Vishnu Sahasranama

The Vishnu sahasranāma (literally: "Vishnu of the thousand names") is a list of 1,000 names for Vishnu, one of the main forms of God in Hinduism and the only Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavites (followers of Vishnu). More particularly, the Vishnu sahasranāma is one of the most sacred and chanted stotras in Hinduism. It is recited, often with a preface, as a prayer by many Vaishnavites and other Hindus.

According to the 149th chapter of Anushāsanaparva in the epic Mahabharata, the names were handed down to Yudhisthira by grand sire Bheeshma, who was on his death bed at the battle of Kurukshetra. Yudhisthira asks Bhishma the following questions:

1. In this universe who is the one Lord of all? (i.e., at whose command all beings function?, or who is God of all?)
2. What is that one supreme status which one should seek to attain?
3. Who is the one Divinity by praising and by worshiping whom a man attains good?
4. Which according to you is that highest form of Dharma (capable of bestowing salvation and prosperity on man)?
5. What is that by uttering or reciting which any living being can attain freedom from cycle of births and deaths?

Bhisma answers by stating that mankind will be free from all sorrows by chanting the Vishnu Sahasranāma which are the thousand names of the one All-Pervading Supreme Being who is master of all the worlds, supreme over the Devas and who is Brahman. The reference from which this citation is taken and adapted is shown below.

There are Sahasranāma for major forms of God (Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, and others), but Vishnu Sahasranāma is most popular among common people, especially householders. The others are recited mostly in temples or by renunciants who pray to Vishnu as the Supreme God with personal attributes. However, the term "sahasranāma", by itself, generally refers to Vishnu sahasranāma. Vishnu sahasranāma has been the subject of numerous commentaries. The most popular ones are those of Adi Shankaracharya who wrote a definitive commentary on the Sahasranāma in the 8th century and Parasara Bhattar, a follower of Ramanuja.

Etymology

In Sanskrit, sahasra means "a thousand" and nāma (nominative), the stem is nāman-) means "name". The compound is of the Bahuvrihi type and may be translated as "having a thousand names". In modern Hindi pronunciation, nāma is pronounced [na:m]. It is pronounced sahasranāmam in the South Indian languages.

Interpretations

Although all Hindus respect the Sahasranāma, this is a major part of prayer for devout Vaishnavites, or followers of Vishnu. This does not mean that they do not believe in the other forms of God, rather they believe the whole universe, including the other forms of God such as Shiva or Devi, to be manifestations of their chosen one, Vishnu. Similarly Saivites give prominence to Shiva, but also respect Vishnu.

Smarta interpretations

In fact, the Shri Rudram, one of the most sacred prayers for Hindus and Shaivites in particular, describe Vishnu as an aspect of Shiva. Likewise, two of the names in Vishnu sahasranama that refer to Shiva are Shiva (names #27 and #600) itself, and Rudra (name #114). Adi Sankara has interpreted this to mean that Vishnu and Shiva are the same and it is Vishnu that is praised by worship of Shiva. A still another name identifying Vishnu with Shiva is the 38th name, Shambhu. Shambhu is a common name for Shiva as well. Using these two interpretations, and ignoring the occasional and rare tensions between Vaishnvaites and Shaivites, these two names, from one point of view, an Advaitan point of view, indicate that Vishnu and Shiva are one and the same God but are His different aspects as preserver and destroyer respectively.

Vaishnavite interpretations

However, the Vaishnavite commentator, Parasara Bhattar, a follower of Ramanuja has interpreted the name "Shiva" and "Rudra" in Vishnu sahasranama to mean a quality or attribute of Vishnu, and not to indicate that Vishnu and Shiva are one and the same God. Accepting Oneness of God is against Ramanuja's philosophy where he describes Gods and Demi gods. He believes that Gods have similar relationships like human beings, like bigamy (multiple wifes), and worldly relationship like having intimacy with unmarried women. But he believes Vishnu is very different. These beliefs were enforced by Srivaishnavites to show the supremacy of Vishnu. Many Vaishnavites and Srivaishnavites assumes Vishnu to exactly appear like a super human being with 4 hands and weapons in all hands. However, Smarthas don't subscribe to this aspect or personfication of God, as Smarthas say that God is pure and is devoid of form. Additionally, they believe that God is not limited by time nor limited by shape and color. Smarta scholars, as noted below, distinguish the Srivaishnavite view by noting that the first few names of Vishnu as not at all anthropomorphic, as evidence of support for their viewpoint.

