Vishnu Sahasranama - Purva Bhaga 003

Vishnu Sahasranama

Puva Bhaga 003

Reference:        Vishnusahasranama by Swami Dayananda Saraswati

.

VS - 5
यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण जन्मसंसारबन्धनात्‌। विमुच्यते नमस्तस्मै विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे॥ ॐ नमो विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे।
yasya smaraṇamātreṇa janmasaṁsārabandhanāt | vimucyate namastasmai viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave || om namo viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave |
( Salutations to Lord Visnu who is almighty and by remembering whom, one is liberated from the bondage of samsara.

VS - 6
श्रीवैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वा धर्मानशेषेण पावनानि च सर्वशः। युधिष्ठिरः शान्तनवं पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत॥
śrīvaiśampāyana uvāca śrutvā dharmānaśeṣeṇa pāvanāni ca sarvaśaḥ | yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śāntanavaṁ punarevābhyabhāṣata ||
Sri Vaisampayana said: Having heard all the dharmas without any exception and also the acts that purify, in all ways, Yudhisthira again address (Bhisma) the son of Santanu.

Yudhisthira had heard about all the dharmas. He has heard about every karma, without any exception. Karmas are in the form of vidhi – enjoined, what needs to be done and niseda – prohibited. He had also heard the prayascitta karmas which purify.

Even after having listened to all dharmas and karmas, Yudhisthira thought that there was something else. He wanted to know of a sadhana – means that would be sakala purushartha sadhana, that is capable of achieving all the purusharthas. One sadhana that is easy to follow and enjoyable. That which is needs little effort, but capabale of attaining a huge result.

VS – 7
युधिष्ठिर उवाच किमेकं दैवतं लोके किं वाप्येकं परायणम्‌। स्तुवन्तः कं कमर्चन्तः प्राप्‍नुयुर्मानवाः शुभम्‌॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kimekaṁ daivataṁ loke kiṁ vāpyekaṁ parāyaṇam | stuvantaḥ kaṁ kamarcantaḥ prāpnuyurmānavāḥ śubham ||
Yudhisthira asked: Who is that one Lord who Sastras speak about? What is the ultimate goal in life? Who should human beings know and worship to gain auspiciousness (subham)?

loke kim ekam daivatam – Who is that one Lord, by whose order alone all other devatas function?

loke kim ekam parayanam – What is that param ayanam, the ultimate end mentioned in all sastras?

Tell me about that one Lord, whom we can know and understand. Who can we praise the glories, seek and worship to gain auspiciousness?

VS – 8
को धर्मः सर्वधर्माणां भवतः परमो मतः। किं जपन्मुच्यते जन्तुर्जन्मसंसारबन्धनात्‌॥
ko dharmaḥ sarvadharmāṇāṁ bhavataḥ paramo mataḥ | kiṁ japanmucyate janturjanmasaṁsārabandhanāt ||
What is the highest dharma among all the dharmas according to you? What can a human chant to get freed from the bondage of samsara?

VS – 9
भीष्म उवाच जगत्‍प्रभुं देवदेवमनन्तं पुरुषोत्तमम्‌। स्तुवन् नामसहस्रेण पुरुषः सततोत्थितः॥
bhīṣma uvāca jagatprabhuṁ devadevamanantaṁ puruṣottamam | stuvan nāmasahasreṇa puruṣaḥ satatotthitaḥ ||
Sri Bhisma replied: The human being who is totally committed, praises the thousand names of the Lord of the jagat, Lord of all the gods, limitless and the supreme person. This human being would go beyond all sorrows.

satata utthitah purusah – A totally committed human being

nama sasrena stuvan – By praising the Lord and signing his glories with these thousand names

sarva dukhatigah bhavet – Would go beyond all sorrows. (Bring these words from verse eleven.)

Vishnu Sahasranama - Purva Bhaga 002

Vishnu Sahasranama

Puva Bhaga 002

Reference:        Vishnusahasranama by Swami Dayananda Saraswati

.

VS - 4
अविकाराय शुद्धाय नित्याय परमात्मने। सदैकरूपरूपाय विष्णवे सर्वजिष्णवे॥
avikārāya śuddhāya nityāya paramātmane | sadaikarūparūpāya viṣṇave sarvajiṣṇave ||
Salutations to Lord Vishnu, who is the paramatma, changeless, pure, timeless, always of the same nature and victorious over every one.

