Glories of Hari Nama Sankeerthanam

GLORIES OF HARI NAMA SANKEERTANAM

From Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swami’s Upanyasam in Seattle, 2008

Introduction:

The means available to us to get liberated and to reach Sriman Narayana’s eternal abode is different  in the 4 yugas. It is summarized in the following sloka:

“Dhyayan krite yajan yajnais, tretayam dwapare archayan

yad apnoti tad apnoti kalau sankirtya keshavam”

Translation:

Whatever is achieved by meditation in satya-yuga, by the performance of yajna in tretha-yuga or by the worship of Sriman Narayanan’s lotus feet in Dwapara yuga is obtained very easily in the age of kali simply by chanting the Supreme God’s name.

Our ability to perform different sadhanas differ in different yugas. In kritha yuga, people lived for long and so they were able to do sever penances to reach Sri Vaikuntam. But, after kritha yuga, it started deteriorating.

Prescription for liberation in different yugas:

Yuga	Means
Kritha	Dyana marga
Tretha	Performance of yaga and yagna
Dwapara	Performing archana (offering flowers)
Kali	Chanting of His holy names

Dyana marga involves mind power and meditation. Physical offering is simpler compared to controlling the mind and thoughts. So, performing physical offering to fire God was prescribed in tretha yuga. Offering flowers with ashtothra namavali or sahasra namavali was prescribed as a means to reach eternal abode in dwapara yuga, i.e performing archana without expecting anything in return. In kali yuga, Namasankeerthanam alone is prescribed as the means for liberation. It is even enough, if you can recite the Kesavadhi dwadasa namangal of Sriman Narayana.

In Srimad Bhagawadam, Prahladha revealed the 9 devotional practices that we should follow to realize Bhagawan.

“Sravanam kirtanam vishoh

            Smaranam paada sevanam

Archanam vandanam dasyam

            Sakhyam atma nivedanam

Iti pumsarpita visnau bhaktiscen nava-lakshana”

The nine process of devotional service are:

1. Hearing the name and glories of Sriman Narayana
2. Chanting His glories
3. Remembering the Lord all the time
4. Serving Lord’s feet
5. Worshipping the deity form
6.  Offering obeisance unto the Lord
7.  Acting as the Lord’s servant
8.  Making friends with the Lord
9.  Surrendering oneself fully to the Lord

•  Sravanam is to listen to the lilas or the life history and His graceful deeds
•  Kirtanam is chanting the holy names and His holy deeds and talking His glories
•  Smarana is to remember the Lord always throughout the day and night in mind and heart so that nothing mundane would disturb or distract the bhakta from right path
•  Pada sevanam is to serve the divine in all respect
•  Archanam is to worship the Lord by offering Him flowers, sandalwood paste, lighting lamp etc
•  Vandanam is to decorate the idol and please the Lord in all respect
•   Dasyam is a mental state of attainment when the sadhaka thinks himself as a servant of God
•   Sakhyam is also a mental state when a sadhaka thinks himself to be the most intimate friend of God
•   Atma nivedanam is absolute surrender under the feet of the Lord

Reciting Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam is the easy way of reciting His names every day. Sahasranamam is the 1008 names of Sri Maha Vishnu. There will be a question as to whether we should know the meaning of very name before we start chanting Sahasranamam. The answer is “NO”!

This was a wonderful example given by Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swamin with regards to understanding the meaning before chanting Sahasranamam:

            “A 2 year old baby may not understand that if he/she touches the fire it will burn him/her. Even if the mother advises not to touch it, the child, if out of curiosity touches the fire, the fire will of course cause injury to the child. Because it is the nature of fire to burn the object that comes in contact with it, the fire is surely going to hurt the child. It does not matter if the child did it knowingly or unknowingly.

            Likewise, it is the nature of the Namas to make Sriman Narayana happy, even if you do not know the meanings of the Namas. Chanting His names will give a taste of sweetness to your tongue, at the same time, since you are praising the Supreme God by reciting His namas, He is going to be happy and will surely deliver you from this samsara.”

We will now briefly some of the names and meanings of Sriman Narayana. When we remember these names and chant them, we will automatically remember the stories associated with each name. Instead of spending our precious time in watching too much TV or talking about others, it is worthy to remember the Lord’s stories through His names.

Kesava – This nama has 4 beautiful meanings

a.      Kesi hantha – killer of demon kesi

b.      Kesavaha klesha nashanah – one who gets rid of all our agonies

c.       Ka+esa – Ka refers to Brahma and Esa refers to Shiva, va – controller of both Brahma and Shiva

d.      Kesa pasaha – one who has beautiful hair

Narayana – Nara means atman. Ayana – both means (Upaaya) and end (Upeya). Narayana means “He 

is the means and He is the goal"

Madhava

a.       Husband of Sri Maha Lakshmi.

b.       Mind needs to be controlled from getting dissipated by sense organs. The 3 methods of controlling mind are silence, meditation and practice of yoga. One who channelizes the mind away from sense objects is Madhava.

           Govindha

a.      Protector of cows (“Go” means cows)

b.      “Go” means Vedas. He confers wisdom of Vedas on us, so He is called Govinda

c.       “Go” also means earth. In Varaha avatara He saved mother earth from Hiranyaksha. So, He is Govinda.

Vishnu - Protecting God

6      Madhusudhana – killer of demon Madhu and Kaitabha. They stole the Vedas from Brahma. Sri Maha Vishnu killed them and brought them back.

7      Trivikrama, Vamana – He came as dwarf avatara (Vamana) and asked 3 feet of land from King Bali. He extended His feet to the three worlds (Trivikrama)

8      Sridhara – He holds Sri Maha Lakshmi in His Divine chest. She is the most proximate to the Lord.

9      Hrishikesa – Controller of all our senses.

1       Padmanabha – padma – lotus, nabhi – navel. He, in whose navel stands the lotus from which creator Brahma originated.

1        Damodhara – Dama means rope, Udhara means the waist. He got tied to a mortar with a rope by mother Yashodha. Dama also means abode, He is abode of the whole universe. Udhara – also means compassionate. He is compassionate towards even sinful people.

.          Parthasarathi – He was the charioteer to Arjuna in Kurukshethra war