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          SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam ? `vanamAlI gadI SAr'ngI?.', phala Sruti - 1.

        vanamAlI gadI SAr'ngI Sa'nkhI cakrI ca nandakI   |
        SrImAn nArAyaNo vishNuh vAsudevo'bhirakshatu      ||

This Slokam is not found in the Critical Edition we referred to in 
the posting on `sarva praharaNAyudhaH'.  However, many people chant 
this as a result of their traditional training.  SrI BhaTTar has not 
included it in his vishNu sahasra nAma bhAshyam.  However, Prof. 
Srinivasa Raghavan has added the meaning in English, after noting 
that it is not found in the mahAbhArata and is not commented by SrI 
BhaTTar.  SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri also makes the same comment, and has 
given the meaning in tamizh.  The meaning in English is given below:

"SrIman nArAyaNa is adorned by the garland by name vanamAlA, and is 
armed with the Mace, SAr'nga ? the bow, the Conch, the Discus and the 
sword by name nandaka.  He is vishNu (all-pervasive), and vAsudeva 
(Who resides in all and in Whom all reside).  May that vAsudeva 
protect us all".

        iti idam kIrtanIyasya keSavasya mahAtmanah      |
        nAmnAm sahasram divyAnAm asesheNa prakIrtitam   ||        (1)

The above is addressed by bhIshma to yudhisThira at the end of the 
107 Sloka-s containing the 1000 nAma-s of bhagavAn.  The meaning 
is:  "Thus, the thousand divine names of bhagavAn keSava, the Supreme 
Being, Who is worthy of being praised, have been sung in their 
entirety".    SrI BhaTTar comments that the word `kIrtanIyasya' has 
been chosen to indicate that bhagavAn richly deserves the praise, and 
that by using this word, bhIshma is telling yudhishThira that he 
should begin the recitation of the names right away.  The reason for 
the same is given by the choice of the name keSava (the Creator of 
brahmA and Siva ? see the interpretation for the nAma keSava ? nAma-s 
23 and 654), and mahAtmanah (He is the Supreme Being).  The 
word `divyAnAm' (divine) applied to the nAma-s signifies that the 
nAma-s are worthy of being sung in this world as well as in SrI 
vaikunTham.  The word `aSesheNa' is used to denote that nothing that 
is significant or important has been left out by bhIshma in his 
communication to yudhisThira, and everything that needs to be known 
has been taught. 

SrI Sa'nkara explains the word `aSesheNa' to mean `a-nyUna, an-
atirikta' ? neither less, nor more, but exactly thousand nAma-s.  The 
implication is that the choice of the thousand names by bhIshma are 
significant, and are not randomly chosen.  SrI Sa'nkara also refers 
us back to one of the initial six questions ? kim japan mucyate 
jantuh (see Introduction for detailed meanings), and points out that 
these 1000 divine nAma-s are the ones that are the object of `japa' 
referred to therein.  He points out that `japa' consists of three 
kinds -  ucca, upAmSu, and mAnasa ? loud, whisper, or in the mind 
(trividha japo lakshyate ? uccaA, upAmSu, mAnasa lakshaNah trividho 
japah).  The words prakIrtitam in the current Sloka answers that all 
three means ? chanting loudly, through a low tone, or by 
contemplating in the mind, can be used in singing His praise 
(kIrtana).

This Slokam emphasizes that these nAma-s are divine, and are sung in 
SrI vaikunTham by the nitya sUri-s themselves.  They are specifically 
selected as sung by the Rshi-s (Rshibhih parigItAni ? see the 
Introductory section).  This stotram is unlike any other stotram that 
we know of.  It was first revealed in Lord kRshNa's presence.

        ya idam SRNuyAt nityam yaScApi parikIrtayet  |
        nA'Subham prApnuyAt ki'ncit so'mutreha ca mAnavaH  ||   (2)

In this Sloka, the qualifications for reciting the stotra, and the 
result from recitation are declared in general terms.  "Nothing 
inauspicious or unwelcome will accrue to that man in this world or in 
the world beyond, when one hears this daily or recites it".  

SrI BhaTTar comments that he, who according to his qualification and 
ability, hears it or meditates on it in his mind, will encounter 
nothing inauspicious in this world, or hereafter.  Note that the 
benefit is attained by chanting, as well as by listening.    