General Thoughts

Sections from Swami Tapasyananda's translation of the concluding verses of Vishnu sahasranama, state the following: "Nothing evil or inauspicious will befall a man here or hereafter who daily hears or repeats these names." That comment is noteworthy. King Nahusha, a once righteous king, ancestor of Yudhisthira, according to reference, C. Rajagopalachari's translation of Mahabharata, [1], story #53, become an Indra, king of devas, but was later expelled from Swarga or heaven due to a curse by the great sage Agastya for his eventual gain in pride and arrogance and become a python for thousands of years. Thus, chanting of Vishnu sahasranama will help lead to success in this life and hereafter.

Interestingly, the first few names, in particular, do not describe features of Vishnu in detail and hence are not anthropomorphic in nature and instead focus on His inherent nature or characteristics such as pervading the universe and as destroyer of sin. While Vishnu is commonly portrayed with human features, Swami Tapasyananda, in his book, Bhakti Schools of Vedanta, reminds readers that Vishnu pervades everything and is not anthropomorphic. He has no particular material form but can manifest in any form, and is a center of all force, power, will, auspiciousness, goodness, beauty, grace, responsiveness, etc.

As Swami Tapasyananda said, "Vishnu is the Indwelling Spirit in all beings and the whole cosmos constitute His body." As Vishnu is the all-pervading Spirit and the Supreme Personality, anthromorphism is deemphasized in Vishnu sahasranama.

Pronunciation and Merits of Recitation

In the linked preface prayer (But not in the succeeding Sahasranama) non-formal pronunciation is used, since correct representation of pronunciation requires extensive use of diacritic marks. An example: Sanskrit/Hindi has three letters representing S, which are represented here as 's', 'sh', the third 'sh', as used in the Sanskrit word shatkona (= "hexagon"), Vishnu, Krishna and others is actually a retroflex phoneme and has no equivalent in English. Retroflex phonemes are those where the tongue is slightly coiled back in the palate and released along with the phoneme's sound. Also, the 'n' in Vishnu and Krishna is retroflex. In formal transliteration of Sanskrit alphabet to English, this setup is denoted by placing dots above or below the letter 's'. More details can be found at Sanskrit language#Consonants.

Although devotion is considered the most important thing while reciting any prayer or mantra (Unless used for tantric purposes, where the sound's vibration plays the major role), use of the correct pronunciation is believed by devotees to enhance the satisfaction derived from the recital, in the case of both vocal and mental chants.

Believers in the recitation of the Sahasranama claim that it brings unwavering calm of mind, complete freedom from stress and eternal knowledge. Sections from Swami Tapasyananda's translation of the concluding verses of Vishnu sahasranama, state the following: "Nothing evil or inauspicious will befall a man here or hereafter who daily hears or repeats these names.. Whichever devoted man, getting up early in the morning and purifying himself, repeats this hymn devoted to Vasudeva, with a mind that is concentrated on Him, that man attains to great fame, leadership among his peers, wealth that is secure and the supreme good unsurpassed by anything. He will be free from all fears and be endowed with great courage and energy and he will be free from diseases. Beauty of form, strength of body and mind, and virtous character will be natural to him.... One who reads this hymn every day with devotion and attention attains to peace of mind, patience, prosperity, mental stability, memory and reputation.... Whoever desires advancement and happiness should repeat this devotional hymn on Vishnu composed by Vyasa....Never will defeat attend on a man who adores the Lotus-Eyed One (KamalNayani), who is the Master of all the worlds, who is birthless, and out of whom the worlds have originated and into whom they dissolve."

