Translation from Vishnu Sahastranam
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1 Vishnusahasranam 1 Shree Swaminarayano Vijaytetaram Vishnusahasranâm (With English Interpretation) Ÿ¢èç±c‡¢é„ãdÝ¢}¢ With the Blessings & Consent of H.H.1008 Acharya Shree Kaushalendraprasadji Maharaj Publisher Mahant Sadguru Purani Swami Shree Dharmnandan Dasji By Dr. Swami Satyaprasad Dasji Vedantacharaya Edited by SAJIMON. N (Principal) (Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul, Gandhidham) Published by Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhuj, India 2 Vishnusahasranam Available at: Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Swaminarayan Road Bhuj Kutch, 370001, Gujarat, India Tel (02832-250231) www.bhujmandir.org [email protected] Copies : 3000 Price: Rs. 50 ISBN : 978-93-80694-04-8 First Edition Chaitra Sud 5, 15th April 2013 © Shree Swaminarayan Mandir – Bhuj Sponsored by: Jethalal Dhanji Savani, Smt. Divyaben, Anant & Sameer of Kera, (Kutch) presently of London (U.K); in loving memory of his father, Late Dhanjibhai Jadava Savani and mother Late Dhanbai Dhanji Savani, Printed at: Shree Narnarayandev Printing Press, Bhuj, Kutch Vishnusahasranam 3 Blessings of Mahant Swami Bhagavan Shree Swaminarayan has narrated great im- portance of Vishnusahasranam Stotra. Even in the pious ‘Shikshapatri’, Shreeji Maharaj has stated eight scriptures, one of them being Vishnusahasranam of Mahabharat. ±ï΢p ò¢„„ê~¢¢ç‡¢ Ÿ¢è}¢j¢x¢±¼¢ç|¢{}¢ì J ÐéÚ¢‡¢æ |¢¢Ú¼ï ¼é Ÿ¢èç±c‡¢¢ïÝ¢ü}¢„ãdÜU}¢ì JJ (çà¢. 93) ¼ƒ¢ Ÿ¢è|¢x¢eè¼¢ Ýèç¼p ç±ÎéÚ¢ïçμ¢ J Ÿ¢è±¢„éÎï±}¢¢ãy²}²æ SÜU¢‹Î±ñc‡¢±¶‡Çx¢}¢ì JJ (çà¢. 94) {}¢üࢢ›¢‹¼x¢ü¼¢ ™ ²¢¿¢±Ë²v²«¯ï: S}¢ëç¼: J »¼¢‹²C }¢}¢ïC¢çÝ „ÓÀ¢›¢ç‡¢ |¢±ç‹¼ çã JJ (çà¢.95) I hold the following eight scriptures as superior and true authority on our philosophy and religion - The Vedas, the Brahmasutra of Vyas, Shreemad Bhagavat Puran, the Vishnusahasranam, Shreemad Bhagavat Gita, the Neeti nar- rated by Vidur (all the three from ‘Mahabharat’), Shree Vasudeva Mahatmya from Vaishnava canto of Skanda Purana and Yagnyavalkya Smriti among Dharma Shastras (93,94,95). Among these eight scriptures, Shreeji Maharaj has in- cluded the Vishnusahasranam, considered to a means of salva- tion in this age of Kali. It is so because it is a collection of the divine names of the Almighty Lord Supreme Bhagavan, and in Kaliyug chanting the name of Bhagavan is considered to be the best means to achieve salvation. ãÚïÝ¢ü}¢ñ± Ý¢}¢ñ± Ý¢}¢ñ± |¢±|¢ï¯…}¢ì J ÜUH¢ñ Ý¢S¼y²ï± Ý¢Sy²ï± Ý¢Sy²ï± x¢ç¼Ú‹²ƒ¢ JJ „ãSd}¢ê¼ïü: ÐéL¯¢ïœ¢}¢S² „ãSdÝï~¢¢ÝÝТÎÏ¢¢ã¢ï: J „ãSdÝ¢}Ý¢æ S¼±Ýæ Ðíà¢S¼æ „Vè<¼¼æ …‹}¢…Ú¢çÎࢢ‹y²ñ JJ Namkirtan, i.e. chanting the name of Shree Hari is the ma- jor source of pleasure and happiness for a man in this world and it 4 Vishnusahasranam is also the best means for emancipation after death, as is unani- mously proclaimed by the all great Rishis and Maharishis. The result which was obtained by performing Dhyan (medi- tation) in Satyayug, by performing Yagna in