Vishnu Sahasranama - Part 7 - 1000 Names (verses 21-30 ; covers 191-283 names)

Verses 21-25 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 9.56 - 10.43)

Mareechir (191) Damano (192) Hamsah (193) Suparno (194) Bhujagottamah (195)
Hiranyanaabhah (196) Sutapaah (197) Padmanaabaah (198) Prajaapatih (199)  - 21

191. Mareechir - The ray of light
192. Damano - One who destroys the heat of samsara with his light
193. Hamsah - (Pure) swan
194. Suparno - One who has beautiful wings (capable to life us from samsara)
195. Bhujagottamah - Lord of all snakes including Adisesha
196. Hiranyanaabhah - One who has golden navel
197. Sutapaah - One who knows about everything
198. Padmanaabaah - One who has eight-petaled lotus in his navel
199. Prajaapatih - Master of everyone including creator (Brahma)

Amrityuh (200) Sarvaadrik (201) Simhaah (202) Sandhaataah (203) Sandhimaan (204) Stiraah (205)
Ajo (206) Durmarshanaah (207) Shaastaa (208) Vishrutaatmaa (209) Suraarihaa (210)  - 22

200. Amrityuh - Enemy for death god ; one who is beyond death
201. Sarvaadrik - Unbiased
202. Simhaah - Lion (Narasimha)
203. Sandhaataah - Unites (all beings) into one
204. Sandhimaan - Be united with (all beings)
205. Stiraah - Firm (with all beings)
206. Ajo - One who is not born
207. Durmarshanaah - One who has majestic powers which cannot be tolerated by enemies
208. Shaastaa - A teacher
209. Vishrutaatmaa - Has wonderful special names
210. Suraarihaa - Slayer of Devas' enemies

Guruh-gurutamo (211) Dhaamaah (212) Satyah (213) Satya-paraakramaah (214)Nimishho (215) A-nimishhah (216) Sragvee (217) Vaachaspatir (218) Udaara-dheeh (219)  - 23

211. Guruh-gurutamo - Guru of all Gurus
212. Dhaamaah - Ultimate abode
213. Satyah - Truth
214. Satya-paraakramaah - One who showed his unfailing valor (to Manu during pralaya)
215. Nimishho - One who closes his eyes for enemies
216. A-nimishhah - One who is always awake for devotees
217. Sragvee - One who has "vaijayanthi" as his garland
218. Vaachaspatir - Lord of speech
219. Udaara-dhee - One who possesses vast knowledge

Agraneer (220) Graamaniih (221) Shriimaan (222) Nyaayo (223) Netaa (224) Samiiranah (225)
Sahasra-muurdhaa (226) Vishvaatmaa (227) Sahasraakshah (228) Sahasrapaat (229)  - 24

220. Agraneer - Leads forward
221. Graamaniih - Leads (to) angels and mukthaas in Vaikunth
222. Shriimaan - Lord of Lakshmi (sri)
223. Nyaayo - Just
224. Netaa -  One who manages the affairs for his devotees
225. Samiiranah - One who plays (with his devotees)
226. Sahasra-muurdhaa - One who has thousand heads
227. Vishvaatmaa - All pervasive
228. Sahasraakshah - One who has thousand eyes
229. Sahasrapaat - One who has thousand feet

Aavartano (230) Nivrittaatmaa (231) Samvritah (232) Sam-pramardhanah (233)
Ahah ssamvartako (234) Vanhir (235) Anilo (236) Dharaniidharah (237)  - 25

230. Aavartano - One who turns the wheel of samsaara
231. Nivrittaatmaa - One who leads to moksha
232. Samvritah - One who remains hidden to those who are covered by agnana
233. Sam-pramardhanah - Dispeller of darkness
234. Ahah ssamvartako - One who regulates the time including day, night, month etc
235. Vanhir - Bearer (of Akaash)
236. Anilo - Vital air needed for life
237. Dharaniidharah - Bearer (of Earth)

Verses 26-30 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 10.43 - 11.29)

Suprasaadah (238) Prasannaatmaa (239) Vishva-dhrig (240) Vishvabhug-vibhuh (241)
Satkartaa (242) Satkritaah (243) Saadhur (244) Jahnur (245) Naaraayano (246) Narah (247)  - 26

238. Suprasaadah - One who grants good favors
239. Prasannaatmaa - One who has clear contended mind
240. Vishva-dhrig - Who creates Universe with utmost love
241. Vishvabhug-vibhuh - One who is the only protector of all
242. Satkartaa - One who honors good people
243. Satkritaah - One who is worshipped by Sadhus including Sabari
244. Saadhur - Does what is needed (including riding a chariot)
245. Jahnur - One who conceals himself to those who have vengeance and jealousy
246. Naaraayano - Supporter of all souls
247. Narah - Imperishable (Also known by the name "Narah" which is an avatar)

Asankhyeyo (248) Aprameyaatmaa (249) Vishishhtah (250) Shishhta-krit (251) Shhuchih (252)
Siddhaartah (253) Siddhasankalpah (254) Siddhidah (255) Siddhisaadanah (256)  - 27

248. Asankhyeyo - One who has innumerable attributes
249. Aprameyaatmaa - One who cannot be measured
250. Vishishhtah - Superior because he is desireless
251. Shishhta-krit - One who makes his devotees pure
252. Shhuchih - One who is pure by all means
253. Siddhaartah - Attained everything
254. Siddhasankalpah - One who is capable of doing everything he thought
255. Siddhidah - One who grants "siddhis" to Yogis
256. Siddhisaadanah - One who makes the "sadhana" process a pleasurable one

Vrishaahee (257) Vrishhabho (258) Vishhnur (259) Vrishhaparvaa (260) Vrishhodarah (261)
Vardhano (262) Vardhamaanashcha (263) Viviktah (264) Shruti-saagarah (265)   - 28

257. Vrishaahee - Auspicious day/ Dharma
258. Vrishhabho - One who is like elixir to those troubled by samsara
259. Visshnur - One who is everywhere
260. Vrishhaparvaa - Dharmic steps (which devotees can climb to attain moksha)
261. Vrishhodarah - Who has a dharmic belly. (accepts the prashad given by devotees with love)
262. Vardhano - Nourishes like a mother
263. Vardhamaanashcha - Makes the devotees grow in spiritual progress and grows along with them
264. Viviktah - One who is unique
265. Shruti-saagarah - Abode for Vedas (like how ocean is abode for rivers)

Shubujo (266) Durdharo (267) Vaagmii (268) Mahendro (269) Vasudo (270) Vasuh (271)
Naika-ruupo (272) Brihad-ruupah (273) Shipivishhtah (274) Prakaashanah (275)  - 29

266. Shubujo - Who has good arms
267. Durdharo - who has irresistible speed
268. Vaagmii - One who talks sweetly (like vedas) ; one who is worshiped by vedas
269. Mahendro - Who has extreme wealth
270. Vasudo - One who grants wealth to those who desire for it
271. Vasuh -  Wealth himself (to the devotees who desire him)
272. Naika-ruupo - One who has infinite forms
273. Brihad-ruupah - Immense forms
274. Shipivishhtah - Pervades as sun-rays
275. Prakaashanah - One who shows his light to devotees

Ojas-tejo-dyutidharah (276) Prakaasha-aatmaa (277) Prataapanah (278)
Riddah (279) Spashhtaaksharo (280) Mantrash (281) Chandraanshur (282) Bhaaskara-dyutih (283)  - 30

276. Ojas-tejo-dyutidharah - One who possess strength, vigor and brilliance
277. Prakaasha-aatmaa - Radiant soul
278. Prataapanah - One who creates heat (to his enemies)
279. Riddah -Full in all aspects
280. Spashhtaaksharo - One who has clear words
281. Mantrash - Mantra
282. Chandraanshur - One who has moon like rays
283. Bhaaskara-dyutih -  One who has sun like brilliance

