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