Dhayanam continued V

chaayaayaam paarijaathasya hemasimhasanopari aasinamambuda shyama
maaya thakshamalankritham | 

chandrananam chaturbaahum srivatsangitavakshasam rukmani satyabhaamaabhyam
sahitam krishnam asrayei || 

I surrender myself totally to that of Krishna who is flanked on both sides by rukmani and Bhama, who is seated on a golden throne under the shade of the Prajapathi tree, who is decorated with eyes of grey hue like the cloud, who has face like a moon, who is four armed and who has his chest embedded with goddess Lakshmi.

Dhayanam continued IV

meghashyaamam peethakausheya- vaasam  srivata-saangam
kausthubhodh-bhaasithaangam | 

punyopeytham pundareekayathaksham vande vishnum sarva-lokaika-naatham || 

cloud hued pure milk ocean dweller Laksmi on his chest I prostrate before vishNu,
the one Lord of the worlds, blue as the cloud and clothed in yellow robes. His chest
 is marked by the mole known as srivatsa. His body is resplendent with kaustubha
gem. He is surrounded by holy persons. And he has wide eyes like lotuses.

namaH samasta bhuutaanaamaadibhuutaaya bhuubhR^ite . 

aneka ruupa ruupaaya vishhNave prabhavishhNave 

sashankha chakram sakireeda kundalam sapeetha vastram saraseeruhekshanam | 

sahaaravakshah sthalakausthubhasriyam namaami vishnum shirsachaturbhujam || 

I bow down my head before the four-handed Vishnu who sports in His hand the
Sankha and the discuss,  who is adorned with a crown and ear-pendants,
who wears a yellow cloth, whose eyes resemble  a lotus and whose chest is
beautified by many necklaces and the kaustubha mark.

Dhayanam continued III

AUM namo bhagavate vaasudevaaya | 

shaantaakaaraM   bhujaga-shayanaM padma naabhaM sureshaM

viswaa dhaaram gagana sadrsam meghavarnam subhangam  

lakshmee-kaantaM kamala-nayanaM  yogibhir- dhyaana-   gamyaM 

vande vishhNuM  bhava- bhaya-haraM sarva-  lokaika-naatham || 

Ever peaceful, lying on a serpent bed, lotus (from) navel (springs) ,
gods (the) controller of Universe form cloud hued  good limbs Lakshmi's Lord ,
lotus eyed , (in) yogi's heart (by) meditation approachable. (We) pray to
Vishnu samara’s fear remover the entire world's ruler Salutations to Lord Vishnu,
peace personified, residing on the serpent couch (Adisesa), from his navel Sprouts,
a lotus. He is the overlord of the celestials. The universe is but his form.
He resembles the sky and has the complexion of the clouds, with graceful limbs
(of exquisite charm and perfect symmetry) He is the consort of Lakhsmi.
His eyes are like lotus. He resides in the heart region of the yogis Steeped in,
loving contemplation. He dispels (destroys) the dread of samsara.
He is the peerless Lord of the universe, the supreme monarch.

Dhayanam continued II

bhooH paadaoo yasya naabhirviyadasuranilash chandra sooryau cha netre 

karNaavaashaaH shiro dyaurmukhamapi dahano yasya vaasteyamabdhiH | 

antaHsthaM yasya vishvaM suranara khagago bhogi gandharva daityaiH 

chitraM raMramyate taM tribhuvana vapushhaM vishhNumiishaM  namaami || 

I bow to Lord Visnu who has the three worlds as His body, the earth as his feet and
the sky as his navel, the wind as his breath, the Sun and the moon as his eyes,
the directions as his ears and the heavens as his head, fire his face and
the ocean his abdomen. In him is embodied the universe, with the diverse
things and beings of different genre, the gods, humans, birds, cattle, serpents
(birds and beasts), the gandharvas and daityas (asuras) - all sporting in a
charming way.