Vishnu Sahasranama - Part 6 - 1000 Names (verses 11-20 ; covers 96 - 190 names)

Verses 11-15 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 8.24 - 9.11)

Ajah (96) Sarveshvarah (97) Siddhah (98) Siddhih (99) Sarvaadir (100)  Achyuthah (101)
Vrishaa ka pir (102)  Ameyaatmaa (103) Sarva-yoga-vinihssritah (104)  -11

96. Ajah -  Unborn
97. Sarveshvarah - Lord of all lords
98. Siddhah - Fully accomplished
99. Siddhih -  The goal (of the sidhas)
100. Sarvaadir - Origin of all origins
101. Achyuthah - Never fallen from glory
102. Vrishaa ka pir - The one who lifted dharma from the water (Varaaha)
103. Ameyaatmaa - Incomprehensible
104. Sarva-yoga-vinihssritah - Beyond attachment (all yogas)

Vasur (105) Vasumanaah (106) Satyah (107) Samaatmaa (108) Sammitah (109) Samah (110)
Amoghah (111) Pundareekaaksho (112) Vrishhaakarmaa (113) Vrishaakritih (114)  -12

105. Vasur - The in-dweller
106. Vasumanaah - Wealthy mind
107. Saatyah - The truth
108. Samaatmaa - Even mind
109. Sammitah - Truth accepted (by all)
110. Samah - Treats everyone the same
111. Amogah - Not futile (to worship)
112. Pundareekaksho - Lotus eyed
113. Vrishaakarmaa - Action (of dharma)
114. Vrishaakritih - Form (of dharma)

Rudro (115) Bahu-shiraa (116) Babhrur (117) Vishvayonih (118) Shuchi-shravaah (119)
Amritah (120) Shaasvatah-sthaanur (121) Varaaroho (122) Mahaatapaah (123) - 13

115. Rudro - The destroyer of sorrow (Rudra)
116. Bahu-shiraa - Multi-headed
117. Babhrur - Supporter
118. Vishvayonih -  Cause for the Universe
119. Shuchi-shravaah - One who listens to pure words
120. Amritah - Elixer/nectar
121. Shaasvatah-sthaanur - Eternally firm
122. Varaaraho - Supreme ascent
123. Mahaatapaah - Greatest knowledge of all knowledge

Sarvagah (124) Sarvavid (125) Bhannuhr (126) Vishhvak-seno (127) Janaardhanah (128)
Vedo (129) Vedavid (130) Avyango (131) Vedaango (132) Vedavit (133) Kavih (134) - 14

124. Sarvagah - All pervasive
125. Sarvavid - All knower
126. Bhaanuhr - One who shines
127. Vishhvak-seno - Army for (all directions)
128. Janaardhanah -  One who destroys the wicked
129. Vedo - The Vedas
130. Vedavid - The knower of Vedas
131. Avyango - Beyond imperfections
132. Vedaango - One who has Vedas as his body
133. Vedavit - One who is known by the Vedas
134. Kavih - Cognizes beyond ordinary perception

Lokaadhyakshah (135)  Suraadhyaksho (136) Dharmaadhyakshah (137) Kritaa-Kritah (138)
Chaturaatmaa (139) Chaturvyuhas  (140) Chatur-damshtrash (141) Chatur-bhujah (142) -15 

135. Lokaadhyakshah - Lord of all words
136. Suraadhyaksho - Lord of all gods
137. Dharmaadhyakshah - Lord of dharma
138. Kritaa-kritah - The cause and effect
139. Chaturaatmaa - Manifests as (four self)
140. Chaturvyuhas - Four forms
141. Chatur-damstrash - Four teeth
142. Chatur-bhujah - Four arma

Verses 16-20 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 9.11 - 9.56 )

Bharaajishnur (143) Bhojanam (144) Bhoktaa (145) Sahishhnur (146) Jagadaadijah (147)
Anagho (148) Vijayo (149) Jetaa (150) Vishvayonih (151) Punarvasuh (152)  -16

143. Bharaajishnur - Shining brightly
144. Bhojanam - (object) of enjoyment
145. Bhoktaa -  Enjoyer
146. Sahishhnur - One who forgives
147. Jagadaadijah - One who is born before everyone
148. Anagho - One who is not contaminated
149. Vijayo - Victorious
150. Jetaa - One who is the conqueror
151. Vishvayonih - Cause of the Universe
152. Punarvasuh - Lives for ever

Upendro (153) Vaamanah (154) Praamashur (155) Amoghah (156) Shuchir (157) Oorjitah (158)
Ateendrah (159) Samgrahah (160) Sargo(161) Dhritaatmaa (162) Niyamo (163) Yamah (164)-17

153. Upendro - (younger brother of) Indra
154. Vaamanah - Dwarf (Vamana Avatar)
155. Praamashur - Tall
156. Amoghah - (Acts) not purposeless
157. Shuchir - One who is pure
158. Oorjitah - Immense strength
159. Ateendrah - Superior to Indra
160. Samgrahah - Holds (all) together
161. Sargo - Creator of all souls
162. Dhritaatmaa - Supporter of all souls
163. Niyamo - Controller of (all souls)
164. Yamah - Ruler of (all souls)

Vedyo (165) Vaidyah (166) Sadaayogee (167) Veerahaa (168) Maadhavo (169) Madhuh (170)
Ati-indriyo (171) Mahaamaayo (172) Mahotsaaho (173) Mahaabalah (174)  - 18

165. Vedyo - Realizable
166. Vaidyah - Knower of knowledge
167. Sadaayogee - A yogi for ever
168. Veerahaa - One who slays the strong demons
169. Maadhavo - One who is the consort of Lakshmi
170. Madhuh - One who is sweet like honey
171. Ati-indriyo - One who is beyond (the reach of) senses
172. Mahaamaayo - The great maya
173. Mahotsaaho - The great enthusiasm
174. Mahaabalah - The great strength

Mahaabudhir (175) Mahaa-veeryo (176) Mahaa-shakthir (177) Mahaa-dyutih (178)
Anirdeshya-vapuh (179) Shriimaan (180) Ameyaatmaa (181) Mahaadri-dhrik (182)  -19

175. Mahaabudhir - Great knowledge
176. Mahaa-veeryo - Great manliness
177. Mahaa-shakthir - Great energy
178. Mahaa-dyutih - Great splendor
179. Anirdeshya-vapuh - Indescribable body
180. Shriimaan - Respectful
181. Ameyaatmaa - Magnanimous
182. Mahaadri-dhrik - Great (mountain) bearer

Maheshvaaso (183) Mahiibhartaa (184) Shreenivaasah (185) Sataamgatih (186)
Anirudhaah (187) Suraanando (188) Govindo (189) Govidaam-patih (190)  -20

183. Maheshvaaso - Discharger (of) great arrows
184. Mahiibhartaa - Bearer of Earth
185. Shreenivaasah - Abode of Sri (Lakshmi)
186. Sattamgatih - The goal (of the seekers)
187. Anirudhaah - Irresistible
188. Suraanando - Delight (of Gods)
189. Govindo - The receiver of praise
190. Govidaam-patih - Protector (of the Vedas)

Vishnu Sahasranama - Part 5 - 1000 Names (verses 1-10 ; covers 1-95 names)

THE 1000 NAMES

Verses 1-5 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 6.49 - 7.38 )

AUM

Vishvam (1)  Vishnur (2) Vashatkaaro (3)  Bhuta-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuh (4)
Bhutakrit (5) Bhutabhrid (6) Bhaavo (7) Bhutaatma (8) Bhutabhavanah (9)   -  1

