The Story behind Vishnu Sahasranama
The Vishnu Sahasranama is an ancient script written in Sanskrit. Sahasra means thousand, and Nama means names. The Vishnu Sahasranama is a masterpiece by the extraordinary Sanskrit scholar Sage Vyasa, also the author of timeless epics,
that include the Adhyatma Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagawad Gita, Puranas, and other stotra.
The epic Mahabharata has the Vishnu Sahasranama as a part of it. The eldest of the PanchaPandavas, Yudhishtir, was confused about the biggest Dharma to follow in life. He approached Krishna, but the latter did not impart the knowledge of The Gita, as he did to Arjuna. Instead, Krishna took Yudhishtir to Bheeshma Pitamah, the great warrior lying on his deathbed on the battlefield, felled by Arjuna’s arrows. On Krishna’s advice, Yudhishtir sought guidance on all aspects of life from Bheeshma with six questions, which starts the Vishnu Sahasranama.
It was the essence of Bheeshma’s life. Sage Vyasa and Krishna were witnesses to this moment on the Kurukshetra battlefield.
Bheeshma answered that whoever had brought Yudhishtir to life was the Supreme Being, to whom one should surrender. Mediating on his name 1000 times would help one achieve auspicious state and free oneself of Bondage and sins.
Bheeshma continued saying the 1000 names of Vishnu, and this part of the Mahabharata is called Vishnu Sahasranama.
Importance of Vishnu Sahasranama
Vishnu, the Preserver, saves, sustains life. Vishnu sustains various forms of life to thrive on earth. There are many sacred verses offering prayers to Vishnu. The most effective among all is the Vishnu Sahasranama. The Vishnu Sahasranama contains a thousand names of Vishnu. The Indian epic, the Mahabharata, has the Vishnu Sahasranama as part of the Anushasana Parva (149th chapter).
The Vishnu Sahasranama is deeply embedded in Hindu mythology and has a total of 107 slokas in AnushtupChhanda (a meter of poetry).
Humanity has always believed that for a sound mind and body, both should remain stress-free. The Vishnu Sahasranama is a purifier and savior. When all fail, we turn to God; we should remember to do so in times of happiness and give thanks. We should do Nama Japa (chanting of name) with sincere devotion, which comes with the absolute faith we place in God.
Reciting the Vishnu Sahasranama or just listening to it daily, helps us keep our mental peace and stability.
Sri Vishnusahasranamam contains 1008 Names of Sri Mahavishnu. This entire was done after
the Mahabharata war and Saint Vyasa Mahamuni wrote the entire versus raised by respective personnel they were part of that time.
Every Name of Sri Vishnu has a meaning to it; quite apart - the phonetic vibrations by chanting each Name known as "Nama" and the chain of names known as "Namavali" produces fantastic results of vibrations that are very essential for humans knowledge and wisdom. What the phonetic sound vibrations create to the chanter or to the one who hears it is very well established by many eminent scholars.
For attainment of spiritual liberation, one must involve oneself to the glories of the Lord Sri Mahavishnu, by reciting the entire slokhas.
This not only strengthens the brain neuron chips but also emits the brain wave at a very conducive frequency that can revibrate the energies into one's own body.
Besides, the thought of a person , That is exact value which brings path making the person a devotee of shri maha Vishnu.
The birth of Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama - The 1008 Names of Sri Maha.
The legend would have it that at the end of the Mahabharata war, Bhishmacharya was awaiting the sacred
hour to depart from his physical body unto the lotus feet of the Lord. Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandavas, was
desperately looking for the answers to matters relating to Dharma and Karma. Lord Sri Krishna, who understood Yudhistira’s uneasy mind,
guided him to Bhishma to get insight in to this precious knowledge. It is relevant to mention that Bhishma was acknowledged to be one of
the twelve most knowledgeable people.
The other eleven being Brahma , Narada , Siva , Subramanya , Kapila , Manu , Prahlada , Janaka , Bali, Suka and Yama .
As directed by the Lord, he meets Yudishtra. At that meeting, Yudhistira presented Bhishma with six questions.
- kimEkam dhaivatam lokE? Who is the greatest Lord in the world?
- kim vaapyEkam parAyaNam? Who is the one refuge of all?
- stuvantam kam prApnuyuh mAnavah subham? By glorifying whom, can man attain peace and prosperity?
- kam arcanat prApnuyuh mAnavaah subham? By worshipping whom can man reach auspiciousness?
- kO dharmah sarva dharmANaam bhavatah paramO matah? What is, in thy opinion, the greatest Dharma?
- kim japam mucyatE jantur janma samsAra bandhanAth?
By doing Japa of what, can creature go beyond the bonds and cycle of birth and death?
Bhishma responded by reciting the one thousand names now hailed as the Vishnu Shasranama,
and reminded him that either by meditating on these names or by invoking the names through archana (Offering), our minds can be lifted to higher consciousness.
Indeed, such a long recital of nAmAs glorifying the Lord and His splendor is rare in the world. Yet a rational person is apt to question how mere words and
their repetition can create such great power.. Just imagine for a moment that you are in an assembly, and the lecturer
begins his talk with the word “boat”. You can at one grasp the image of a boat, and there is calmness of mind. Suddenly then,
if someone in the assembly, utters the word “snake”, will your calmness continue? It therefore follows that vak (utterance)
and artha (meaning) together infuse a subtle energy either positively or negatively. The thousand naamas are storehouses of proven
spiritual content that can easily uplift our minds. Indeed the expression NaMa is made up of Na for Naramandala and Ma for manas,
our Mind. NaMa, the chanting of which helps to unite our nervous system and Mind.
The main body of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama consists of 107 Slokhas which contain the one thousand names of Sri Maha Vishnu.
Every one of the one thousand names is full of significance and refers to one particular guna (quality, characteristic,
or attribute) of Paramatma. These names invoke a sense of bonding with the Lord. The meanings of the names give us an understanding and depth of God as there is a deep connection between the name and the named.
Why were these 1008 names chosen?
Does the Lord get absolutely defined by these one thousand names? The Vedas affirm that God is neither accessible to words nor to mind. It is said that you cannot comprehend the Paramatma with the human mind alone, even if you spend all your life trying! Given this infinite nature of the Paramatma, who is not governed or constrained by any of the physical laws as we know them, the choice of a thousand names of Vishnu by Bhishma should be
recognized as a representation of some of his better known qualities that are repeatedly described in our great epics.
Some might say that they do not understand the meaning of the Sanskrit words, and therefore do not feel comfortable chanting them. But 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. The treasure will be there already.
Others might feel that they do not know the correct Sanskrit pronunciation, and do not want to chant incorrectly.
There is an 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 bhaava (emotion) that matters, and 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 will confer His blessings on us, there is no way a devotee of Vishnu can meet with any dishonor or disgrace of any kind.
Significance of Virat Parayanam
Chanting generates positive vibrational energy. The synchrony of mass chanting amplifies that energy multi fold, benefiting everyone involved. Thus, you can imagine what kind of
massive positive energy is unleashed when you mass chant (Virat Parayanam) the most powerful names of Lord Vishnu.
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Slokhas - 01-12
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Slokhas - 13-24
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Slokhas - 25-36
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Slokhas - 37-48
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Slokhas - 49-60
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Slokhas - 61-72
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Slokhas - 73-84
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Slokhas - 85-96
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Slokhas - 97-108