Tretayug and by per- forming poojan-archan in Dwaparyug is obtained by performing only Naam-Kirtan of Keshav in Kaliyug. It is said that one ob- tains all desired results and becomes free of all evils by uttering the name of Shree Hari only once. Then what can be said of the greatness of chanting one thousand names of Bhagavan Shree Hari! Shree Vishnusahasranam Stotra of the great epic ‘Mahabharat’ is originally in Sanskrit language. It contains one thousand names of Bhagavan. In this publication, the explanation of each of these names is given in English. We hope that this would particularly benefit English-speaking devotees, who find Gujarati or Sanskrit difficult to understand. Such a great and noble service has been rendered by Shastri Swami Satyaprasad Dasji of Bhuj temple. Mahant Sadguru Purani Swami Shree Dharmanandan Dasji Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Bhuj Vishnusahasranam 5 PREFACE Bhagavan Shree Swaminarayan has mentioned the Vishnusahasranam Stotra in the ‘Shikshapatri’. The name of Bhagavan has great importance in Kaliyug. We find narrations in Puranas like Bhagavat that, once a man chants the name of Bhagavan, he is sure to get salvation. Rishis have described the greatness and importance of names such as Shree Vishnu, Shree Narayan, Shree Swaminarayan, Shree Hari etc. “ç±c‡¢¢ïÚïÜUñÜUÝ¢}¢¢çÐ „±ü±ï΢ç{ÜUæ }¢¼}¢ì J” (ÐkÐéÚ¢‡¢) “Ý¢Ú¢²‡¢ïïç¼ ç}¢í²}¢¢‡¢ §²¢² }¢éçQU}¢ì” ( |¢¢x¢±¼ ÐéÚ¢‡¢) “Ý}¢¢ï Ý¢Ú¢²‡¢¢²ïç¼ }¢‹~¢: „±¢üƒü„¢{ÜU:” ( ¥ÝéS}¢ëç¼) “„çVy²ü Ý¢Ú¢²‡¢à¢ÏÎ}¢¢~¢æ ç±}¢éQUÎé:¶¢: „éç¶Ý¢ï |¢±ç‹¼” (ò¢„) Great Brahmarshis, Devarshis and Maharshis like Sanak, Sanatkumar and Narad have sung the importance of divine qualities of Bhagavan, one by one. Similarly, Vedvyasji has given one thousand names of Bhagavan Shree Vishnu Narayan in the form of Shree Vishnusahasranam Stotra in the great epic ‘Mahabharat’. The five great and popular Stotras found in ‘Mahabharat’ are – (1) Shreemad Bhagavat Gita (2) Vishnusahasranam (3) Bhishmastava (4) Anusmruti (5) Gajendramoksha Among these five stotras, Vishnusahasranam is the chief Stotra, as it is written in ‘Bhagavadgundarpan’ Bhashya written upon this Stotra by Parashar Bhatt: }¢ã¢|¢¢Ú¼„¢Úy±¢¼ì «ç¯ç|¢: ÐçÚx¢¢Ý¼: J ±ï΢™¢²ü„}¢¢ã¢Ú¢¼ì |¢èc}¢¢ïyÜUëC}¢¼y±¼: JJ ÐçÚx¢íã¢ç¼à¢²¼¢ï x¢è¼¢lñÜU¢‰²ü¼p Ý: J „ãdÝ¢}Ý}¢Š²¢² ©Ð¢Îï²¼}¢¢ï }¢¼: JJ The meaning of this verse is as follows: 6 Vishnusahasranam “In this world, only a human being may desire to enquire about his own Jiva (atma- soul) and Ishwar (God), and accept them. Just as a man accepts a garland, sandal, gold, etc., if he tries to understand God in the same way then he would try to know Him. But he would do so only when he understands the qualities of God, and so in order to understand the qualities of God, it is essential to know the meaning of the divine names of Bhagavan. Therefore the meaning of the thousand divine names of Bhagavan is given in this book, which I hope would be very useful. In the Uddhav tradition, Lord Shree Swaminarayan