1. Vishvam - He who is the Universe
2. Vishnur - He who is all pervasive
3. Vashatkaaro - One who controls
4. Bhuta-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuh - The lord of past, present and future
5. Bhutakrit - One who is the creator of all beings
6. Bhutabhrid - One who sustains all beings
7. Bhaavo - One who always exists
8. Bhutaatma - One who is the soul of all beings
9. Bhutabhavanah - One who is the cause for welfare of all beings

Pootaatmaa (10)  Paramaatmaa (11) cha Mukthaanaam paramaa gatihi (12)
Avyayah (13) Purushah (14) Saakshee (15) Kshetrajno (16) Akshara (17) eva cha - 2

10. Pootaatma - Pure soul
11. Paramaatma - Supreme soul
12. Mukthaanaam paramaa gatihi - The ultimate goal reached by the liberated souls
13. Avyayah - Not liable to change, indestructible
14. Purushah - Dwells in the body
15. Saakshee - The witness
16. Kshetrajno - One who knows (the field)
17. Akshara - Imperishable

Yogo (18) Yoga-vidaam netaa (19) Pradhaana-purusheshvarah (20)
Naarasimha-vapuh (21) Shrimaan (22) Keshavah (23) Purushothamah (24) - 3

18. Yogo - One who is reached by yoga
19. Yoga-vidaam netaa - One who is the leader of those who practice yoga
20. Pradhaana-purusheshvarah - Lord of principal matter and all living beings
21. Naarasimha-vapuh - He who has a man-lion body
22. Shrimaan - One who is with Shri (Lakshmi)
23. Keshavah - One who has long and beautiful hair
24. Purushothamah - One who is the greatest soul

Sarvah (25) Sharvah (26) Shivah (27) Sthaanur (28) Bhutaadir (29) Nidhir-avyayah (30)
Sambhavo (31) Bhaavano (32) Bhartaa (33) Prabhavah (34) Prabhur (35) Eeshvarah (36) - 4

25. Sarvah - He who is everything
26. Sharvah - Auspicious
27. Shivah - Eternally pure
28. Sthaanur - Immovable/fixed
29. Bhutaadir - The source of all beings
30. Nidhir-avyayah - Indestructible treasure
31. Sambhavo - Self manifesting
32. Bhaavano - Producer of all beings
33. Bhartaa - One who governs
34. Prabhavah - Prominent/great/superior
35. Prabhur - All powerful master
36. Eeshvarah - One who is capable of anything

Svayambhoo (37) Shambhur (38) Aadithyah (39) Pushkaraaksho (40) Mahaasvanah (41)
Anaadhi-nidhano (42) Dhaataa (43) Vidhaataa (44) Dhaaturuttamah (45) - 5

37. Svyambhoo - Self existant
38. Shambhur - Cause for happiness
39. Aadithyah - The sun
40. Pushkaraaksho - Lotus-eyed
41. Mahaasvanah - Loud sound (of the Vedas)
42. Anaadhi-nidhano - Without beginning and end
43. Dhaataa - Supports all
44. Vidhaataa - Dispenser of fruits of action
45. Dhaaturuttamah - Superior to the creator (Brahma)

Verses 6-10 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 7.39 - 8.24)

Aprameyo (46) Hrisheekeshah (47) Padmanaabho (48) Amaraprabhuh (49)
Vishwakarmaa (50) Manus (51) Tvashtaa (52) Sthavishthah (53) Sthaviro (54) Dhruvah (55) - 6

46. Aprameyo - Cannot be perceived by senses ; Not cognizable
47. Hrisheekeshah - Controller of senses
48. Padmanaabho - One who has lotus in his navel
49. Amaraprabhuh - The lord of immortals (Gods)
50. Vishwakarmaa - One who does all the activities before and after Brahma
51. Manus - Great thinker ; capable of creating things just be mere thought.
52. Tvashtaa - Chiseler of all forms
53. Sthavishthah - Massive in size
54. Sthaviro - Always in existence
55. Dhruvah - Changeless

Agraahyah (56) Shaasvathah (57) Krishno (58) Lohitaakshah (59) Pratardanah (60)
Prabhootah (61) Trikakub-dhaama (62) Pavitram (63) Mangalamparam (64)  - 7

56. Agraahyah - Beyond grasp/perception
57. Shaasvathah - Eternal
58. Krishno - One who is in state of bliss always
59. Lohitaakshah - One who has red lotus like eyes
60. Pratardanah - One who destroys everything during Pralaya
61. Prabhootah - One who has all within even everything else is destroyed
62. Trikakub-dhaama - Who has the Vaikuntha planet (three times bigger as this material universe)
63. Pavitram - Always pure
64. Mangalamparam - Supreme auspiciousness

Eeshaanah (65) Pranaadhah (66) Praano (67) Jyeshthah (68) Shreshtah (69) Prajaapathi (70)
Hiranya-garbho (71) Bhuu garbho (72) Maadhavo (73) Madhusudhanah (74) - 8

65. Eeshanah - One who rules the Universe
66. Praanadhah - One who gives life
67. Praano - One who is the life, himself
68. Jyeshthah - Older than the oldest
69. Shreshtah - One who is praise worthy
70. Prajaapathi - Lord of ever existent beings
71. Hiranya garbho - The golden womb
72. Bhuu garbho - The Universe womb
73. Madhavo - Concert of Maa (Lakshmi)
74. Madhusudhanah - One who slayed the demon called Madhu

Eeshvaro (75) Vikramee (76) Dhanvee (77) Medhaavee (78) Vikramah (79) Kramah (80)
Anuttamo (81) Duraadharshah (82) Kritagyah (83) Kritir (84) Aatmavaan (85)  - 9

75. Eeshvaro - One who rules without interruptions
76. Vikramee - Brave ; courageous ; capable of doing anything
77. Dhanvee - One who holds the bow called Saarnga
78. Medhaavee - One who knows everything
79. Vikramah - One who takes stride in his Garuda vehicle
80. Kramah - Who is the base of Universe to function in an order
81. Anuttamo - Who is superior, that nothing is more superior than him
82 Duraadharshah - Who is as deep as an ocean that no one can overcome
83. Kritagyah - One who is grateful (to his devotees)
84. Kritir - One who is the cause of virtuous acts
85. Aatmavaan - One who is the owner of all souls

Sureshah (86) Sharanam (87) Sharmaa (88) Vishva-retaah (89) Prajaa-bhavah (90)
Ahah (91) Samvatsaro (92) Vyaalah (93) Pratyayah (94) Sarvadharshanah (95)  - 10

86. Sureshah -  Lord of all gods including Brahma
87. Sharanam - The refuge of all
88. Sharmaa - One who is full of bliss
89. Vishva-retaah - Primordial seed of the Universe
90. Prajaa-bhavah - The origin from whom all beings emerge
91. Ahah - Day ; Remover of ignorance ; The light which removes darkness
92. Samvatsaro - Year ; kaala ; time
93. Vyaalah - One who sends his representatives to his devotees when needed
94. Pratyayah - One who can be relied upon (by his devotees)
95. Sarvadharshanah - One who shows everything (to his devotees)

Vishnu Sahasranama - Part 4 - Dhyanam (verses 1-7)

DHYANAM

Verses 1-3 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 4.34 - 5.46)

Kshirodhan vathpradeshe shuchimani vilasat saikathe mukthikaanam
Malaak lupthaa sanastha spatikamani nibhair mukthikair mandithaangaha
Shubrai rabrai rathabrai rupari virachithair mukthapiyusha varshaii
Aanandhii nah puniiyaadari nalinaagada shankapaanir mukundhaha  - 1

Let Mukuntha, who is seated on the throne arranged with pearl garlands, in the ocean of milk with glittering sand, purify us. Let Mukuntha, whose form is well decorated with pearls and crystals (spatika), bless us.  Let Mukuntha, who enjoys ecstatic bliss on white clouds showering drops of nectar, purify us. Let Mukuntha, who holds lotus, mace and conch in his hands, bless us.

