Verse 2

 

10. Putatma

Puta means pure

Puta + atma means the atma or consciousness (chetana) which is pure, without any impurities – it is “nishkalmashaha”.

The jivatma is bound to the fruits of his actions. But the Lord is devoid of Karma bandha – though he is the one who is the doer, he is not attached to the fruits of the karma, of his actions. Hence he is Putatma or a pure atma.

The Bhagavad Gita 4.14, emphasises this detachment to karma phala.

na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛihā

iti māṁ yo ’bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate

Our activities bind us in karmic reactions when they are performed with the expectation of enjoying the results. However, God’s actions are not motivated by selfishness; his every act is driven by compassion for the souls and never by the expectations of results.

 

11.  Paramatma

Parama + atma.

Paramam meaning infinite, limitless, boundless. Hence he is one with limitless or infinite consciousness. He is the supreme soul and there is none superior to Him, hence he is Paramatma.

The Paramatma is defined by the Lord in verse 13.23 of the Bhagavad Gita,

upadraṣhṭānumantā cha bhartā bhoktā maheśhvaraḥ

paramātmeti chāpy ukto dehe ’smin puruṣhaḥ paraḥ

The Supreme Soul, who is located within everyone, manifests in the jivatma as Lord Vishnu.  The Supreme Lord in His form as Vishnu is responsible for maintaining this creation, nourishing it, supporting it, and controlling it.  

 

12. Muktanaam Paramagatihi

Mukta means freedom or liberation.

Parama means utimate , Gatihi means refuge.

He is the final or ultimate goal or refuge for the liberated souls.

The Bhagavad Gita reiterates this in verses 8.16 and 7.19

mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate (8.16)  

Whoever takes refuge in Krishna will be liberated from the cycle of birth and death.

bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapdyate

vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabha (7.19)

After several births, when one surrenders to Vasudeva with the complete knowledge that He is the cause of everything, he attains liberation.  

The Purusha Sukta also states,  Uta-Amrtatvasya ishaanah

He is the one who can lead us to attain liberation.

This does not mean that we become God. It means he can take us to the state that we call “aham brahmasmi.”

Adi Shankara describes this state through the three stages of consciousness. He says that every person experiences three stages of consciousness – “Jagruta” (wakefulness) and “Swapna and Sushupti” (sleep).

Jagruta is a state when all the senses including the mind are working.

Swapna is the stage of dreams or REM sleep when the physical organs are not working but the mind continues to work. All subconscious thoughts manifest as dreams.

Sushupti is a dreamless state or non-REM sleep hen the mind is also not working. But even though the body is completely at rest, it can be woken up by stimulation.

The fourth state is “Turiya” which is called the “brahma stithi”. In this deeply meditative state the body cannot be woken up even by stimulation and I attain brahmi stithi which is aham brahmasmi.

 

13. Avayaya

Vyaya means that which can be spent.

Aa+ Vyaya means that which cannot be spent or destroyed.

There are different ways one wanes or is destroyed.

Anitya, something that can be destroyed, like a clay pot that can be broken.  

Dukhapraptihi, sorrow

Dehahani, decay

Aswatantrayam, no freedom.   

The Lord is free of any kind of destruction. He is avayayah.

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says that the Lord is Ajaro Amaro Avayaya, means he does not grow old, or decay or undergo any change.

The Narayana sukta also says that lord is Anantam avyayam kavim, he is immortal, unchanging seer.

This indestructible form of the Lord is well described in the verse 2.23 of the Bhagavad Gita,

nainam chindanti sastrani nainam dahati pavakah

na chainam kledyanty apo na sosyati marutah 

The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.

 

14. Purusha

Pura means big. So Purusha means the biggest – he who is the biggest of all.

Pura (the biggest)+ sha (shat gunas)  

He has the ultimate Jnana (knowledge) , Aishwarya (wealth), Tejas (light), Shakti (mental strength), Bala (physical strength) and Veerya (courage)

Pura also means the place where one lives. The one who lives in that place is the Purusha. The place where one lives could also be understood as our body. And the one who resides in our body is the Purusha which is again the pure consciousness.

 

15. Sakshi

Sakshi means witness or evidence or knowledge of what happens.

He is therefore Sakshi, the one who has knowledge about everything that happens. In other words, nothing happens without his consent.

Sakshaat drustari saakshi, he witnesses everything that happens.

He is all-knowing.

 

16. Kshetrajna

The Bhagavad Gita describes the kshetrajna in the verse 13.2

idam sariram kaunteya kshetram ity abhidhiyate 

etad yo vetti tam prahuh kshetrajna iti tad vidah

This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.