Swami Tapasyananda stated that in orthodox Hindu tradition, a devotee should daily chant the Upanishads, Gita, Rudram, Purusha Sukta and Vishnu sahasranama. If one cannot do all this on any day, it is believed that chanting Visnu sahasranama alone is sufficient. Vishnu sahasranama can be chanted at any time, irrespective of gender.

It is customary to commence the Vishnu sahasranama with a devotional prayer to Vishnu.

Shlokas

Recitation and aggregation

An alternative approach is to say the starting prayer, and then say the names collected in stanzas (As they were originally said by Bhishma.) Such stanzas are called Shlokas in Sanskrit. The Sahasranama (apart from the initial and concluding prayers) has a total of 108 shlokas.

For example, the first shloka is:

Om Vishvam Vishnurvashatkaaro Bhootbhavyabhavatprabhuh

Bhootkrid Bhootbhridbhaavo Bhootaatma Bhootbhavanah

Notice the aggregation of several words and the omission of their intervening spaces. For example, the last word of the first line of this Shloka:

Bhootabhavyabhavatprabhuh

corresponds to:

OM Bhoota Bhavya Bhavat Prabhave Namaha

of the expanded version.

This joining-together of words is a common feature of Sanskrit and is called Sandhi. It makes the shlokas compact and easier to remember, which was necessary in ancient India since the religious scriptures were seldom written down and were memorised by Brahmins, or the priest class. This collection of memorised knowledge was passed by word-of-mouth from Guru to disciple.

Tradition of recitation

From ancient times, until as recently as the 19th century, many Hindus in learned families daily recited the Sahasranama, or a similar set of prayer Shlokas of their chosen deity. (Such a collection of Shlokas which are used for recital purposes is generally called a Stotra (Both 't's have soft pronunciation.))

With increasing Westernization, the practice of the Sahasranama rituals are reducing in commonality, and have been criticized for becoming more mechanical and devoid of feeling. Though a very significant number of Hindu households still have daily prayer/worship sessions (Called a Puja. In ancient Vedic times, it was also called a Sandhya).

Inclusion of other deities

One notable thing about the Sahasranama is that it includes names of other Hindu deities such as Shiva, Brahma, etc. within it. This is an example of Vishnu considered in His universal aspect, as an aggregation, and basis of all other deities which emanate from Him. In this cosmic aspect, Vishnu is also called Mahavishnu (Great Vishnu.) By an Advaitan interpretation, this notation is not surprising as followers of Advaita philosophy, in particular, Smartas believe that Vishnu and Shiva are the same and are hence different aspects of the one Supreme Being. For more information, see Vaishnava Theology.

Quotes about Vishnu Sahasranama

Sri N. Krishnamachari, a Vaishnavite 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 Tyagaraja 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."

Adi Sankara, the Advaita philosopher, in verse 27 of his hymn, Bhaja Govindam,[2], said that the Gita and Vishnu sahasranama should be chanted and the form of the Lord of Lakshmi, Vishnu should always be meditated on.

Swaminarayan, founder of the Hindu Swaminarayan sect, according to this site, [3], said in verse 118 of the scripture, Shikshapatri, that one should "either recite or have the 10th canto,(of Bhagavata purana ) and also other holy scriptures like the Vishnu Sahasranama recited at a holy place according to one's capacity. The recital is such that it gives fruits according to whatever is desired."

He also said in verses 93-96, "I have the highest esteem for these eight holy scriptures: the four Vedas, the Vyas-Sutra,(i.e., Brahma Sutras, the Shreemad Bhagavata Purana, the Shree Vishnu Sahasranama in the Mahabharata, and the Yaagnavalkya Smruti which is at the center of the Dharma Scriptures; and all My disciples who wish to prosper should listen to these 8 holy scriptures, and brahmins under My shelter should learn and teach these holy scriptures and read them to others."