Bhuhpadho yasyanaabhir viyadasura nilaschandra suryocha nethre
Karnaavaasha shirodhyor mukhamapi dahanooyasya vaasdheyamabthihi
Anthastham yasyavishvam suranara khagago bhogi gandharva daithyaihi
Chithram ramramyathe tam tribhuvana vapusham vishnumiisham namaami  - 2

Salutations to lord Vishnu, who has earth in his feet, sky in his navel, wind as his breath and the sun and moon as his eyes. Salutations to lord Vishnu, whose ears are the directions, whose head is the heaven, whose face is the fire and whose abdomen is the ocean. Salutations to lord Vishnu, within whom whole universe rests with its different beings viz. gods, humans, birds, animals, serpents, asuras, gandharvas and daithyas. Salutaions to lord Vishnu, who is the lord of three worlds, who has an admirable and wonderful structure and who is the supreme lord.

"AUM namo bhagavathe vasudevayaa"

Salutations to the supreme god vasudeva

Shaanthaakaaram bhujagasayanam padmanaabam suresham
Vishwaadhaaram gaganasadursham megavarnam shubaangam
Lakshmikantham kamalanayanam yogibhir dhyaanagamyam
Vandhe vishnum bhava-baya-haram sarva lokaika-naatham  - 3

I bow before lord Vishnu, who is the embodiment of peace, who sleeps in the serpent bed, who has lotus in his navel and who is the god of all gods. I bow before lord Vishnu, who is the base for this earth, who resembles the sky, who possesses the color of clouds and who has attractive physical structure. I bow before lord Vishnu, who is the consort of Lakshmi, who has lotus eyes and whom yogis see in their hearts by meditation. I bow before lord Vishnu, who is the destroyer of all fears and who is the controller of all worlds. 

Verses 4-7 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 5.46 - 6.48)

Megashyaamam peethakausheyavaasam srivatsaangam kaushthubhodh bhaasithaangam
Punyopeytham pundareekaayathaaksham vishnum vandhe sarvalokaika naatham - 4

I bow before the lord Vishnu, who is the master of all worlds, who possesses the color of the clouds, who is dressed in yellow silk clothes and who has a mark on his chest which denotes the residing place of Lakshmi. I prostrate before lord Vishnu, whose divine body is decorated with the gorgeous kaustubha gem, who is surrounded by holy people and who has eyes that resemble pretty lotus.

Namah samastha bhutaanam adhibhutaaya bhuubhrithe
Aneka roopa roopaaya vishnave prabavishnave - 5

I worship lord Vishnu who is the beginning of all beings (living) combined, I worship lord Vishnu who manifests himself in many forms and who is radiant, elegant and beautiful.

Sashaanka chakram sakireeda kundalam sapeetha vastram saraseeruhekshanam
sahaaravakshah sthala shobhikausthubham namaami vishnum shirasaachathurbujam - 6

I surrender myself to lord Vishnu, who holds conch and discuss in his hands, who has beautiful crown and earrings, who is dressed in yellow clothes and who has eyes like a lotus. I bow my head before lord Vishnu, who has four hands and whose divine body is beautifully decorated by many ornaments including the kausthubha gem.

Chaayaayaam paarijaathasya hemasimhasanopari aasinamambuda shyama maaya thakshamalankritham
Chandraananam chathurbaahum srivatsangitavakshasam rukmani satyabhaamaabhyam sahitam krishnam asrayei - 7

I take refuge in the holy feet of lord Vishnu, who sits in a golden throne, who is in the shade of paarijaatha tree, who has the color of the clouds and who has long broad eyes. I take refuge in the holy feet of lord Vishnu, who has a face that resembles the moon, who has four hands, whose chest is adorned by srivatsa (residing place of lakshmi) and who is in the company of Rukmani and Satyabhama,

Vishnu Sahasranama - Part 3 - Prologue (verses 21-36)

Verses 21-28 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 3.24 - 4.02)

"Vishnum jishnum mahavishnum prabhavishnum maheshwaram
Anekaroopa daithyaantham namaami purushothamam" - 21

Vishnum jishnum mahavishnum - (I bow before) Vishnu who is victorious and who is all pervading
Prabhavishnum maheshwaram - (who is) Mighty, radiant and the lord of all lords
Anekaroopa daithyaantham - One who possesses many forms and the destroyer of daityas (asuras)
Namaami purushothamam - I bow before the one who is the best among all Purushas (beings)

"I bow before the all pervading lord Vishnu, who is victorious, mighty, radiant and lord of all lords. I bow before him who possesses many forms and the destroyer of asuras. I bow before him, the best among all the beings (purusha).

Chanting mode (tune) changes from here. Hence giving each line as a verse....

"Asyasri vishnordivya  sahasranaama stothra mahamanthrasya" - 22

" For this sloka, the great mantra of shri maha vishnu which contains his 1000 divine names......."

"Shri Vedavyaso bhagavan rishihi" - 23

"Veda vyasa, the great sage, is the composer"

"Anushtub chandhah" - 24

"The vedic meter is anushtub"

"Shri mahavishnuh paramaatma shrimannaraayano devathaa" - 25

"The deity is Shriman Narayana, who is the all pervading supreme soul"

"Amrutaam shudhbhavo bhanuriti bhijam" - 26

"The root is Sri krishna (Bhanu refers sun. Even though krishna belongs to lunar dynasty, as given in verse 20, here it is said about sun. We can take it in this way. Since he is all pervading, he is common to both sun and moon. He is also known to possess sun and moon as his two eyes.)

"Devaki nandhanah shrishteti shakthihi" - 27

"The power is the son of Devaki"

"Udbhavaha kshobhano devaiti paramo mantraha" - 28

"This is the supreme mantra which glorifies the splendid God who is not created by anyone (swayambu)"

Verses 29-36 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 4.02 - 4.33)

"Shankhabrin nandaki chakriiti kiilakam" - 29

The key (pin) bonding (driving) forces (of this mantra) are "Shanka" (conch called panchajanya) "Chakra" (sudharshana chakra) and "Nandaka" (sword).

"Shaarnga dhanvaa gadhaadhara ityastram" - 30

The weapons (of this mantra) are "Gadha" and the bow called "Shaarnga". Maha vishnu holds the mace (Kaumodaki Gadha) and a bow (shaarnga) in his hands.

Each words here have deep hidden meanings as they represent the things held by Vishnu in his hands. To get a clear understanding of what each item represents, please click this link. 

http://www.muktinath.org/hinduism/vishnu.htm

"Rathaanga paanir akshobha iti netram" - 31

The eye (of this mantra) is the lord (refers to krishna here) who is holding wheel of a chariot (can also  take as "the charioteer") in his hands and who is ever peaceful.

"Trisaamaa saamagah saameti kavasam" - 32

The shield (of this mantra) is one who is glorified in the third Veda (sama veda) and the one who is always the same (unchanged). 

"Aanandham parabrahmeti yonihi" - 33

The resting place/abode (of this mantra) is the supreme lord who is ever blissful.

"Rithuh sudarshana kala iti digbhandhaha"- 34

The directions (of this mantra) are truth which is the lord himself, his weapon the sudarshana chakra and his annihilating power represented by kaala.

"Shrivishvaruupa iti dhyanam" - 35

The object of meditation (of this mantra) is the "vishvaroopa" of the lord.

Shrimahavishnu priityarthe sahasranaamajape viniyogaha" - 36

In order to please lord Sri Maha Vishnu, let us now proceed with the chanting of his 1000 divine names. (Viniyoga means to distribute.)