Kshetra + Jna

Kshetra also means place of living or working like a field. The place where a seed is planted and the crop is harvested is called kshetra.

Hence our body is the kshetra because the seed of faith is planted to harvest the crop of knowledge of the Lord.

Jna means Jnana or knowledge. (In fact, the English word diagnosis consist of two words dia+ gnosis which in Greek means knowledge. Gnosis is derived from the Sanskrit Jna which means to know)   

So Kshetrajna means the one who has complete knowledge about his kshetra. If we consider our body as the kshetra, do we have complete knowledge about it? If we do not then we become, “kshetrastha”.      

 

17. Akshara (eva cha)

Shara means that which can be destroyed.

So, Akshara means the one who is not destroyed. The lord is neither born nor can be destroyed.

Aksha – (indriyas- which cannot be destroyed) + ra (ramana)

He is present in our indriyas and enjoys making us perform our actions.

 

This verse taken as a whole means - He who is pure, limitless and boundless, he who has complete knowledge of what happens, he who controls everything, he without whose knowledge nothing can happen, and he who is neither born nor destroyed is the one who will lead us to realise the inner brahma within us and will give us freedom from the cycle of life and death.  

 

Jai Shri Krishna!

Verse 1

 

1.Vishvam-

The very first word of the Vishnu Sahasranaama is Vishvam.

The Narayana Sukta begins with equating the entire universe to Sriman Narayana.

Om sahasrasirsam devam, vishvaksham vishvasambhuvam

Vishvam narayanam devamaksharam paramam prabhum.

Vishvatah parama nityam, vishvam narayanagm harim,

Vishvamevedam purushastad vishvamupajivati

Meaning : The universe is the eternal being Narayana. He is omnipresent, omniscient and imperishable and is a source of joy to the entire universe.

He alone is the most supreme and the universe depends on Him for its existence and functioning. The universe is synonymous with Narayana.

It then goes on to reveal to us that He is the sole protector of the universe which he has created and the supreme object worthy of being worshipped and an unfailing sanctuary to those who seek refuge at his feet.

Vishwa means everywhere, all encompassing.

The Purusha sukta explains that the Lord envelops everything from all directions.

Sa bhumim vishvato vrutvatya

Purusha eva idam sarvam

Everything is his, under his control.  That neatly sums up the entire essence of Vishnu Sahasranaama. He is the Vishwa and the Vishwa is him.

 

2. Vishnum-

He present in everyone. He is sarva vyapi.

Hence it is said that, वे वेष्टी व्याप्नोति इति विष्णु

One that has spread everywhere. or the one which has permeated everything.

The Narayana Sukta describes it succinctly,

Yachha kinchit jagat sarvam, drishyate shruyatepi vaa,

Antar bahischa tat sarvam, vyapya Narayana stitha.

Whatever in this Universe is seen or heard of, everything is pervaded from inside and outside by the supreme being Narayana without any limitations of time, space and substance.   

The Ishavasya Upanishad too, reveals that everything in the universe is pervaded by Narayana.

Ishavasam idam sarvam yat kincha jagatyam jagat

 

3. Vashatkara

The word ‘Shat’ means six.

There are six gunas that is bestowed upon us by the almighty.

Jnana (knowledge) , Aishwarya (wealth), Tejas ( light), Shakti (mental strength), Bala (physical strength) and Veerya (courage)

So Vashatkara means the one who bestows us with these six gunas.

There are six stages that mortals go through.

Jayate (birth), Asti (live), Vardhayate ( grow), Parinamate (change), Apakshiyate ( decay) , Mriyate or Nashyate ( death)

So the one who takes us through these six stages of life is Vashatkara.

Vasha also means in control or the one to whom we are attracted to.

Vashatkara also means Yagnya Samarpana.

Taking all these meanings into consideration we could summarise that Vashatkara means that the one who controls and guides everything.

Let’s look at the first three names together – Vishvam – Vishnu – Vashatkara

The space aspect of the Lord is very evident in the first three names.

Vishvam means ‘this world’ also called ‘Ihaloka’ and Vashatkara means ‘that world’  or Paraloka.

Ihaloka can be seen or felt with the help of our ‘Indriyas’ or senses (drustvam) 

While Paraloka cannot be seen and we only have heard about it (Shrutvam)

Vishnu is the tool to guide us or show us the path to traverse from this world to the other world.

