Sri Vishnu sahasranam

[Bharathi Adusumilli]

Sri Vishnusahasranamam contains 1008 Names of Sri Mahavishnu. This entire compiling was done after the Mahabharata war and Saint Vyasa Mahamuni wrote the entire versus. 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 very 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 himself/herself to the glories of the Lord Sri Mahavishnu, by reciting the entire slokhas.

The birth of Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama - The 1008 Names of Sri Maha.

The legend would have it that at the end of the epic 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 learn 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 their meeting, Yudhistira presented Bhishma with six questions.

1. kimEkam dhaivatam lokE?
Who is the greatest Lord in the world?

2. kim vaapyEkam parAyaNam?
Who is the one refuge of all?

3. stuvantam kam prApnuyuh mAnavah subham?
By glorifying whom, can man attain peace and prosperity?

4. kam arcanat prApnuyuh mAnavaah subham?
By worshipping whom can man reach auspiciousness?

5. kO dharmah sarva dharmANaam bhavatah paramO matah?
What is, in thy opinion, the greatest Dharma?

6. 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.


VishNu SahasranAmam consists of 142 slokas. Excepting 13 slokas at the beginning and 22 at the end, the remaining 107 slokas contain the thousandnames of God.

MEDITATION ON VishNu AND INTRODUCTORY

Om SuklAmbara-dharam vishNum SaSivarnam catur-bhujam

prasanna-vadanam dhyAyet sarva-vighnopaSAntaye.

[ (For the eradication of all obstructions) One should meditate upon vishNu Who is clad in white robes, Who has a moonlike lustre, Who has four arms and Who has a beneficient face. ]

vyAsam vasishta-naptAram Sakteh pautram akalmasham

parAsarAtmajam vande Suka-tAtam tapo-nidhim.

[ vyAsa is the great-grandson of vasishta and the grand-son of Sakti. He is the son of parAsara and the father of Suka. I offer my obeisance to that vyAsa who is free from all defects and is a mine of austerities.]

vyAsAya vishNu-rUpAya vyAsa-rUpAya vishNave

namo vai Brahma-nidhaye vAsishtAya namo namaH.

[ My repeated salutations to vyAsa who is a form of vishNu and to vishNu who is a form of vyAsa- sage vyAsa, who is a descendent of vasishta and who is a treasure of brahman, (i.e. vedas).]