Vishnu Sahasranama - Part 2 - Prologue (verses 11-20)

Verses 11-15 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 1.51 - 2.38)

"Anaadi nidhanam Vishnum sarva lokha Maheshwaram
Lokadyaksham Sthuvannithyam sarva dukhagthigo bhavedh" - 11

Anaadi nidhanam vishnum - Vishnu who has no beginning or end
Sarva lokha maheshwaram - The supreme lord of all worlds
Lokadyaksham sthuvannithyam - One who chants everyday (about) the one who presides all worlds
Sarva dukhagthigo bhavedh - All their miseries go beyond

"All the miseries will go away from the person, when he chants everyday and praises the glory of Lord Vishnu, the supreme lord who presides all worlds and who is without any beginning or end."

"Brahmanyam sarvadharmagyam lokaanam kirthivardhanam
Lokanaatham mahatbhuutham sarvabhuutha bhavodbhavam" - 12

Brahmanyam sarvadharmagyam - Who knows all dharmas and who has to be perceived through the vedas 

Lokaanam kirthivardhanam -  Who increases the fame of  beings who live in worlds

Lokanaatham mahatbhuutham - The master of all worlds and the greatest truth among all 

Sarvabhuutha bhavodbhavam -  Source behind the existence of all beings

"Vishnu, who alone knows all dharmas, has to be known through the vedas. He is the master of all worlds. He is the one who increases the fame of all beings in all worlds and the absolute truth/source behind the existence of all beings."

"Yeshame sarvadharmaanaam dharmo dikhathamo mathah

Yadbhakthyaa pundarikaaksham sthavairarcher narassadha" - 13

Yeshame sarvadharmaanam - This dharma, among all dharmas

Dharmo dikhathamo mathah - Is declared as the greatest
Yadbhakthyaa pundarikaaksham - With bakthi, worships the lotus eyed (lord)
Sthavairarcher narassadha - Singing the glory, everyday by beings

"Dharma for beings (humans)  is to worship the lotus eyed lord and sing and chant his glory with devotion, everyday. This is the greatest dharma among all dharmas."

"Paramam yo mahat tejah parmam yo mahat tapah
Paramam yo mahat brahmah paramam yah paraayanam" - 14

Paramam yo mahat tejah - Greatest of all lights
Paramam yo mahat tapah - Greatest of all penance
Paramam yo mahat brahmah - Brahmam, the absolute truth
Paramam yah paraayanam -  Greatest of all shelters

"(Worship he who is) The greatest of all lights, greatest of all penance, who himself is the absolute truth called brahmam and one who is the greatest of all shelters."

"Pavithraanam pavithram yo mangalaanaamcha mangalam

Daivatham devataanaamcha bhuthaanam yo avyayah pitaa" - 15

Pavithraanam pavithram yo - Holiest among all holy things
Mangalaanaamcha mangalam - Most auspicious among all auspicious things
Daivatham devataanaamcha - Supreme God among all Gods
Bhuthaanam yo avyayah pitaa - Who is without death and hence (eternal) father of all beings

"(Worship he who is) The holiest (pure)  among all holy things, the most auspicious among all auspicious things, the supreme lord of lords, and the one who is the eternal father of all beings in all worlds."

Verses 16-20 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 2.38 - 3.24 )

"Yatha sarvaani bhuthaani bhavanthyaadi yugaagamae
yasmimcha pralayam yanthi punareva yugakshayae" - 16

Yatha sarvaani bhuthaani - (The eternal father) From whom, all beings in the world
Bhavanthyaadi yugaagamae - Emanated at the beginning of the initial yuga
Yasmimcha pralayam yanthi - To whom, (all beings) during the final dissolution
Punareva yugakshayae -  Go back at the end of the world

"The eternal indestructible father, from whom, all beings, originated at the beginning of the initial yuga, and to whom, all beings, merge together, during the final dissolution, which happens at the end of the final yuga".

"Tasya loka pradhaanasya jagannaadhasya bhoopathe
Vishnornaama sahasramme shrunupaapa bhayaapaham" - 17

Tasya loka pradhaanasya - The pillar on which the entire universe rests
Jagannaadhasya bhoopathe - The master of Universe (Oh King!!)
Vishnornaama sahasramme - The thousand names of Lord vishnu
Shrunupaapa bhayaapaham - (Listen, oh king!)  which drives away all sins and all fears

"Oh King (Yudishtra), listen!!! I will tell you the thousand names of Lord Vishnu, the master of the Universe, the pillar on which the entire Universe rests. Oh king! these thousand names of Lord Vishnu, will dispel all fears and wash out all fears".

"Yaani naamaani gaunaani vikhyaataani mahaatmanah
Rishibih parigeethani taani vakshyaami bhuthaye" - 18

Yaani naamaani gaunaani - (Make you familiar) with the names
Vikhyaataani mahaatmanah -  Those which proclaim the glory of the supreme being
Rishibih parigeethani -Well chanted and sung by the Rishis
Taani vakshyaami bhuthaye - Know them, for the welfare of all beings

"I will help you to get familiar with the names, which proclaim the glory of the supreme being and are well chanted and sung by the Rishis. Know these names, for the welfare of all beings."

"Rishirnaamnaam sahasrasya vedavyaso mahamunihi
Chando anushtub thathaadevo bhagavaan devakisuthah" - 19

Rishir naamnaam sahasrasya - (Rishi) of these thousand names of Vishnu
Vedavyaso mahamunihi - The great Rishi, Veda Vyasa
Chandoasushtub thathaadevo - The vedic meter is "Anushtub", the presiding deity
Bhagavaan devakisuthah - The Lord, who is the son of Devaki

"The great sage, Veda Vyasa, is the Rishi (composer) of these thousand names of Vishnu. The vedic meter in which it is composed is "Anushtub" and the presiding deity (of these thousand names) is Lord Vishnu, who is the son of Devaki".

(Please click the following link to know about vedic meters) :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedic_meter

"Amrutaam Shutbhavobijam shakthir devakinandhanah
trisaamaa hridhayam tasya  shaanthyarthe viniyujyathe" - 20

Amrutaam shuthbhavobijam - (Its) root is one who is born in (chandra) lunar race
Shakthir devakinandhanah -  (Its) power is the son of Devaki
Trisaamaa hridhayamtasya - (Its) heart is the one who is glorified in thrisama (sama veda)
Shaanthyarthe viniyujyathe - (Its) purpose is the attainment of peace


"The root (of these thousand names) is the one who is born in chandra vamsa (lunar race), the power (of these names) is the beloved son of Devaki, The heart (of these names) is the one who is glorified in trisaama (the third veda, samaveda) and the purpose of it (the names) is to attain peace

Vishnu Sahasranama - Part 1 - Prologue (verses 1-10)

The Meaning : (Our journey starts now!!!!)

This is a part by part attempt to mindfully learn the sloka and hence it is split into many parts and will be updated periodically. Hear the youtube video for practicing, The first ten verses are included here along with the accurate seconds (for youtube).

PROLOGUE 

Verses 1 - 5 : (Hear the youtube video from start to 0.56)

"AUM"  :  Please refer to my previous post (link below) regarding this syllable.

http://connectsciencetodivinity.blogspot.com/2015/03/aum-sound-of-universe.html

"Shuklam baradaram vishnum sashivarnam chaturbujam
Prasanna vadhanam dhyayet sarva vignopa shanthaye" - 1

Shuklam baradaram vishnum - Vishnu, who is dressed in white
Sasi varnam -  Who is in the color of moon
Chaturbujam - Who is having four arms
Prasanna vadhanam - Who has an ever-smiling, happy and pleasant face
Dhyayet - I meditate upon thee
Sarva vignopa shanthaye - Eradicate all obstacles in my way.