Vishvam (this world) –> Vishnu (tool)  –> Vashatkara (that world)

 

4. Bhuta Bhavya Bhavat prabhu

Bhuta means the past, Bhavya means the future, Bhavat means the present

The Purusha Sukta describes the Lord as –

Yat bhutam, yat cha bhavyam

That which existed in the past and that which will exist in the future.

The beauty of the very first verse becomes evident when we read the next three words in that sentence!

If the first three words – Vishvam, Vishnu, Vashatkara, express the space aspect of the Lord, the next three words – Bhuta, Bhavya, Bhavat, express the time aspect of the Lord. It is a known fact in the world of science that time and space are the reason for the existence of the universe. Isn’t it amazing that this scientific fact was known to our ancestors eons ago?

To construct a verse so deep-rooted in science, and deliver the complex facts about the origin of the universe in such simple terms is beyond genius!! Don’t you agree?

Well, to go back to the names – Bhuta, Bhavya, Bhavat – they indicate time and are called Trikalas, tri meaning three.

Therefore Bhuta, Bhavya, Bhavat Prabhuhu means “Trikala vartinam prabhu” or the one who is the lord of time – the master who knows all about our present, past and future.

To delve deeper into it,

Bhavat means what is happening now, or our present existence. It can be represented by the pancha bhootas or the five elements that our mortal body is made of – ether, fire, air, water and earth. It represents the Satva guna and represents our current existence.

Bhavat or Bhavanti means ‘what will be’ represents Tamasic guna. It signifies our end, that will eventually happen.

And Bhuta means ‘what has been’ represents Rajasic guna. It signifies our birth that has already taken place.

Together, they represent creation, that is birth, sustenance and death. Therefore ‘Prabhu’ is the Lord who is responsible for the creation, its sustenance and destruction.

Prabhu means Pra bhavti iti – ‘pra’ meaning special or unique, ‘bhavati’ means happens – whatever has happened in the past is special, whatever is happening now is special and whatever will happen in the future is also special.

So, we would do best if we left everything in the hands of the Lord.     

The names in the first line of the verse indicate the one who lords over space and time, creating, sustaining and destroying the universe.

 

5. Bhuta Krut

We have already seen that Bhuta means the five elements that our body is made up of.

Hence Bhuta Krut, means Bhutani karoti , kridanti iti bhutakrut – meaning the one who has created us out of the five elements and which dissolves after our death. (Karoti means creates and kridanti means destroys) 

 

6. Bhuta Brut

Bhuta Brut means the one who supports, bears or sustains the universe. He nourishes and protects all his creations and hence he is bhuta brut.

 

7. Bhaavo-

Bhava means how it exists. The lord exists in both manifested forms (that which we can see) and unmanifested forms (that which we cannot see)

‘kevalam bhavati’ refers to the raw, unmanifested form of the Lord which exists independent of everything.

Pra-panch rupena bhavati refers to the manifested form of the Lord which exists in all its splendour or glory.

How seamlessly the lord holds the power to integrate and disintegrate us into and from the five elements, in manifested and unmanifested forms using his energy!

 

8. Bhutatma 

Bhut + atma

Atma refers to our pure consciousness. It is said that “Atti iti atma” – atti meaning to eat or consume. As we come to the end of our life, our atma eats or consumes our prana or breath and leaves our body.

 

9. Bhutabhavana-

Bhuta, as we have seen earlier is the five elements.

Bhavana means the reason or cause.

Bhutani bhavayati iti bhutabhavanah

Bhutabhavana means the reason why one is born (formed out of the five elements), how things happen to me (how the five elements shape my life) and how I die (how the five elements leave my body) is decided by him. Ultimately, he is the one who controls everything that happens. 

As we chant this first verse, let us be aware that Vishnu is the universe and he pervades everything that we can see and also all that we cannot see. He is the one that takes us through the six stages of our life and bestows us with the six qualities that permeate every part of our existence - he is the past, the future, and the present. He is the one who creates us, nourishes us, and finally takes us to our rightful end, creating us from the pancha bhootas and dissolving us into it at the end.     

Jai Shri Krishna!

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!

                             ******************* 

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!                                                       

Purity or Impurity

There is a concept of purity and impurity in many cultures. Certain things are considered pure, and are thus holy while some are considered impure and shunned. For instance, the clothes on a dead body is considered impure, so are spit, faeces, etc. That is to say, people wouldn’t want to touch the clothes on a dead person on their own accord, since it is considered impure and if they do, they might want to take a ritual bath to cleanse themselves. But nature does not discriminate between purity and impurity, and what we would otherwise deem impure turns into something most pure. Don’t believe me?