The great saint, Shirdi Sai Baba, according to the site, [4] 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."

Swami Sivananda, in his 20 important spiritual instructions [5], stated that the Vishnu sahasranama, along with other religious texts, should be studied systematically.

rama rameti rameti, rame rame manorame;

sahasra-namabhis tulyam, rama-nama varanane

Lord Shiva addressed his wife, Durga:

"O Varanana (lovely-faced woman), I chant the holy name of Rama, Rama, Rama and thus constantly enjoy this beautiful sound. This holy name of Ramacandra is equal to one thousand holy names of Lord Vishnu." (Brhad-visnu-sahasranama-stotra, Uttara-khanda, Padma Purana 72.335)

sahasra-namnam punyanam, trir-avrttya tu yat phalam; ekavrttya tu krsnasya, namaikam tat prayacchati

Brahmānda Purana said:

"The pious results (punya) achieved by chanting the thousand holy names of Vishnu (Vishnu sahasra nama stotram) three times can be attained by only one utterance of the holy name of Krishna."

Benefits of chanting Vishnu Sahasranama

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.

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 a Brahmana does this he succeeds in mastering the Vedanta; if a Kshatriya does it, he becomes always successful in battle. A Vaisya, by doing it, becomes possessed of affluence, while a Sudra earns great happiness."

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 succeeds in enjoying all kinds of pleasures, and the man desirous of offspring acquires offspring (by pursuing this course of conduct)."

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

"That man who with devotion and perseverance and heart wholly turned towards him, recites these thousand names of Vasudeva every day, after having purified himself, succeeds in acquiring great fame, a position of eminence among his kinsmen, enduring prosperity, and lastly, that which is of the highest benefit to him (viz., emancipation Moksha itself). Such a man never meets with fear at any time, and acquires great prowess and energy. Disease never afflicts him; splendour of complexion, strength, beauty, and accomplishments become his. The sick become hale, the afflicted become freed from their afflictions; the affrighted become freed from fear, and he that is plunged in calamity becomes freed from calamity."

The man who hymns the praises of that foremost of Beings by reciting His thousand names with devotion succeeds in quickly crossing all difficulties. That mortal who takes refuge in Vasudeva and who becomes devoted to Him, becomes freed of all sins and attains to eternal Brahman. They who are devoted to Vasudeva have never to encounter any evil. They become freed from the fear of birth, death, decrepitude, and disease."

On acquiring righteousness and intelligence, and avoiding the sins of evil:

"That man who with devotion and faith recites this hymn (consisting of the thousand names of Vasudeva) succeeds in acquiring felicity of soul, forgiveness of disposition, Prosperity, intelligence, memory, and fame. Neither wrath, nor jealousy, nor cupidity, nor evil understanding ever appears in those men of righteousness who are devoted to that foremost of beings. The firmament with the sun, moon and stars, the welkin, the points of the compass, the earth and the ocean, are all held and supported by the prowess of the high-souled Vasudeva. The whole mobile and immobile universe with the deities, Asuras, and Gandharvas, Yakshas, Uragas and Rakshasas, is under the sway of Krishna."

On the origins of the soul, the source of righteous behavior, and the basis of all knowledge and existence:

"The senses, mind, understanding, life, energy, strength and memory, it has been said, have Vasudeva for their soul. Indeed, this body that is called Kshetra, and the intelligent soul within, that is called the knower of Kshetra, also have Vasudeva for their soul. Conduct (consisting of practices) is said to be the foremost of all topics treated of in the scriptures. Righteousness has conduct for its basis. The unfading Vasudeva is said to be the Lord of righteousness. The Rishis, the Pitris, the deities, the great (primal) elements, the metals, indeed, the entire mobile and immobile universe, has sprung from Narayana. Yoga, the Sankhya Philosophy, knowledge, all mechanical arts, the Vedas, the diverse scriptures, and all learning, have sprung from Janardana. Vishnu is the one great element or substance which has spread itself out into multifarious forms. Covering the three worlds, He the soul of all things, enjoys them all."