"I meditate on the ever-smiling face (roopam) the almighty Vishnu, who is dressed in white, who is in the color of moon and who is having four arms. Let him remove all obstacles in my way".

"Vyasam vasishtanaptharam shaktheh pouthramakalmasham
Parasarathmaajam vandhe shukathatham taponidhim" -2

Vyasam vasishtanaptharam - Vyasa, the great grand son of  sage Vasishta
Sakthe pouthramakalmasham - The grand son of sage Sakthi
Parasarathmaajam vandhe - The son of sage Parashara
Shukathatham taponidhim -  The father of Shuka Rishi

"I bow before great Rishi Vyasa , who is the great grand son of Rishi Vasishta, the grand son of Rishi Sakthi and the son of Rishi Parashara. I bow before Rishi Vyasa who is the father of Shuka Brahma Rishi".

"Vyasaya vishnu roopaya vyasa roopaya vishnave
Namo vai brahma nidhaye vaasishtaya namo namaha" -3

Vyasaya vishnu roopaya - Vyasa who is vishnu  (vyasa is believed to be an incarnation of vishnu)
Vyasa roopaya vishnave - Vishnu who is vyasa
Namo vai brahma nidhaye - I bow before thee, who possess the treasure of vedic knowledge/ Brahmam
Vaasishtaya namo namaha - Many salutations to the one who is born in the family of Vasishta

"I offer my salutations many times to sage Vyasa, who is an incarnation of Vishnu ; and to Vishnu, who has taken the visible roopam of Vyasa, the sage who is born in the family of Vasishta and possess the treasure of "Brahma vidya"

"Avikaraya shudhaaya nithyaaya paramaathmane
Sadhaika roopa roopaya vishnave sarva jishnave" -4

Avikaraaya Shudhaaya - Vishnu, who is pure and not affected by change
Nithyaaya paramaathmane - who is eternal and the supreme soul
Sadhaika roopa roopaya - who has the consistent form in all times and ages
Vishnave sarva jishnave - I bow before thee, one who is the conqueror of all mortals.

"I bow before thee, Lord Vishnu, the pure, immutable, eternal and the supreme soul. I salute thee, who has the consistent form in all ages and one who is the conqueror of all mortal beings."

"Yasya smarana maathrena janma samsaara bandhanaath
vimuchyate nama tasmai vishnave prabha vishnave" -5

Yasya smarana maathrene - The mere contemplation of the name Vishnu
Janma samsaara bandhanaath - Frees one from the terrific cycle of birth and death
Vimuchyate nama tasmai - I bow before thee
Vishnave prabha vishnave - The all powerful Vishnu

"I salute the almighty Lord vishnu, the mere thought of whom, releases one for ever, from the terrific and never ending cycle of birth and death."

"Om namo vishnave prabha vishnave" 

"Salutations to the all powerful deity Vishnu"

Verses 6-10 : (Hear youtube video for practice from 0.56 - 1.50)

"Shri Vaishamphayana uvacha" 

"Sri Vaisamphaya said" (remember this sloka is part of Mahabaratha and will be in conversational style. Vaisamphaya is the sage who narrated the epic "Mahabaratha" to king Janamejaya and thereby to all human beings. Pandavas and Kauravas were king Janamejaya's ancestors.)

"Shrutvaa dharmaana seshaena paavanaani cha sarvashaha
yudishtirah shaanthanavam punare vaabhya baashatha" -6

Shrutvaa dharmaana seshaena - After hearing a lot about all the dharmas 

Paavanaani cha sarvashaha - Which eradicates sins completely, from one's life

Yudishtirah shaanthanavam - Yudhishtira addressed Shanthanu's son (Bhishma)

Punare vaabhya baashatha - The abode of everlasting peace, again (as follows)

"Yudhishtira, after hearing the Dharmas entirely from Bhishma, which are capable of eradicating all the sins in one's life and thereby purify the person, again asked Bhishma, the abode of everlasting peace, as follows"

"Yudhishttira uvacha"

"Yudishtira said"

"Kimekam daivatham loke kim vaapyekam paraayanam
sthuvanthahkam kamarchandham Praapnuyur maanavaashubham" - 7

Kimekam daivatham loke - Who is the one God in this wide world ?
Kim vaapyekam paraayanam - Who is the one ultimate shelter for all ?
Sthuvanthahkam kamarchandham - By glorifying whom and by praising whom with love
Praapnuyur maanavaashubham -  Men attain peace, prosperity and great salvation

"Grandpa! In this vast world, who is the one God ? who is the one shelter?  who is the one beings worship, praise and glorify and obtain peace, prosperity and ultimately, salvation?"

"Khodharmah sarvadharmaanam bhavathahparamo mathaha
Kimjapan muchyatejandhur janmasamsaara bhandhanaadh" - 8

Khodharmah sarvadharmaanam - Which dharma in all dharmas
Bhavathahparamo mathaha - Greatest of all and none is greater than that
Kinjapan muchyatejandhur - By which japa (chanting), living beings go beyond
Janmasamsaara bhandhanaadh - This terrific cycle of birth and death


"Among all the Dharmas, which is the greatest one ? none is greater than that? By chanting on which, can living beings go beyond this terrific cycle of birth and death and attain salvation?"

"Shri Bhishma uvacha"

"Bhishma said"

"Jagathprabhum devadevam anantham purushothamam
sthuvannaama sahasrena purushah sathathothithaha" - 9

Jagathprabhum devadevam - Ruler of the Universe, God of all Gods
Anantham purushothamam - Infinite, endless, supreme person
Sthuvannaama sahasrena - (By) chanting the thousand names
Purushah sathathothithaha - Men, ever engaged in devotion, (are set free)


"Men, by means of chanting the thousand names of the endless supreme lord who is the king of the Universe and God of all Gods and by engaging themselves in pure devotion to this infinite purusha, (are released from this horrible cycle of birth and death.)"

"Thamevacharcha yannithyam bhakthyaa purushamavyayam
Dhyaayan sthuvan namasyancha yajamaanasthameva cha" - 10

Thamevacharcha yannithyam - One who worships and prays every day
Bhakthyaa purushamavyayam - With devotion to that supreme being who is not liable to change
Dhyaayan sthuvan namasyancha -  Meditates and chants
Yajamaanastha meva cha - Submits and surrenders completely, moves beyond (released)

"One who worships the unchanging ultimate lord with utmost love everyday, one who meditates and chants the glory of the supreme lord and surrenders to him completely, moves beyond this cycle of birth and death".

Introduction to Vishnu Sahasranama

In my humble efforts to know the meanings of Mantras,  I have started the section "Mantras and Meanings" in this blog.  When I thought of adding "Vishnu Sahasranama" in this section, the first notion came to my mind was "Who am I to write about this"? There are quite a few reasons for such thinking. On the first hand, I am not a person who is well-versed in Sanskrit; second : this is a lengthy sloka and it will be tough to learn the full meaning in one day and last, there are many translations already available with word by word meanings. Yet, something drives me to post it today and here I am. But let me brief few points beforehand :

• Instead of proceeding with the sloka directly, we will first start with some introductions for better understanding.
• Since this is a lengthy sloka, I am planning to add 5 paragraphs or verses each time for making it easy to understand. As such, this is not a complete blog post, but will be updated as and when and I will notify you when it is done.
• As always, I will be including many web links from where I compiled the information.
• The Manthras are given in English and split up for easy reading. Please do not expect perfect sanskrit way of writing. The numbering of the verses are also given by me only for easy learning and might not match with the numbers in the original sloka.
• I will be very happy if readers share their thoughts and knowledge. It is a collective effort and the ultimate aim is to learn this sloka with its meaning.
• I pray to Shri Maha Vishnu to give me the motivation and determination to complete this post fully and also to enlighten all of us in this journey. 