Chanting Vishnu Sahasranaama Dyanam I

The following lines are from the Mahabharata and are quoted portions from the text. Believers believe that regular chanting of the hymn can accrue benefits. Such as

Avoiding evil, succeeding in battle, and gaining affluence, pleasure, happiness, and offspring:

Acquiring fame, prosperity, prowess, energy, strength, beauty, removing fear, avoiding calamity, and being cured of disease:

Acquiring righteousness and intelligence, and avoiding the sins of evil: the origins of the soul, the source of righteous behavior, and the basis of all knowledge and existence

Dhyanam

“Dhyana” is meditation. This describes the universal divine form of lord Vishnu
to be visualized in meditation. This preparation will reduce the thoughts of the mind
and create inner harmony, enabling the devotee to chant the thousand names of the Lord in utter devotion

Every devotee who follows these guidelines while chanting the sacred names of lord Vishnu will be bestowed with abundant wealth, knowledge and bliss.

kshiirodhan.vatpradeshe shuchimaNi.vilasat saikate mauktikanaam 

maalaa kLiptaa sanasthaH phaTika maNi nibhair mauktikair maNDitaaNgaH | 

shubhrai.rabhrairadabhrai.rupari virachitair muktapiiyuushha varshhaiH 

aanandii naH puniiyaadarinalinagadaa shaNkhapaaNir mukundaH ||  

May Mukunda with the discus, mace, conch and lotus in his hands purify us -
Mukunda who is seated on a pedestal of garlands and pearls in the region of milk-
ocean with the sands shining by the light of the pure gems; who is adorned by pearls
transparent like crystals and who is enjoying ecstatic bliss on account of pure,
white clouds overhead raining showers of nectar.

shri Vishnu sahasra Naama sangalpa ellaborated

The sangalpa narrates the nature on which the action is to be performed.

For the above sthothra and great mantra of the thousand divine names of Vishnu; the saint is the Bhagvan Sri Vedavyasa; the meter is anusthup: The deity is Shri Maha Vishnu; The supreme soul, Sriman narayana. the seed is the sun formed from the ray of nectar; the power is the creator Krishna (darling of devaki);the great mantra is the deity of origination and agitator; the key is the bearer of conch (Panchjanya) and nadanki (The sword) and charka (Sudarshana); the missile is the bearer of the bow sharnga and the bearer of the mace(Kaumodaki); the eye is the weilder of the charka(Sudarshana), the impertuble (who will not discomfited);the armour is the three Vedas sung by the samagana singers; The origin is the Bliss of the supreme Brahma; The season is the sudarshana and the outer spatial limitation is Time; the meditation is on Sri Vishwarupa(the huge cosmc form);the offering for pleasing Sri mahavishnu is the recitation of the thousand names.

Vishnu Sahasra Naama Sankalpa

Vishnu Sahasra Naama Sankalpa

Sankalpa literally means ‘to resolve’ before embarking on any venture or starting any task, we generally have a resolution in mind, by chanting the verses in this section, we submit to the lord that we are resolving to request Lord Vishnu to shower his grace on us and grant us the fruits that we chersh.

Asya shrii vishhNor divya sahasra naama stotra mahaamantrasya | 

shrii vedavyaaso bhagavaanRishhiH | 

anushhThup chhandaH | 

 shrii mahaavishhnuH paramaatmaa shriimannaaraayaNo devataa | 

 amrutaaM shuudbhavo bhaanur iti biijam | 

 devakii nandanaH srashhTeti shaktiH | 

 udbhavaH kshobhaNo deva iti paramo mantraH | 

 shaNkhabhRin.nandakii chakriiti kiilakam | 

 shaarNga dhanvaa gadaadhara ityastrama | 

 rathaaNga paaNir akshobhya iti netrama | 

 trisaamaa saamagaH saameti kavacham | 

 aanandaM parabrahmeti yoniH | 

 RituH sudarshanaH kaala iti digbandhaH | 

 shriivishvaruupa iti dhyaanam | 

 shriimahaavishhNu priityarthe sahasranaamajape viniyogaH ||  

The revered sage Veada vyasa, is the seer of this great mantra containing the divine
one thousand names of Lord Vishnu

The meter in which this mantra is composed is “Anushtup.