considered the Vishnusahasranam as one of the greatest holy and pious scriptures, as it contains all the thousand names of Lord Vishnu. People can attain ‘Moksha’ by chanting the names of the Lord. When a person chants these holy stotras, aware of its meaning, he experiences much greater satisfaction than he would chanting the stotras not knowing the meaning. With this view in mind, the late Sadguru Shastri Swami Harijivandasji of Vadtal, translated the Vishnusahasranam into Gujarati, which is a praisworthy work. The late Mahant Sadguru Shastri Swami Dharmajivandasji of Bhuj temple, regularly chanted these stotras to imbibe its meaning to the devotees. Likewise it is necessary that we too understand the sanctity of this Stotra with its real perspective. Chanting it regularly, one is able to attain unfathomable tranquility, peace and enlight- enment. Dr. Swami Satyaprasad Dasji (Vidya Varidhi - Vedantacharya) Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Bhuj Vishnusahasranam 7 JJ Ÿ¢èS±¢ç}¢Ý¢Ú¢²‡¢¢ï ç±…²¼ï¼Ú¢}¢ì JJ H JJ ú }¢ã¢ç±c‡¢é…ü²ç¼ JJ JJ çâc‡¢éS¢ãd‹¢¢}¢Sy¢¢ï~¢}¢ì JJ à¢évH¢}Ï¢Ú{Úæ ç±c‡¢éæ à¢çࢱ‡¢ü ™¼é|¢éü…}¢ì J Ðí„ó¢±ÎÝæ Š²¢²ï¼ì „±üç±ÍÝ¢ïÐࢢ‹¼²ï JJ 1 JJ One should meditate upon Vishnu who is clad in white robes, who has a moon like lustre, who has four arms and who has a beneficent face. (1) ²S² çmÚαv~¢¢l¢: ТçÚ¯l¢: ÐÚ:ࢼ}¢ì J ç±ÍÝæ çÝÍÝ狼 „¼¼æ ç±c±v„ïÝ ¼}¢¢Ÿ¢²ï JJ 2 JJ Gajaanana (the double-tusked elephant faced Nitya- soori) and hundreds of such sooris, who always remove all ob- stacles, form the members of the corps of vishvaksena. I take resort to him. 2) ò¢„æ ±ç„CÝ#¢Úæ à¢QUï: Тñ~¢}¢ÜUËЯ}¢ì J ÐÚ¢à¢Ú¢y}¢…æ ±‹Îï à¢éÜU¼¢¼æ ¼Ð¢ïçÝç{}¢ì JJ 3 JJ Vyaasa is the great-grandson of Vasishta and the grand- son of Sakti. He is the son of Paraasara and the father of Suka. I offer my obeisance to Vyaasa, who is free from all defects and is a mine of austerities. (3) ò¢„¢² ç±c‡¢éMТ² ò¢„MТ² ç±c‡¢±ï J Ý}¢¢ï ±ñ Ï¢ír¢çÝ{²ï ç±ç„D¢² Ý}¢¢ï Ý}¢: JJ 4 JJ My repeated salutations to Vyaaa who is a form of Vishnu and to Vishnnu who is a form of Vyaasa-sage Vyaasa, who is a descendant of Vasishta and who is a treasure of Brahman, (i.e. Vedas). (4) 8 Vishnusahasranam ¥ç±ÜU¢Ú¢² à¢éh¢² çÝy²¢² ÐÚ}¢¢y}¢Ýï J „ÎñÜUMÐMТ² ç±c‡¢±ï „±üç…c‡¢±ï JJ 5 JJ My salutations to Vishnu, Who is devoid of all mutations, Who is by nature pure and eternal, Who is endowed with a form which is uniform at all times, and Who is the victor over all. (5) Ä¢SÄ¢ S}¢Ú‡¢}¢¢~¢ï‡¢ Á¢‹}¢S¢´S¢¢ÚÏ¢‹Š¢‹¢¢y¢ì J çâ}¢éÓÄ¢y¢ï ‹¢}¢Sy¢S}¢ñ çâc‡¢Ã¢ï Ðí|¢çâc‡¢Ã¢ï JJ 6 JJ My salutations to that Superior Deity Vishnu, by a more thought of whose name all persons are freed from the bonds of Samsara (birth and death).(6) ú Ý}¢¢ï Ý}¢¢ï ç±c‡¢±ï Ðí|¢ç±c‡¢±ï J Salutations to that All-powerful Vishnu, Who is signified by Pranava (i.e. Omkara). ç±c‡¢¢ïÝ¢}¢ü„ãdS² ±ïÎò¢„¢ï }¢ã¢}¢éçÝ: J À‹Î¢ï..ÝéCéÐì ¼ƒ¢ Îï±¢ï |¢x¢±¢Ýì Îï±ÜUè„é¼: JJ 7 JJ The great Vedvyasa is the Rishi of these Thousand Names of Vishnu; ‘Anushtup’ is its metre.