Story

The story behind Vishnu Sahasranama

Vishnu Sahasranamam is one such ancient, divine script written in Sanskrit and chanted stotra by Hindus . Sahasranamam in Sanskrit means 1000 names. Vishnu Sahasranamam is 1000 names on Vishnu. Recited daily by many Vaishnavites, devotees of Lord Vishnu, Vishnu Sahasranama contains a list of thousand name of Lord Vishnu, a premier Hindu deity. Just as Bhagavad Gita, Vishnu Sahasranam is also part and parcel of Mahabharat. It is found in the Anushasana Parva, Section 149, verses 14 to 120. The Sahasranama (apart from the initial and concluding prayers) has a total of 108 shlokas in Anushtup chhanda (a meter of poetry).

Vishnu Sahasranama is another masterpiece from Sage Vyasa, an extraordinary Sanskrit scholar and author of many timeless classics such as Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas and various Stotras.  Vishnu Sahasranam has been the subject of numerous commentaries, the most popular being one written by Adi Shankaracharya. 

In Sanskrit, 'sahasra' means 'a thousand' and 'nāma' means 'name'. The compound 'Sahasranam' (or 'Sahasranama') may be translated as 'having thousand names'. Thus, Vishnu Sahasranama literally means Lord Vishnu with thousand names or thousand names of Lord Vishnu. In modern Hindi, it is pronounced as Sahasranām while in South Indian languages, it is pronounced as Sahasranāmam.  There are Sahasranāma for major forms of God (Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, and others), but Vishnu Sahasranāma is most popular among common people. The other Sahasranamas are recited mostly in temples or by learned and scholars.

 what is more important is the way your recite it. Because, as we know sound waves are generated when we recite it. And when we pronounce the scripts correctly and in the correct pace, the sound waves follow a rhythmic pattern. This pattern is what giving you the calmness and peace of mind while and after reciting it. If the slokas are recited with correct pronunciations in a proper pace, this itself will be like a pranayama: a good breathing exercise.

 It is interesting to know the history behind Vishnu Sahasranama. The circumstances under which knowledge of the 1000 names of Vishnu was imparted by Bhishma to Yudhishthira, and those surrounding him, were : Bhishma, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Kaurava army during the first 10 days of the 18-day Bhāratha War, was grievously felled by Arjuna, thanks to the appearance of Sikhandin on the scene. The great warrior had vowed, among other things, not to take up arms against a woman. He considered Sikhandin a woman. Drupada’s offspring, Sikhandin, was born a female, but had changed her sex, due to a sex-exchange arrangement with a Yaksha. Bhishma still considered Sikhandin a woman. It was the Pandava strategy to disarm Bhishma during the battle by presenting Sikhandin before him. The strategy worked and Bhishma laid down his arms, presenting Arjuna with an easy target.

As a youth Bhishma had made a great sacrifice by renouncing his claim to the Kaurava throne and vowing never to marry. This was to meet the demand of Satyavati’s father as a condition for giving her hand to Bhishma’s father, King Sāntanu. The grateful king blessed Bhishma with the power to choose his time of death.

Now Bhishma lay in the battlefield on a bed of arrows waiting for the holy time of Uttarāyana or the sun’s solstice, which was nearly two months away, his chosen time of death. In just eight days after Bhishma’s fall, the Kurukshetra War was over and the entire Kaurava force had been destroyed. Yudhishthira was crowned King at Hastinapura. 

I consider Vishnu Sahasranamam, a bit special than the others because it is a part on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, the great epic Mahabharata. The story goes like this: Yudishtra – the king of dharma, when he himself was confused about the biggest dharma to follow in life, Krishna did not answer him as he did to Arjuna in Kurukshetra. Krishna did not impart the knowledge of Gita to Yudishtra as he did for Arjuna when the latter was confused about whether to fight against his own relatives or not. Instead Krishna took Yudishtra to the great warrior Bheeshma to clarify his doubts. Bhisma - the great grandfather of Kauravas and Pandavas was lying on his deathbed. With Bhishma's death, an era of great wisdom and knowledge was about to come to an end. There for, Lord Krishna advised Yudhisthir to seek Bhishma's counsel on any and all aspects of life. The dialogue, which was witnessed by Sage Vyasa and Lord Krishna as well, reflects essence of Bhishma's life.  Bheeshma was actually in his arrow bed when Krishna brought Yudishtra to ask Bheeshma the folowing 6 questions. It is with these 6 questions the Vishnu Sahasranama starts:

1. Who (“kim”) is the greatest (“ekam”) Lord (“daivatam”) in the world (“loke”)?
2. Who is the one (“ekam”) refuge (“paraayanam”) for all?
3. By glorifying (“sthuvantah”) whom (“kam”) can man (“manavah”) reach the Auspiciousness (“shubam”) (peace and prosperity)?
4. By worshiping (“archantah”) whom can a man reach auspiciousness (peace and prosperity)?
5. What (“ko”) is, in thy opinion, the Greatest Dharma?
6. By (“kim”) doing japa of what can “creatures” (jantu) go beyond (“mutchyate”) the bonds (“bandhanaath”) of samsara?

Bheeshma answered that whoever brought you in here, is the greatest Lord and he is the one to whom anyone must surrender. He added that meditating on His 1000 names, one can reach the auspicious state and get rid of Bhandas and Karmas. Having said this, he continued saying the 1000 names of Lord Vishnu. This part of Mahabharat is called Vishnu Sahasranamam.