The deity to be propitiated by chanting this mantra is Lord Maha-Vishnu.
The Supreme Being, also known as Lord sriman narrayana

Now the devotee has to visualize the divine body of the lord and his different powers,
which is purely made out of names contained in the mantras. The name of the lord
given in different places of the Vishnu Sahasra Naama give the details of the names
that form the ‘mantric’-body as well as the divine powers of the lord

The ‘seed’ is denoted by the names”Amruthamshu-udhbhavo-bhaanuh”

The power is denoted by the names’Devaki-nandanahsrashta

The ‘Ultimate Mantra is denoted by the names”Udbhavaha-kshobhano devah’

The ‘Kilaka’ is denoted by the name”Shanka bhrut,nandhakee, chakree”

The ‘Asrta’ is denoted by the names “shaarNga dhanvaa gadaadhara”

The ‘netram(eye) is denoted by the names rathaaNga paaNir akshobhya

The Kavacha (armour) is denoted by trisaamaa saamagaH saama

The Yoni(place of emergence) is denoted by the names ”Anandan, Parabrahma

The dig-bhanda is denoted by the names “RituH- sudarshanaH –kaala”

The meditation is done by chanting the names”Shri Vishvaroopah”

The main objectives of chanting this shasra naama is to convey our devotion unto the
lord Maha vishnu

Maha Vishnu protects us if we call him by name everyday

Believers believe that regular chanting of the hymn can accrue benefits.

On avoiding evil, succeeding in battle, and gaining affluence, pleasure,
happiness, and offspring:Bhisma said, "Even thus have I recited to thee, without
any exception, the thousand excellent names of the high-souled Kesava whose
glory should always be sung. That man who hears the names every day or
who recites them every day never meets with any evil either here or hereafter. 

If one becomes desirous of earning the merit of righteousness, one succeeds in
earning it (by hearing or reciting these names). If it is wealth that one desires,
one succeeds in earning wealth (by acting in this way). So also the man who wishes
for enjoyments of the senses succeed in enjoying all kinds of  pleasures and the man desirous of offspring
acquires offspring (by pursuing this course of conduct)."

Let us do the five verses on Vishnu on this fourth day of our 

chanting and remembering. 

yataH sarvaaNi bhuutaani bhavantyaadi yugaagame | 

yasmiM shcha pralayaM yaanti punareva yugakshaye || 

tasya loka pradhaanasya jagannaathasya bhuupate | 

vishhNornaamasahasraM me shRuNu paapa bhayaapaham || 

yaani naamaani gauNaani vikhyaataani mahaatmanaH | 

RishhibhiH parigiitaani taani vakshyaami bhuutaye || 

RishhirnaamnaaM sahasrasya vedavyaaso mahaamuniH | 

chhando.anushhTup tathaa devo bhagavaan devakiisutaH || 

amRitaaM shoodbhavo biijaM shaktirdevakii nandanaH | 

trisaamaa hrudayaM tasya shaantyarthe viniyujyate || 

vishhNuM jishhNuM mahaa vishhNuM prabhavishhNuMmaheshvaram | 

anekaruupa daityaantaM namaami purushhottamam || 

The god of gods and the eternal indestructible father of beings
(unlike the evanescent type of earthly fathers) from whom all beings
originate at the commencement of the first yuga, and in whom they
all converge ultimately, that is, at the end of the yuga.

Hear from me, O king! The thousand names of Lord Vishnu, the dispeller
of the fear of sin, the sovereign master of the universe, lokkapradhAnasya -
the pivot on which the entire universe,with all its contents (things and beings) rests.

For the good of all, I shall tell you the names of the Supreme Being, well-known and
well-sung by the rishis

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.

I bow to vishnu, the victorious, the all-pervading, the mighty, the lord of all, the enemy
of daityas(demons), possessed of many forms and the best of purusas.

