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About the thousand names of Vishnu

The Viṣṇu Sahasranāmam is a sacred recitation of divine names. It originates from the Mahābhārata, where Yudhiṣṭhira, grieving after the war, asks Bhīṣma for the supreme refuge. Bhīṣma's response forms this text, a core of Hindu devotion. It is widely recited, especially in South India, often in a musical style popularized by M.S. Subbulakshmi. The practice involves daily prayer, typically in the evening. The essence of the thousand names is ultimately concentrated in the name of Rāma. Reciting this single name holds the power of the entire text. The concluding tradition includes verses dedicated to Lakṣmī.

"By glorifying whom does one attain physical, mental, and spiritual peace and purity?"

"All you have to say is: 'Śrī Rām Rām Rāmeti Rame Rame Manorame, Sahasranāma-tattulyaṁ Rāma-nāma varānane.'"

Filming location: Vienna, Austria

Om namaḥ śrī prabhu dhanārāya namaḥ. Om namaḥ śrī prabhu dhanarāya namaḥ. In the whole world, there are many good things. Some people do not know what they have done, or what they are doing when they perform good actions. Many people are searching for something. We will speak more of this another time. We have a friend whose wife, Māṭājī, passed away. She was a very great soul. They have a house here, which they will now give away. If anyone wishes to have it, it is a very good place. He is a very great person, knowledgeable in many languages and in many other ways. Perhaps I could speak on a related topic. I will talk about the Viṣṇu Sahasranāmam. I will also say a little about my wife, Betty, known to many as Māṭājī. We used to recite it every day. We always had an evening prayer session, performing our normal prayers first, and then we would recite the Viṣṇu Sahasranāma. It is a very popular recitation throughout India. Some may have heard it in Badrināth, where it is performed every morning and evening. There are different ways to learn it, particularly in South India. A very common style of singing it was popularized by the famous musician M.S. Subbulakshmi. Many of us have learned it this way from a young age; it is even taught in many schools, and people recite it regularly. I have recited it myself. For a little background: it is found in the Mahābhārata. It comes after the Pāṇḍavas have defeated their enemies, the Kauravas. Yudhiṣṭhira, the eldest and wisest of the Pāṇḍavas, feels profound sorrow for having killed so many people and relatives in the war. He goes to Bhīṣma, the father figure of the epic, and asks him several questions. The entire Sahasranāma is Bhīṣma’s response. To summarize, Yudhiṣṭhira’s questions in Sanskrit are: "Kiṁ ekam daivataṁ loke? Kiṁ vā apy ekam parāyaṇam? Stuvantah kaṁ kāmarchantaḥ prapnuyur mānavāḥ śubham? Ko dharmaḥ sarva-dharmāṇām bhavataḥ paramo mataḥ? Kiṁ japan mucyate jantuḥ janma-saṁsāra-bandhanāt?" This means: Who is the supreme being of all planes of existence? Who provides refuge to one and all? By glorifying whom does one attain physical, mental, and spiritual peace and purity? What is the most supreme of all dharmas? By reciting whose name does one break free from the eternal bondage of birth and wandering? Bhīṣma then replies. The entire recitation takes about twenty minutes. If you will bear with me, I shall recite it in the way we in the South have learned, largely following how M.S. Subbulakshmi recited it many years ago. It is a very popular piece of music. We say it at home every evening, after our regular prayers and before dinner. Let me begin. First is the prayer to Gaṇeśa that we always say before starting anything. [The recitation follows, including the introductory verses, the thousand names, and the concluding portions.] After singing the Viṣṇu Sahasranāmam, which consists of 108 verses containing 1008 names of Viṣṇu, I sang about its meaning and benefits. Finally, there is a part where Pārvatī asks Īśvara (Śiva), "Could you please tell me the simplest way to do this? I cannot recite all these 1008 names and 108 verses. Can you teach me a simple way?" Īśvara then tells Pārvatī: "All you have to say is: 'Śrī Rām Rām Rāmeti Rame Rame Manorame, Sahasranāma-tattulyaṁ Rāma-nāma varānane.'" This means the entire essence of the thousand names of Viṣṇu is contained in that one name, Rāma. So by repeating "Śrī Rām, Rām...," one is reciting the entirety of the 1008 names and verses. This is a very important point. One does not need to remember all 108 verses; just this repetition suffices. Finally, after all that, I sang what is traditionally done in South India: the eight verses to Lakṣmī, the Lakṣmī Aṣṭottara-Śatanāmāvalī. That is all I have to say. Thank you very much for listening to me patiently. I know it has been a long recitation.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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