Conclusion

Sri Parasara Bhattar teaches that the thousand names are not a random collection of epithets. Taken in order, they describe the Lord in all His five forms: as Para Vasudeva in Sri Vaikuntham, as the vyuha forms that create, sustain, and withdraw the worlds, in His many incarnations, in His archa forms in the temples, and as the antaryami dwelling within every being. Each name is a quality of the Lord that we may meditate upon, and the same name, when it occurs again, reveals a new quality in a new context.

Bhishma declared that, of all dharmas, the praise of the lotus-eyed Lord through these names, done with devotion, is the greatest. The Lord Himself has said that He is praised even by a single shloka. It is my hope that this book helps the reader to chant the thousand names with an understanding of their meaning, and so to enjoy the Lord as the Azhwars and Acharyas did.

Whatever is good in these pages belongs to the Acharyas whose commentaries have been followed; whatever is lacking is mine. May the Lord and Thaayaar accept this humble offering.

कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्याऽत्मना वा प्रकृतेः स्वभावात् ।

करोमि यद्यत् सकलं परस्मै नारायणायेति समर्पयामि ॥

kāyēna vācā manasēndriyairvā buddhyā'tmanā vā prakṛtēḥ svabhāvāt |

karōmi yadyat sakalaṃ parasmai nārāyaṇāyēti samarpayāmi ||

sarvaṃ śrī kṛṣṇārpaṇamastu.