Shirdi sai told -Reading Vishnus name do wonders

It is just a recollection of the past three day readings we did on vishnu sahasra naamas.
in split doses @ of five verses day.Whether we can pronounce the verses correct or not, whher we know the meaning of the naamas are not no harm.We can slowly assimilate the process this chanting and later meditating on the thousand names of Lord vishu will definitely do wonders in the long run.we have started to try that we have to read,reread and memorize.later slowly we can increase our concentration by depicting the inner meaning of the verses in our mind .It is rather more than a physical exercise a mental as well a spiritual exercise.
chanting, concentrating,assimilating,understanding are all a process and these are many of the ways, or the procedure to understand and feel god. I am an ordinary person just because my Shirdi sai gave me a message to try reading it I started trying.I have felt very good over years reciting the thousand names and I would like to share the method and the ways I adopted to make it into the daily routine. it is worth and effort.
Let Lord vishnu bless all who attempt to try to recite his naamas and Shirdi sairam, get pleased seeing many of us start chanting this hymn or slokas.



Aum Sairam

Shirdi Sai said: "Oh Shama, Vishnu sahasranama....”

Our Shirdi Sai Baba, on commentating about the merits of Vishnu sahasranama, said: "Oh Shama, this book is very valuable and efficacious, so I present it to you, you read it. Once I suffered intensely and My heart began to palpitate and My life was in danger. At that critical time, I hugged this book to My heart and then, Shama, what a relief it gave me! I thought that Allah Himself came down and saved Me. So I give this to you, read it slowly, little by little, read daily one name at least and it will do you good."

Sri N. Krishnamachari, scholar, at Steven Knapp's web site, quoting Vaishnavite scholars, states that there are six reasons for the greatness of Vishnu sahasranama:

"1. Vishnu sahasranama is the essence of the Mahabharata;

2. Great sages such as Narada, the Alvars, and composers including Saint thyagaraja have made repeated references to the "Thousand Names of Vishnu" in their devotional works; The well-known biographical book of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba - Sri Sai Satcharitra - mentions that Vishnu Sahasranama was highly recommended by Baba.

3. The person who strung together the thousand names as part of the Mahabharata and preserved it for the world was none other than Sage Veda Vyasa, the foremost knower of the Vedas, who is considered an avatar of Vishnu;

4. Bhishma considered chanting of the Vishnu sahasranama the best and easiest of all dharmas, or the means to attain relief from all bondage;

5. It is widely accepted that the chanting of this Stotram gives relief from all sorrows and leads to happiness and peace of mind;

6. Vishnu sahasranama is in conformity with the teachings of the Gita."

we are in the beginning of the Shri Vishnu Sahasra Naama Peetika

and we are on the third day of our recitation of five slokas each

and our todays slokas are as follows:

anaadinidhanaM vishhNuM sarvaloka maheshvaram | 

lokaa dhyakshaM stuvan nityaM sarva duHkha atigo bhavet ||


brahmaNyaM sarvadharmaGYaM lokaanaaM kiirtivardhanam | 

lokanaathaM mahadbhuutaM sarvabhuutabhavodbhavam || 

Eshha me sarva dharmaaNaaM dharmo adhikatamo mataH | 

yadbhaktyaa puNDarii-kaakshaM stavairarchennaraH sadaa || 

paramaM yo mahat tejaH paramaM yo mahattapaH |

paramaM yo mahad brahma paramaM yaH paraayaNam ||

pavitraaNaaM pavitraM yo maNgaLaanaaM cha maNgalam |

daivataM devataanaaM cha bhuutaanaaM yo avyayaH pitaa ||

Lord Vishnu is the supreme Lord who has no beginning or end:
He is the supreme lord of all the worlds: He is the controller of the entire universe: by worshipping him, one reaches beyond all grief.

He is friendly to Lord bhrama; He knows all the dharmas; He is enhancer of fame of the people who worship him; He is the lord of the universe; He himself is the form of truth. He is the source of existence of all beings

This Krishna who is here before us is the personification of Dharma; I regard the constant worship of this lotus eyed (Vishnu), with devotion, by means of hymns as the greatest of all dharmas.

He is the supreme and great light; He is the supreme and great ruler; He is the supreme and great Bhraman; He is the supreme and highest goal fit to be attained by all beings

He is the pursuit of the pure; He is the most beneficent of the beneficent; He is the god of gods; He is the imperishable father of beings

Vishnu Sahasranama stotra marks the end of Kurukshetra war.....