Vishnu Sahasranamam - A brief overview :

As most of you know, the term "sahasra" in Sanskrit, means 1000. Vishnu Sahasranama literally means the 1000 names of Vishnu . It is found in the "Anushasana parva" of the epic Mahabaratha which continues the theme of "Shanthi Parva". "Anushasana" can be referred as "Book of instructions" of Book of precepts". It has 2 sub parvas and 168 chapters. Bhishma, in his death bed, is surrounded by great sages Vasishta, Maithreya, Sanathkumara, Valmiki, Kapila and Narada and also by the Pandavas. Yudishtra asks for a counsel for which Bhishma gives answers. It includes duties of the King, officials of a kingdom and men and women. It also includes the importance of cows, their importance to household's food security, agriculture and wealth. Chapter 149 of this Anushasana parva recites "Vishnu Sahasranama" and in the list of 1000 names of Vishnu are the names of Shiva, Sharva, Sthanu, Ishana and Rudra.

By Ramanarayanadatta astri (http://archive.org/details/mahabharata
06ramauoft) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anushasana_Parva

The glory of Vishnu Sahasranama is disclosed by the following quote :

Adi Sankaracharya in Bhaja Govindam - Verse 27 :

"Geyam gita nama sahasram dhyeam sripathi rupamajasram
neyam sajjana sange chittham deyam dinajanaya ca vittam"

"Let your mouth chant Bhagavad Gita and Sahasranama everyday,  Let your heart be filled with Vishnu swaroopam, Let your mind be led towards the company of good (satsang) and let your wealth be distributed to the needy".

http://www.avgsatsang.org/hhsvs/pdf/BhajaGovindam_verse27.pdf


"Vishnu Sahasranama" in the divine voice of M.S.Subbulakshmi :


I have included below, the youtube video of "Vishnu Sahasranama" in order to make it easy for us to practice the sloka step by step when we learn the meanings.

Metaphor Between Cosmic Dance Of Shiva And Dance Of Sub Atomic Particles

We all know that Nataraja is the dancing form of Lord Shiva and he is considered as the supreme God of "Naatya" - dance. Tandava, the divine dance performed by him is the source of creation, preservation and destruction. But do we know that this dance has an amazing scientific concept hidden in it? Let us close our eyes for a second and think about Atom and its Spin. Can we draw some amazing connection here?? Yes, we can and that is the base idea of this article. It tries to establish the parallels between Shiva's cosmic dance and Subatomic spin.  As usual, I have already found that I am not the only one to look at mythological concepts from a scientific perspective, but there are many many people who have already thought about these ideas. Hence I have website links to share, which can throw a good insight into the subject matter. Let us proceed further......

QUICK VIEW :

Key concept	Shiva's cosmic dance compared with dance of subatomic particles
Spiritual perspective	Tandava, the dance of Shiva ; Lasya, the dance of Goddess Parvati ; the different kinds of dances, Soundaryalahari - verse 41 which talks about Shivasakthi dance.
Views of modern physics	Atoms, Subatomic particles, Movements inside an atom, Electric Universe, Views of Fritjof Capra, Nataraja statue at CERN, European center of Nuclear research
Parallels	Sub atomic particles compared with "Trinity" Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva ; The spin inside atom compared with the cosmic dance of Shiva which is the source for creation, preservation and destruction

Tandava :

The name "Tandava" actually came from "Tandu" an attendant of Shiva, who taught 108 "karana"s to Baratha, the author of "Natya Shastra". "Karana" is the combination of hand gestures with feet to form a dance posture. These 108 karanas are discussed by Baratha in the 4th chapter ("Tandava lakshanam") of "Natya Shastra". 

Tandava symbolizes the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction. It deals with the following five principle manifestations of eternal energy :

• Shrishti - Creation
• Sthiti - Sustenance
• Samhara - Destruction
• Tirobhava - Illusion
• Anugraha  - Grace, blessing

There are many types of "Tandavas". The most famous among them is "Aananda Thandava" which portraits bliss and ecstasy and "Rudra Thandava" which portraits destruction and violence.

See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Lasya :

"Lasya" is a gentle form of dance performed by Goddess Parvati. It is filled with grace and beauty She performs this dance in response to Shiva's "Tandava". There are two kinds of this dance namely "Jarita Lasya" and "Yauvaka Lasya".

By Kesavan Muthuvel (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Soundaryalahari  (Shloka 41) describes Shivasakthi dance :

Soundaryalahari, is not only a Shloka (prayer) but also a textbook of "Tantra". It describes about many Yantras and gives instructions on Puja and offerings. In that Shloka, verse 41 talks about Shivasakthi dance in Muladhara chakra. According to "Kundalini Yoga" there are six main Chakras in human body where "Kundalini" energy arises from the bottom to the top. In each chakra, Shiva and Sakthi reside in different forms. As such, Sakthi resides as "Samaya" (performing Lasya dance) and Shiva resides as "Aananda bhairava" (performing Tandava dance) in Muladhara chakra. Here it is considered as the creation dance and Shiva Sakthi are termed as Janaka Janani (father and mother). Please click the following link to read the entire text and meaning of this particular verse 41 :

https://sites.google.com/site/soundaryalahare/Home/slokas-41-50

And watch the following video clip (from start to 0.19 seconds) :

Atoms - Basis for everything in the Universe :

Atoms are the tiniest particles which constitute the base for everything in this Universe, from air to water, whale to mobile phone and so on.....Every solid, liquid and gas is made up of atoms. Without atoms, there is no existence of life. Such atoms are further divided into subatomic particles called Protons, Neutrons and Electrons .

By The original uploader was Fastfission at English Wikipedia
 [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)
 or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)],
 via Wikimedia Commons

Subatomic particles vs. Trinity personification :

Many world traditions make a mention about "Trinity" with reference to God. Specifically, in Sanathan dharma we have the main trinity, "Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva". We always refer them as Mummoorthy. Similarly, we also have a female version of trinity called "Sarasathi, Lakshmi and Parvati". These female Goddesses are termed as energy sources for the male Gods, to perform their tasks, Creation, Sustenance and Destruction respectively. We also talk about Parabrahmam, the Supreme God, who is beyond everything. The trinity gods are only the acting agents of the Supreme formless God. This can be understood from the popular tamil saying "அணுவுக்குள் அணுவான ஆதாரமே ".....

Now let us apply this philosophical thought to the subatomic particles. If atoms are everything in this Universe, and if there could not be any life existence without atoms. then can we say the subatomic particles are symbolically referred as "Trinities called "Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva???? When we look closely into the properties of the subatomic particles, we can somewhat agree to this concept. Among the subatomic particles, Protons have positive electric charge, Electrons have negative electric charge and Neutrons have no electric charge

Let me share the links which provide a connection between Trinity personification and Subatomic particles. Generally they emphasize "Proton" with positive electric charge as "Vishnu ; "Electron" with negative electric charge as "Brahma" and "Neutron" with no electric charge as "Shiva (but there are variations in these).  Please carefully go through the following links to make your own judgement about this concept. This is just an idea...... an attempt to analyze the deep concepts of philosophy in relation with modern science..

http://www.ishafoundation.org/blog/sadhguru/masters-words/devi-a-dynamic-force/
https://sites.google.com/site/vvmpune/essay-of-dr-p-v-vartak/shiva-lingam
http://rootshunt.com/physicswithreligion/physicswithreligion.htm
http://www.oshoworld.com/tantra_medi/otantra.asp?news_id=39
http://www.crystalinks.com/vedic.html

Atomic Spin :

Look at the above video and observe the movements inside an atom. If we say dance is nothing but movement, everything in this Universe dances, Sun, moon, planets, stars and the smallest of small, atoms too. Not only atoms, but even their subatomic particles move. Without such spin, there is no atom at all. And if there is no atom, there is no life at all.

