Vishnu, who has neither a beginning (Aadi) nor an end (Nidhanam), the supreme Lord of the world. All creatures can go beyond the bonds of samsara, “and he goes beyond all sorrows” who daily chants the sahasranamas and within glorifies “the knower of the world” (Lokaadhyaksha).brahmaNyaM sarvadharmaGYaM lokaanaaM kiirtivardhanam | lokanaathaM mahadbhuutaM sarvabhuutabhavodbhavam || (7) He is the protector of Brahma and the vedas. He is the knower of all the Dharmas. He is the enhancer of the reputation of beings. He is the supreme Brahman. Out of Him all beings and the whole of Samsara have come out. eshha me sarva dharmaaNaaM dharmo adhikatamo mataH | yadbhaktyaa puNDarii-kaakshaM stavairarchennaraH sadaa || (8)

This worship of the lotus eyed lord, by a person singing his praise, is hence regarded by me as the greatest dharma. yataH sarvaaNi bhuutaani bhavantyaadi yugaagame | yasmiM shcha pralayaM yaanti punareva yugakshaye || (11) He is the One from whom all beings come into existence at the beginning of a cycle of time, and He is also the One in to whom they all dissolve at the end of the cycle. tasya loka pradhaanasya jagannaathasya bhuupate | vishhNornaamasahasraM me shRuNu paapa bhayaapaham || (12) Hear from me the hymn that is constituted of a thousand names of that Vishnu who is the master of the universe, who is the subject of discourse of all scriptures, and who is the eraser of all sins and the fear of samsara. yaani naamaani gauNaani vikhyaataani mahaatmanaH | RishhibhiH parigiitaani taani vakshyaami bhuutaye || (13) For the good of all, I shall tell you the names of the

Supreme-Being, well-known and well-sung by the rishis RishhirnaamnaaM sahasrasya vedavyaaso mahaamuniH | chhando.anushhTup tathaa devo bhagavaan devakiisutaH || (14) amRitaaM shoodbhavo biijaM shaktirdevakii nandanaH | trisaamaa hrudayaM tasya shaantyarthe viniyujyate || (15) The great Veda Vyasa is the rishi of these thousand names of Vishnu, 'Anustup' is its meter, the presiding deity is Devaki's son, the seed (bijam) is "the one born in the lunar race", its power is "the darling of Devaki" it's heart (hrdayam) is the name "one who is lauded by the three sAma hymns", and its purpose is the attainment of peace. vishhNuM jishhNuM mahaa vishhNuM prabhavishhNuM maheshvaram | anekaruupa daityaantaM namaami purushhottamam || (16) I bow to Vishnu, the victorious, the all-pervading, the mighty, the lord of all, the enemy of daityas(demons), posessed of many forms and the best of purusas.