Vishnu Sahasranama stotra is composed by Veda Vyasa and occurs during the Anusasana Parvan (Section 149, verses 14 to 120) phase of the Mahabharatha. While the Srimad Bhagavad Gita signals the beginning of the Kurukshetra war, Sahasranama stotra marks the end of the war. The stotra begins when Bheeshma Pitamaha lies on the bed of arrows waiting for his time to depart. Yudhishtira approaches Bheeshma and asks him six questions, which any person, who seeks to know the true meaning of God, would ask. Instead of propounding his own theory on what he thinks about God and the means to attain god, Yudhishtira wisely asks the knowledgeable Bheeshma. The whole Sahasranama Stotra from beginning to end is a conversation between Yudhishtira, Bhishma and the narration of the conversation by Sanjaya to Dhirthirashtra (with some quotes from Arjuna and Krishna)

The verses and their meaning of the next few slokas of the SHRI VISHNU SAHASRA NAAMA PEETIKA are as below:

shrii vaishampaayana uvaacha -

shrutvaa dharmaan asheshheNa paavanaani cha sarvashaH |

yudhishhThiraH shaantanavaM punarevaa-bhyabhaashhata ||

yudhishhThira uvaacha –

kim ekaM daivataM loke kiM va api yekaM paraayaNam | 

stuvantaHkaM kamarchantaH praapnuyur-maanavaaH shubham ||  

ko dharmaH sarva dharmaaNaaM bhavataH paramo  mataH | 

kin japan muchyate jantur-janma saM-saara- bandhanaat || 

shrii bhiishhma uvaacha - 

jagatprabhuM devedevam anantaM purushhottamam | 

stuvan naama sahasreNa purushhaH satatotthitaH || 

tameva cha archayannityaM bhaktyaa purushham avyayam | 

dhyaayan stuvan namasyaM shcha yajamaanastameva cha || 

Sri vaisambayana said

Hearing about all the “dharma-s” in their entirety and about those sacred acts that destroy sins, in various ways, Yudhisthra again addressed the son of Shanthanu (Bhisma)

Shri yudisthra said

Who is the one deity in the world? What are the sole and the supreme goal of human life? Whom should men praise and worship to attain auspicious communications?

Which ‘dharma’ do you regard as the supreme one?By reciting which hymn is mankind
freed from bonds of worldly life.(Samsara)that consists of the cycle of births and deaths?
Shri Bhisma said 
The man who is ever engaged in praising and propitiating, the lord of the universe, who is
the god of gods, the infinite and the Supreme Being, with the thousand names
(goes beyond grief of all kinds.)

By always, devoutly worshipping that imperishable, ‘Purusa”. By meditating on him, by praising him and by bowing down before him, the worshipper transcends all grief.

Chanting on Vishnu for physical health and mental peace

Let us start chanting and assimilate the Vishnu Sahasra Naama from now onwards. The meaning of each name has to be realized while chanting. This will be a very good mental exercise to improve the power of concentration.Lord Vishnu will bestow physical health and mental peace on those devotees who chant this Vishnu Sahasra Naama with dedication and devotion.

Aum....

shukla ambara dharaM vishhNuM shashi varNaM chatur bhujam |

prasanna vadanaM dhyaayet sarva vighnopa.shaantaye ||

vyaasaM vasishhTha naptaaraM shakteH pautram akalmashham |

paraasharaatmajaM vande shukataataM taponidhim ||

vyaasaaya vishhNu-roopaaya vyaasa roopaaya vishhNave |

namo vai brahma nidhaye vaasishhThaaya namo namaH ||

avikaaraaya shuddhaaya nityaaya paramaatmane |

sadaika roopa roopaaya vishhNave sarva jishhNave ||

yasya smaraNa maatreNa janmasaM saara bandhanaat |

vimuchyate namastasmai vishhNave prabhavishhNave ||

|| oM namo vishhNave prabhavishhNave ||

I meditate upon Lord Vishnu, wearing clothes in white resembling the glow of the moon, with placid expression on the face having four arms and a serene countenance, to eradicate all my obstacles.

Sage vyasa, who is devoid of all impurities,a mine of austerities, is the great- grandson of sage Vasishtha: grandson of the sage shakthi and the son of sage parashara: and father of sage sukha: He is repository of great penance: I bow to this great personality called vyasa.