Fritjof Capra :

He is an Austrian born American Physicist and the founding director of "Center for Ecoliteracy" in Berkely, California. He is also an author of many books. His famous work, "The Tao of Physics" which talks about the parallels between modern physics and eastern mysticism, was written in 1975.
Very recently, he has explained that....

"Modern physics has shown that the rhythm of creation and destruction is not only manifest in the turn of the seasons and in the birth and death of all living creatures, but is also the very essence of inorganic matter. For the modern physicists, then Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter."

http://www.fritjofcapra.net/shivas-cosmic-dance-at-cern/
http://www.indiainnings.in/108Facts/nataraja

Nataraja Statue at CERN - The European Organization for Nuclear Research :

Kenneth Lu [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

This is the statue of Shiva, engaged in dance in the form of Nataraja at CERN in Geneva. This statue, symbolizing Shiva's cosmic dance of creation and destruction, was given to CERN by the Indian Government to celebrate the research center's long association with India. A special plaque next to the Shiva statue explains the significance of the metaphor of Shiva's cosmic dance with quotations from "Fritjof Capra"......

"Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created visual images of dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes. In our time, physicists have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics".

(source : wikipedia)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nataraja

Watch this video clip which talks in detail about Shiva's cosmic dance (The introductory Shloka is Vishnu Sahasranama though.....) :

I am not able to provide certain links as they are very long to copy and paste. But if you type "Shiva cosmic dance atom" in google, you can find lots of interesting information about the same. I encourage you all to search and find more details about this beautiful symbolic representation. This is just a starting point where we have got some parallels between mythology and modern science. But I am very sure that more and more science advances, more and more light will be thrown on our ancient philosophical treasures. Thank you all for reading and please don't forget to share your thoughts.


References :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandava

http://www.asianart.com/articles/karanas/
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/Cosmic-dance-of-Shiva/articleshow/10485316.cms
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom
http://zeenews.india.com/news/west-bengal/veteran-artist-captures-lord-shivas-cosmic-dance-on-canvas_1498954.html
http://www.realityquests.info/shiva-dance/
http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2011/11/10/in-the-shadow-of-shiva/

Significance Of Number Seven

Number "Seven"...... It has its own significance in many world traditions and religions. In this article, let us explore the importance of this number in Sanathan Dharma tradition. "Sapta" is the sanskrit name for this number. 

In Indian astrology, Navagrahas play an important role. For each Graha, a number is assigned. (see the below chart for the list). Among the Navagrahas, the number seven is assigned to "Ketu". 

Symbolically, the number seven represents the Earthly plane.  There are 14 worlds according to Sanatan dharma scriptures and they are categorized as 7 higher and 7 lower worlds. The 7 higher words are (in descending order), Satya, Tapa, Jana, Mahara, Svarga, Bhuvar, Bhu respectively. Bhu loka is nothing but the planet Earth. If you take all 14 worlds together, there are six worlds above Earth and seven below Earth. 

To know about the fourteen worlds in details, please click this link :

http://connectsciencetodivinity.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-fourteen-72-worlds-lokas.html

SAPTA DVIPAS ( SEVEN ISLANDS) :  

According to Puranas, there are seven islands, namely Jambudvipa, Plaksadvipa, Salmalidvipa, Kusadvipa, Krauncadvipa, Saakadvipa and Pushkaradvipa.

SAPTA SAMUDRA (SEVEN OCEANS) :

For each of the above dvipas, there are corresponding oceans too. Please refer the following table :

SAPTA RISHI (SEVEN SAGES) :

This refers to the famous seven sages.  For each Manvantara, there is a separate set of seven sages. Hence, the Saptarishis for our current Manvantara (which is ruled by Vaivasvata Manu) are Kashyapa, Atri, Vashishta, Viswamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Bharadwaja.

SAPTA SWARA (SEVEN MUSICAL NOTES) :

In Sanatan Dharma, music and dance are also believed to be divine and celestial. The Veda that deals with these kinds of arts is known as "Gandharva Veda". Among the Gods, Nataraja and Saraswati are associated with dance and music. Among the demigods and other celestial beings, there are Nandi, Narada, Tumburu, Gandharvas and Apsaras. Swara is a musical note. Since music itself is considered to be divine, no wonder that number 7 finds its significance in this divine art too.. The seven musical notes are, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni.

SAPTA PADI (SEVEN SACRED STEPS) :

This is an important ritual in Hindu marriage ceremony. As soon as the mangalsutra is tied, the newly married couple take seven steps around the holy fire.  Each step has a detailed meaning.

First step - To earn and provide livelihood for the family
Second step - Build physical, mental and spiritual powers
Third step - Earn and increase the wealth by righteous means
Fourth step - Acquire knowledge, happiness and harmony by mutual love and respect
Fifth step - To have cattle and children
Sixth step - For self control and longevity
Seventh step - To be true and loyal to each other and remain life long companions.

SAPTA CHIRANJEEVI (SEVEN IMMORTALS) :

The Puranas and the two Epics Ramayana and Mahabaratha give an account of the seven immortals, viz.. Ashwathaama, Mahabali, Vyasa, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripa and Parasurama. Look at the following shloka :

"Ashwathaama Balir Vyaso Hanumanash cha Vibhishana Kripacharya cha Parashuramam saptaita chiranjeevanam"

SAPTA GIRI (SEVEN HILLS) :

The popular holy shrine Thirumala, is known as saptagiri, as it is covered by seven hills. They are Vrushabhadri, Anjanadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Seshadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri.

Watch this video clip to know about the gods associated with each hill :

SAPTA KANNI (SEVEN VIRGIN ANGELS) :

In Hindu scriptures, especially in Devi Mahatmiyam, Sapta kannikas are mentioned as parivara devathas of Aadhiparasakthi. They are generally termed as "Saptamatrikas" (seven mothers) who are always depicted together. They have supreme significance in Tantrism and Shakthism (different sects of hinduism).

Shiva (Leftmost) with the Matrikas

By Daderot (I took this photograph.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

SAPTA PURI (SEVEN HOLY CITIES) :

These are the seven holy pilgrimage cities. These are where important avatars and spiritual masters are born. The pilgrimage centres are Ayodya, Mathura, Dwaraka, Ujjain, Kasi, Kanchi and Haridwar.

SAPTA NADHI (SEVEN HOLY RIVERS) :

These are the seven holy rivers namely, Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri.

SAPTA CHAKRA (SEVEN ENERGY POINTS) :

There are subtle energy points in our body. They are classified as seven upper chakras and seven lower chakras. The upper seven chakras are the major energy points and hence termed as "sapta chakra". They are (in descending order), Sahasrara, Ajna, Vishuddha, Anahata, Manipura, Svadhishthana and Muladhara.

By Siddhasana.jpg: http://www.yogaartandscience.com/about/about.
html derivative work: Mirzolot2 (Siddhasana.jpg) [CC BY-SA 3.0
 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Apart from the above, we also have the following attributes for the number seven......

• Total number of days in a week = 7
• Total number of horses on Surya's (Sun God) chariot = 7
• Total number of classical planets = 7
• Saptamukhi Rudraksh (Rudraksh having 7 faces) is considered to give prosperity, contentment, peace of mind to one who wears and also believed that it removes bad luck and miseries. 
• Ratha saptami, is a festival which is observed on the 7th day of the bright fortnight (sukla paksha) in the month Maghaa. It is symbolically represented that the sun god surya, turns his ratha (chariot) pulled by seven horses, towards the northern hemisphere.

References :

http://www.sakthiolhi.org/sapthakannikas.html

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/numbers.asp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_(number)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saptarishi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swara
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2012/07/seven-steps-to-sacred-bliss-hindu-wedding-rituals/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_wedding