Spit.

Would you consume spit? Crinkling your nose, are you?

Well, bees suck nectar from flowers and spit it out in the beehive. In fact, the nectar is acted upon by chemicals in the bees’ mouth before being deposited. But look at the irony. This very honey that contains the spit of bees is considered to be most pure especially for offering to the Lord! Yuck or Yum?

Would you drink or eat someone else’s leftovers? No?

Milk, is considered to be pure and has religious significance. But isn't the milk from the cow first suckled by the calf? What we get to partake is its leftover mostly mixed with its saliva. 

Faeces.

Ughh! Yes?

The crow is known to eat the fruits of the peepal tree and excrete its seeds. These seeds grow into peepal trees that are considered most sacred by us.

Why just religion? Did you know that the most expensive coffee is the Kopi Luwak or Civet coffee, which is obtained by feeding the Asian Palm civet with coffee berries? These berries are then acted upon by digestive juices of the simian and then excreted as more flavourful coffee seeds. They sell for $3000 per kilogram!

There’s even a facial treatment that uses the poop of nightingales to give you a glowing and blemish free skin!

Clothes on a dead body.

Who would like to wear the clothes removed from a dead body? Not me, do you say?

Silk, the most expensive material is obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm. The cocoon contains the larvae or the young ones of the silkworm. They are harvested and put on boiling hot water vapours which kills the larvae and softens the cocoon. Silk is then spun from the cocoon. The irony is that silk clothing is considered to be the most auspicious and used during pujas.

Water impure.

Would you consider drinking a pot of water that has flowed over hair? No?

Well, ancient folklore mentions that the holy river Ganges flows from the hair of Lord Shiva. There is apparently nothing purer than the water of the Ganges. It is known to cure diseases and cleanse the body and soul.

See what I mean? How the most impure turns into the most pure before our very eyes? I do not want to turn you off or sow seeds that will make you consider these things as impure. The point is that, impurity and purity are a case in perspective. This post is just food for thought (pun unintended!) for those who squirm at every little instance of impurity or the religious fanatics who lay out elaborate purification rituals to be followed. Who is to say what’s pure and what’s impure? Purity and impurity are just in the mind, what say?    

Significance of Deepawali and post Deepawali celebrations

Bali Pratipada/ Deepawali Padwa / Govardhan Puja-

Ritual- This day celebrates the bond and devotion between a husband and wife. Husbands bestow thoughtful or elaborate gifts on their wives. Newly-wed couples are accorded a feast by the family of the bride in some regions.

Some people worship Lord Krishna. In some parts, the cow is also worshipped on this day. Some people worship King Bali on this day.

This day also marks the beginning of a new year in business communities. The old books of accounts are closed and new books are opened marking the start of a new fiscal year.

Some people gamble on this day and it is a custom to play cards with family and friends.

Story behind the celebration-

This day marks the killing of the demon King Bali by Lord Vishnu in his Vamana (dwarf) Avatar, by crushing him under his feet. But since Bali was a benevolent king, marred only by his arrogance, Lord Vishnu blessed him when king Bali begged for forgiveness and granted a boon that people would remember him on this day.

There’s another story about Lord Shiva losing to Goddess Parvati in a game of dice. Gambling is thus symbolic in some households, signifying the playfulness between spouses. Husbands also shower their wives with gifts as an acceptance of defeat.

The victory of Lord Krishna over Lord Indra and the puja offered by the people to the mountain Govardhan is celebrated as Govardhan puja.

Significance- The pardoning of Bali signifies that it is never too late to make a new beginning and that the Lord always pardons those who ask to be forgiven.

The ritual also signifies that the bond between couples should also include playfulness, apart from love and devotion.

Bhai Dooj / Bhau-beej / Yamadwiteya-

Bhai Dooj is the last day of Diwali.

Ritual- Sisters give gifts to their brothers and pray for their health and happiness. They also invite their brothers to a sumptuous meal including their favorite dishes. Women who do not have brothers, worship the moon god instead.

Story behind the celebration-

A popular legend has it that the god of Death Yama met his sister Yamuna (the river) on dwiteya or the second day after Deepawali.  There is another story about Lord Krishna, where he visited his sister Subhadra after slaying Narakasura and his sister prayed for his well being by applying a tilak on his forehead and treated him to a special dinner.

Significance- The day celebrates the undying love between a brother and sister. The ceremony signifies the duty of a brother to protect his sister as well the sister’s blessings for her brother.