Salutations, again and again, to VyAsa who is a visible aspect of Lord Vishnu and vise versa, Salutations to him. He is a great treasure of divine knowledge and a great descendant from sage Vasistha with veritable treasure of Vedic knowledge of Brahman. Salutations to him

Salutation to Lord Vishnu who is beyond disparities, 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 (The master of all)

Just by remembering him once, a bounded soul is liberated from” The vicious cycle of birth and death the ”Samsara”: he is the originator of this whole universe: salutations to him.

Salutation to that all powerful Vishnu denoted by Om..

Aum sairam ...continued

Bhisma chanted Vishnu’s name on his death bed...

According to the 149th chapter of Anushāsanaparva in the epic Mahabharata, the names were handed down to Yudihsthira by the famous warrior Bhisma was on his death bed at the battle of Kuruukshetera Yudhisthira asks Bhishma the following questions: kimekam daivatam loke In this universe who is the one Deva of all? (i.e., at whose command all beings function? or who is God of all?)

• kim vāpyekam parāyaṇam
• Who is the one greatest refuge for all?
• stuvantaḥ kam kamarcantaḥ prāpnuyurmānavāḥ subham
• Who is the one Divinity by praising and by worshiping whom a man attains good?
• ko dharmaḥ sarva dharmāṇām bhavataḥ paramo mataḥ
• Which according to you is that highest form of Dharma (capable of bestowing salvation and prosperity on man)?
• kim japan mucyate jantuḥ janmasamsārabandhanāt
• What is that by uttering or reciting which any living being can attain freedom from cycle of births and deaths?

Aum Sairam ....continued

Introductory part of the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram

Though the Lord has innumerable names, the Vishnu Sahasranama which contains a thousand selected names of the Supreme Being, is in the nature of a hymn which can be chanted by all. There is a great secret in it. The sequence of the names of the Vishnu in the verses, in Anushtubh metre has a rationale.

Twenty-four names of Lord Vishnu had been incorporated in the three opening verses of the Vishnu Sahasranama. These twenty-four names denote the 24 syllabled Gayatri mantra, each syllable corresponding to a particular name. The name Gayatri connotes that it protects those who chant it. Properly and regularly only comes later after practice. Hence better try than never.

Some could feel that they do not know the correct pronunciation, and so do not want to chant incorrectly. H. J. Achar, in his book "Sri Vishnu Sahasranama - A Study", H.J. Achar, Sharada Press, Mangalore, 1972, has given the 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 spirit or bhava 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 who is the Mother of all of us will confer His blessings on us.

In the introductory part of the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram, Yudhishthira asks Bhishma six questions, related to how mankind can attain happiness. These are contained in two stanzas starting with "kim ekam daivatam loke" in the Stotram. These questions are:

1.Who is the One (Supreme) Deity?
2.What is the highest goal of life?
3.By praising which Deity's auspicious qualities will human beings attain prosperity in this world as well as bliss in the next?
4.By meditating on which Deity will human beings attain prosperity in this world as well as bliss in the next?
5.By reciting which mantra will man be released from the bondage of the cycle of birth and death?
6.Of the three means referred to above (i.e., recitation, praise or archana, and meditation), which is the best means for attaining the grace of the Supreme Deity based on your vast experience and knowledge? ....continued

Aum sairam

Shirdi sai kept Vishnu Sahasranama close to my chest

There is another interesting incident in the life of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Once Sai Baba had heart disease. He used to cure all the diseases of the devotees. But now he himself was suffering. Who could cure him? Sai Baba himself narrated as to how his heart disease was cured.

Baba: I had heart disease. I kept Vishnu Sahasranama close to my chest. Hari (meaning Lord Vishnu) descended from it. I was cured. (Incident no 198: Sri Sai Baba’s Charters and Sayings by Sri B V Narasimhaswami) Such is the power of Vishnu Sahasranama. It can cure all the diseases. It has miraculous powers. One can get wealth, health according to his/her wish and needs.

Aum sairam

Shirdi Sai says to Chant Vishnu's names1000 times