His glory knows no diminution, and He it is that is the Enjoyer of the universe (as its Supreme Lord). This hymn in praise of the illustrious Vishnu composed by Vyasa, should be recited by that person who wishes to acquire happiness and that which is the highest benefit (viz., emancipation). Those persons that worship and adore the Lord of the universe, that deity who is inborn and possessed of blazing effulgence, who is the origin or cause of the universe, who knows on deterioration, and who is endued with eyes that are as large and beautiful as the petals of the lotus, have never to meet with any discomfiture."

Bhisma's quote cited from Ganguli translation of Vishnu Sahasranama (public domain)

See also

• Sahasranama
• Lalita sahasranama
• Shiva sahasranama

Books

There are few books in English, or those with English transliteration and translation. The books given below contain Swami Shankaracharya's commentary on the Sahasranama:

• Sanskrit & English: Sri Vishnu Sahasranama; translated by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, 16, Ramakrishna Math Road, Chennai 600004, India

web site: http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org; US site: http://www.vedanta.com (Both sites sell a copy of Vishnu sahasranama, the book with the commentary of Adi Sankara.)

(Math is pronounced 'Madh', the dh is the voiceless hard palatal aspirate. Math is the Hindu equivalent of a monastery. Chennai was earlier called Madras.)

• Sanskrit & English: Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, translated by P. Sankaranarayan, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kulapat Munshi Marg, Mumbai, India 400007

• Sanskrit & Hindi: Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, Gitapress, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh 273005, India

• For purchase of an audio CD, try http://www.khazana.com ; the late Carnatic music singer, M.S. Subbulakshmi, sung a rendition especially well.

• Sanskrit & English: The Thousand Names of Vishnu and the Satyanarayana Vrat, translated by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir, Napa. To obtain a copy of the book, visit http://www.shreemaa.org/drupal/taxonomy_menu/55/96

References

• Full text in Sanskrit in the Devanagari alphabet (श्रीविष्णुसहस्रनामस्तोत्रम्) (Wikisource)
• Cited from Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, commentary by Sri Sankaracharya, translated by Swami Tapasyananda, available at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. available at India web site: http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org and US site: http://www.vedanta.com.

External links

• A collaborated Hinduism Wesite/Wiki - This is a wiki dedicated exclusivly to the topics related to the religion of Hinduism.
• Vishnu Sahasranama with meaning & MP3
• Sri Vishnu Sahasranama in Telugu Contains sahasranama in PDF and several other links
• Sri Vishnu Temples in India
• Gujarati translation of Vishnu Sahasranam along with Sanskrit verses (HTML, PDF and MP3 audio)
• Vishnu sahasranama 1000 names.
• A Vishnu Sahasranama Portal Contains a brief intro, the text in Kannada (HTML, Baraha and PDF formats), an mp3 audio file, and several links.
• Vishnu sahasranama names and meanings.
• Vishnu sahasranama with meanings; site features some of Parasara Bhattar's commentaries.
• Article about Vishnu sahasranama.
• Another article about Vishnu sahasranama with a discussion of the different aspects of the Lord.
• Another article.
• http://www.devotionalsongs.com/

(Audio link; click on Vishnu sahasranama, rendition sung by the late M.S. Subbulakshmi.

• SriVaishnavite comment on Vishnu sahasranama.
• Importance of chanting of Vishnu sahasranama.
• Circumstances underlying Vishnu sahasranama and commentary by Sri N. Krishnamachari.
• Vishnu sahasranama excerpt from the Mahabharata by Kisari Mohan Ganguly (published between 1883 and 1896) - the most comprehensive English translation to date.
• Each name of God is a capsule of divinity and a scriptural epitome
• A version of Vishnu Sahasranama chanted by Sikhs
• An easily understandable explanation of Vishnu Sahasranama in Telugu language given by noted scholars