Learning the names of Vishnu as described in Vishnu Sahastranama

Before I begin, I would like to bow down to Maa Saraswati, with whose blessings I have attempted to understand this beautiful Stotra.

Jai Maa Jagadamba!

Also, the role of a Guru in helping us to understand our scriptures cannot be stressed enough. After all, knowledge was always handed down from Guru to his shishyas generation after generation!    

Om Gurubhyo Namaha!

And last but not the least, I surrender myself at the lotus feet of my Krishna with whose inspiration, I am sharing my learning with you. I hope, this learning will not just be enlightening but also provide you food for thought to learn more about our valuable scriptures, explore more of it, and appreciate them more.

Jai Shri Krishna!

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Vishnu Sahastranama is largely understood as the chanting of the 1000 names of Lord Vishnu.

The Vishnu Sahastranama is part of our Itihasa – Mahabharata. Mahabharata consists of one lakh verses written by the sage Vyasacharya also known as Ved Vyasa or Krishna Dwaipayana.

The Bhagwad Gita and Vishnu Sahastranama are both part of this ginormous epic – The Bhagwad Gita consisting of 700 shlokas or verses and the Vishnu Sahastranama, 108.   

Vishnu Sahastranama is understood as have been given as a learning to Yudishtira by Mahamahima Bhishmacharya. When the Kuruskshetra war was finally over, the Pandavas went to seek the blessings of Bhishmacharya, who lay on his bed of arrows created by Arjuna. Bhishmacharya had the boon of Icchamrutyu – meaning he could choose his time of death. He waited for Uttarayana kala to give up his mortal body and it was during this time that he taught Yudishtira the Sahastranama in answer to his questions.

Yudhistira asked six questions to Bhishmacharya. The six questions are:

Kim ekam daivatam loke?  Who is the supreme deity?

Kim vapyekam parayanam? What is the ultimate goal or supreme status one should seek in life?

Stuvantah kim? Which deity’s auspicious qualities should we worship?

Kam archantah prapnuyur manavah shubham? By worshipping which deity will we be blessed with prosperity?

Ko dharma sarva dharmanaam bhavat paramo matha? Which is the highest dharma in your humble opinion?

Kim japan muchyate jantur jamna samsara bandhanaat? By performing which japa or repeating which mantra will we be liberated from the cycle of life and death?

To these questions, Bhishmacharya says that Vishnu is the answer to all his queries. Chant the name of Vishnu, offer prayers to him and follow his teachings which are the highest dharma. Then, he proceeds to give him the 1000 names of the Supreme God.

Scriptures tell us that MahaVishnu is formless - Nirakara. But how does one imagine a god who does not have a form? Therefore, till our bhakti and meditation enable us to visualise him who is nirakara, let us be immersed in him whose form we easily identify with!  

   Let us surrender to MahaVishnu in the form that we identify him in -whom we know as having four arms, brandishing a panchajanya shanhka or conch, a sudarshana chakra or his divine discus, a kaumodaki gadha or mace, and an abhaya mudra which is a gesture of fearlessness, reassurance and safety, one in each hand respectively. Sometimes he reclines on Adisesha, the five-hooded serpent, a padma or lotus emerging from his Vakshastala or nabhi – the belly button – on which is seated, his consort, Mahalakshmi. 

Parayana or the chanting of the Vishnu Sahasranaama is incredibly beneficial. One can chant it by rote everyday but its worth knowing that each of the 1000 names has a wonderful meaning behind it. Chanting the verses and knowing what each name means is doubly beneficial!  

As mortals we are bound to live in this world. Our ultimate goal is to reach the lotus feet of Maha Vishnu. Hence Parayana  (para - the world of god + yana - journey) of the Vishnu Sahasranaama will help us speed our journey towards him. 

Jai Shri Krishna!