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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00147 Jul 2004

 
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The Lord of liberation 

CHENNAI, JULY 20. Human life's inevitable aspect is
the manifold problems that crop up from time to time.
When things go wrong or events turn against us, a
sense of despondency prevails. ``I am heart broken''
is a common refrain. People are often told not to lose
heart and instead have faith in the Lord. 

Despite its many travails, life continues to hold us
all in its thrall, enticing us with its many
attractions. Nothing could prevent us from enjoying a
sugar candy when placed on our tongue. Similar is the
case with the sensory pleasures to which we all are
slaves. At such moments, none stops to consider the
repercussions of living a life given over only to
satiation of the senses, which is at best temporary.
The question then arises, ``How does one achieve
lasting happiness?'' Only by reposing total faith in
Narayana ? like saint Nammazhwar, who wished nothing
else but the benedictory feet of the Lord ? one could
achieve permanent happiness, said Sri Asuri
Madhavachariar in his discourse on Vishnusahasranama.
Yudishtra too was plagued by such questions and at the
end of the Mahabharatha war, he approached Bhishma
with a set of six questions ? Who is the greatest
among the Gods; Which god does one surrender to? Whom
should one pray to in order that people may benefit?
Whom should people praise in order to attain
prosperity in this and the next world? In your
(Bhishma's ) opinion, which is the best dharma of all?
By chanting which nama can people be free of the
bondage of rebirth? 

The doyen answered the last question first, saying
that he who chants the thousand names of the lord of
the universe, the one who has neither beginning nor
end, Lord Narayana, will be released from shackles of
sorrow and be liberated. One may wonder as to why
Bhishma answered the last question first. Everyone in
this Kaliyuga wants quick fixes ? none cares to toil
or suffer hardships for a long duration. The
Vishnusahasranama, easy to chant, yet potent in its
reach, is offered as an easy `do-it-yourself' kit. 

Why should we pray only to Vishnu for liberation? He
is the only Omniscient one even during the great
deluge; Upanishads too point Him out as the saviour,
and as one who discoursed to Brahma on the logistics
of creation, He is held to be the Supreme. He is
hailed by all the Vedas; the more we pray to Him
without expectations but in total devotion, the less
we suffer. The hallmark of virtuous living is to pray
with unswerving devotion to Narayana and surrender to
Him who is the ultimate source of liberation for all. 

 

 



        
                
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