By the term `hereafter (amutre ca)', lesser worlds than SrI 
vaikunTham, such as svargam, brahma lokam etc. are meant.  SrI 
Sa'nkara points the case of yayAti and his father nahusha, both of 
whom ended up suffering after reaching brahma lokam and indra lokam 
respectively,  because they committed sins against brAhmaNa-s after 
reaching these higher worlds.  Such inauspicious instances won't 
happen to those who chant or hear this divine stotram ? yayAti 
nahushAdivat aSubha prApti abhAvam.  

        vedAnta-go brAhmaNah syAt kshatriyo vijayI bhavet  |
        vaiSyo dhana samRddhah syAt SudraH sukham avApnuyAt  ||  (3)

The next few Sloka-s declare the benefits attained by chanting the 
hymn, hearing it chanted etc.   SrI BhaTTar has categorized the 
benefits as follows:

-       The current Slokam declares the benefits attained by people 
of the four varNa-s, when they chant the stotram without necessarily 
directing their chanting for any specific benefit, and do so without 
necessarily following any special discipline etc.
-       The next Slokam (Slokam 4 in this sequence) declares the 
benefits attained by those who chant the stotram with specific 
benefits in mind.
-       Sloka-s 5 to 8 declare the benefits attained by those who 
chant the hymns following discipline such as getting up early in the 
morning, taking a bath etc., before chanting.  

The organization along the above lines will be clearer as we see the 
meanings of the Sloka-s, in particular, Slokam 5 etc.

Thus, there is benefit that is bestowed by the recitation of the 
hymn, whether it is done by those with intense devotion or is chanted 
without necessarily following any specific discipline, whether 
specific benefits are sought by the person chanting the hymn or not, 
etc.   (Note:  Based on Slokam 2 of this sequence, whatever benefit 
is described for chanting the hymn, equally applies for listening to 
the hymn being chanted).

The current Sloka declares that by reciting this hymn or hearing it 
being chanted, (without necessarily following any specific rules 
etc., and without specifically seeking any benefit), still certain 
benefits are attained by people belonging to the four varNa-s.  Thus, 
a brAhmaNa reaches the knowledge of the vedAnta-s, in other words, 
the knowledge of the self and its relation to the Supreme Self.    If 
he is a kshatriya, he will be victorious in war.  A vaiSya 
(businennman) will attain immense wealth, and a SUdra will be 
bestowed with great happiness.

SrI Sa'nkara gives an elaborate explanation for the words `vedAnta-go 
brAhmaNah syAt', and using the meaning "The brAhmaNa will get 
KNOWLEDGE of the vedAnta-s, he proceeds to argue that sage vyAsa is 
declaring through this Slokam that simply reciting the hymn is not 
the means to salvation (japa karmaNA sAkshAt mukti Sa'nkAyAm, 
karmaNAm sAkshAt mukti hetutvam nAsti, api tu j~nAnenaiva moksha iti 
darSayitum `vedAntago brAhmaNah syAt' ityuktam) , but the knowledge 
obtained by the recitation is the path to salvation.   We won't go 
into elaborate details of SrI Sa'nkara's argument on this point in 
the vyAkyAnam for this Slokam;  however, this is one instance of how 
the vyAkhyAna-kartA-s orient their vyAkhyAna-s so that they can 
establish their philosophy, and argue that important works such as 
this one by veda vyAsa can be `shown' to support their system of 
philosophy.  SrI v.v. rAmAnujan explains that the knowledge that is 
attained by chanting the hymn is the realization of the eternal 
relationship between the soul and the Supreme Soul as servant and 
Master (not the realization that everything is imaginary and non-
existent, except Brahman, as SrI Sa'nkara defines true knowledge).

One commentator adds that this Slokam ? by referring to the benefits 
attained by all the four varNa-s, implies that there is no constraint 
in anyone chanting  the hymns.   Some AcArya-s have asked the women 
among their followers to refrain from chanting the hymn either in 
part or in full.  The instructions vary from being allowed to chant 
only the 107 Sloka-s starting from "viSvam vishNuh" up to "Sa'nkhabRn-
nandakI", not chanting anything, chanting the stotra in its entirety, 
etc.   To my knowledge, there is no restriction listening to the 
hymn, which is as powerful in conferring benefits as chanting the 
hymn.  In all cases, one's own AcAryan's instructions should be 
rigorously followed.

        dharmArthI prApnuyAt dharmam arthArthI cArthamApnuyAt   |
        kAmAn avApnuyAt kAmI prajarthI cApnuyAt prajAm   ||

In this Slokam, it is declared that those who desire righteousness 
(dharma), will be blessed with that; those who desire wealth will be 
blessed with wealth; those who are after the pleasures of life, will 
be bestowed with all pleasures of life; those who desire progeny will 
be blessed with children.  

(To be continued)
-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

  










 
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