We could interpret this dyana sloka itself as essence of all vedas. Each one of Isvara’s name needs to be understood properly and meditated upon.

Avikaraya – Vikaram is change. Brahman, the paramatma does not undergo any change or modification. An example would be the principle of light, which illuminates all objects without itself changing.

Suddhaya – Always pure; untainted by anything. Atma does not perform any actions. Neither it enjoys or suffers the results of actions.

Nityaya – Atma is beyond past, present and future.

Sadaika rupa rupaya – Always of the same nature.

Sarva Jishnave – Always victorious.

One may note that a proper understanding of any one of these names obviates the other names.

Vishnu Sahasranama - Purva Bhaga 001

Vishnu Sahasranama

Puva Bhaga 001

Reference:        Vishnusahasranama by Swami Dayananda Saraswati

.

VS - 1
ॐ शुक्लांबरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम्। प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये॥
om śuklāṁbaradharaṁ viṣṇuṁ śaśivarṇaṁ caturbhujam | prasannavadanaṁ dhyāyet sarvavighnopaśāntaye||
One should meditate on Him who wears white dress, who is all-pervasive, of the colour of the moon, who has four arms and a tranquil face, for the removal of obstacles

We pray to Lord Ganesa before undertaking any work.

Isvara is called Vigna raja – the one who presides over the obstacles.

Isvara is the one who throws obstacles when he gives us the result of our papa (misdeeds).

Isvara is invoked not only as Vigna raja, but He is also invoked as Vigna hara – the one who removes the obstacles.

The devotee asks ‘Please remove the papa of all my commissions and omissions which are known and unknown to me’.

VS - 2
व्यासं वसिष्‍ठ नप्तारं शक्तेः पौत्रमकल्मषम्। पराशरात्मजं वन्दे शुकतातं तपोनिधिम्॥
vyāsaṁ vasiṣṭha naptāraṁ śakteḥ pautramakalmaṣam | parāśarātmajaṁ vande śukatātaṁ taponidhim||
I salute Sage Vyasa, the great grandson of Sage Vasistha, the grandson of Sage Sakti, the son of Sage Parasara and the father of Sage Suka and who is (by himself) an abode of tapas and who is without any blemishes.

VS - 3
व्यासाय विष्णुरूपाय व्यासरूपाय विष्णवे। नमो वै ब्रह्मनिधये वासिष्ठाय नमो नमः॥
vyāsāya viṣṇurūpāya vyāsarūpāya viṣṇave | namo vai brahmanidhaye vāsiṣṭhāya namo namaḥ||
Salutations to Vyasa, who is in the form of Vishnu. Salutations to Vishnu, who is in the form of Vyasa. Salutations again and again to him, who is the above of the vedas and who is of the lineage of Vasistha.

Vishnu Sahasranama - Introduction

Vishnu Sahasranama

Introduction

Reference:        Vishnusahasranama by Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Vishnusahasranama is praising Isvara with thousand words.

A devotee repeats the name of Isvara on a regular basis. A very inspired devotee repeats Isvara’s name constantly throughout the day.

Why should anyone repeat the names of Isvara? What are the benefits?

Why does Isvara has many names? What do they mean?

Isvara is the ruler, protector and sustainer of everything.

Isvara’s Lordship is final. There is no other entity who commands over Isvara.

Total overlordship belongs to Isvara. Hence Isvara’s another name is Bhagavan.

 Isvara is the cause of this universe – Jagat.

Jagat, the universe is intelligently put together. Isvara is the intelligent creator.

Isvara is neither localised within this universe nor external to this universe.

The very universe including time and space is Isvara, who is the maker and the material of this universe.

Jagat is only the names and forms of Isvara. Air, fire, water, earth, space is Isvara. All knowledge, human body, thought, consciousness is Isvara.

It is not that Isvara is everywhere, but everything is Isvara.

A name is always recognised with a form. Any form can be reduced to another form which is finally reduced to Isvara, the cause.

All forms are manifestations of Isvara.

The forms in Jagat are countless. Thus Isvara has infinite names.

Vishnu Sahasranama is very important because Sankara has written a commentary.

Vishnu Sahasranama is found in 149 chapter of Anusasana parva of Mahabharata.

Composed by Sanaka, recited by Bhisma who was lying on the death bed of arrows.

Vishnusahasranama and Lalitha Sahasranama are the most popular sahasra namas.