Importance of chanting the stotram

Some might say they do not understand the meaning of the Sanskrit words in the stotram and, therefore, do not feel comfortable chanting them. It is the spirit or bhava that matters. So as long as one chants the name of God with sincerity, considerations such as not knowing the meaning, not knowing the pronunciation, etc., do not matter, and God will confer His blessings on us.

While I am not proficient in Sanskrit, I derive great mental delight in trying to understand the meanings and grammatical interpretations behind these names. The latter helps one dive deeper mentally into the guṇas of Sri Vishnu and enjoy His qualities even more.

In his Bhagavad Guṇa Darpaṇa, Sri Bhattar explains the names of Maha Vishnu following rules of grammar, etymology, and interpretation by the great Sages, with particular reference to their significance, context, and etiquette. According to English dictionaries, Etymology is the analysis of a word based on its origin and development, including how the words are formed from their simple roots.

Sri Bhattar also indicates in his introduction that even though the same name may occur more than once, its interpretation is different depending on the context in which it occurs. Based on the understanding, there is no redundancy or repetition in Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam.

In his commentary on Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam, Sri Bhattar has beautifully traced a thread of connectivity in the sequence of the 1000 names as they occur in the stotram.

He has identified an organisation and structure in the composition that refers to the guṇas of the Lord in the five manifestations in which He has revealed Himself to us, as described in the Pāñcarātra Agamas.

These manifestations are:

1. para,

2. vyuha,

3. vibhava,

4. archa, and

5. antaryāmī.

Thus, for instance, Sri Bhattar has noted that the first 122 names in the stotram describe the qualities of the Lord in his para Vasudeva form. The next set of names represents the vyuha forms, etc. Thus, the names in the stotram are not just a random collection of words but have a beautiful thread of organisation and structure. Sri Bhattar has identified 44 such manifestations of Bhagavan in his exposition.

A brief introduction to the five types of manifestations of the Lord, to which Sri Bhattar refers in his exposition to the significance of the 1000 names of the Lord is given below.

The para can be viewed as the whole and undifferentiated manifestation of the Lord, in His complete and splendid glory, He has chosen to be unlimited by anything. He does not assume this form as a result of another object, and in this form, He is endowed with the fullness of the six qualities - jñāna, bala, aiśvarya, vīrya, śakti, tējas. In this form, He is the ṣāḍguṇya paripūrṇa, mahārṇava, niḥsīma - complete in all respects in the Six qualities, the Great Ocean of all that is perfect, unlimited by anything.

In the vyuha manifestation, the Lord assumes different forms rich in some of the Six qualities, with various functions that emphasise these qualities. The vyuha forms can be viewed as differentiated forms which arise from the para form.

In particular, the following vyuha forms are identified:

1. pradyumna - aiśvarya and vīrya - the function of sṛṣṭi or creation

2. aniruddha - śakti and tējas - the function of sthiti or protection and preservation

3. saṅkarṣaṇa - jñāna and bala - function of saṃhāra or destruction The vibhava is that group of manifestations that Bhagavān takes in the form of God, man, animal, etc. (sura, nara, tiryagādi). Vibhava is of two kinds:

1. mukhya and

2. anuvṛtti also referred to as vibhava and vibhavāntara.

Vibhava occurs in one of four forms:

1. Some, like Matsya and Kurma, are direct manifestations

2. In some incarnations, the Lord enters into the bodies of distinguished sages such as Sri Vyasa.

3. In others, He invests His shakti for some time.

4. There are others in which He manifests Himself in idols, for instance, in the arcāvatāra.

With this introduction, I would also like to say that, as you begin this journey towards enlightenment by achieving the knowledge for understanding the meaning of Sri Vishnu Sahasranaamam, it is my sincere appeal to all to seek out an Acharya who will help you with your path towards enlightenment. Just by reading this book alone, you will not be thoroughly knowledgeable. That said, I will try with utmost effort and sincerity to pass on to you what was passed to me by my gurus. I hope this journey of reading this book serves you well.