Monday, April 16, 2012

Sloka 5

BOOKS ON HINDUISM

स्वयंभूः शम्भुरादित्यः पुष्कराक्षो महास्वनः ।
अनादिनिधनो धाता विधाता धातुरुत्तमः ॥ १८ ॥
Swayambhoo shambhur-aadityah pushka raaksho mahaa-svanah ।
Anaadhi nidhano dhaata vidhaata dhaatur-uttamah ॥ “5”
Who controls, rules all - who born from himself be,
He who gives all pleasures by his appearance only,
He who enlightens – is one but appears differently,
Who is lotus eyed; has the Veda sounds reveredly.

He who without any beginning or end does be,
He who but ever carries the world continuously,
The Creator who creates all actions, results truly, 
He who is greater than Creator Brahma clearly.

BOOKS ON HINDUISM


Sloka 4


सर्वः शर्वः शिवः स्थाणुर्भूतादिर्निधिरव्ययः
संभवो भावनो भर्ता प्रभवः प्रभुरीश्वरः १७
Sarvah sharvah shivah sthaanur bhootadi-r nidhir avyayah
Sambhavo bhaavano bhartaa pradhavah prabhureeshvarah . “4”
     
He who all the cause of creation, destruction be,
He who is pure, stable, removes all sins fully,
He from whom all the beings evolved certainly,
Who is never destroyed even at deluge surely.

He who is all that happens - giver of everything be,
The inexhaustible treasure, basis supports all clearly,
In whom all are born and of a sublime nature he be,
Who is all powerful, clever with unconstrained ability. 

Sloka 3


योगो योगविदां नेता प्रधानपुरुषेश्वरः
नारसिंहवपुः श्रीमान् केशवः पुरुषोत्तमः १६
Yogo yoga-vidaam neta pradhaana puru-sheshvarah
Naarasimha vapu shreemaan keshavah puru-shottamah. “3”

He who can be attained by yoga – meditation surely,
Who alone the unambiguous means to salvation be,
He who leader of all those who know yoga does be,
He who is lord of nature and beings unquestionably.

He who has a man and a lion’s combined body,
Where Lakshmi served by Vishnu, Shiv, Brahma be,
Who with a pretty form and with locks of hair lovely,
He who is the greatest among all beings certainly. 

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Sloka 2


पूतात्मा परमात्मा च मुक्तानां परमा गतिः ।
अव्ययः पुरुषः साक्षी क्षेत्रज्ञोऽक्षर एव च ॥ १५ ॥
Pootaatma paramaatma cha muktaanam paramaa-gatih
Avyayah purusha saakshee kshetragno-ksharaeva vachaa.

Pure Self, untainted by karma - good or bad they be,
The pure Atma is Parmatma, The Supreme Soul be,
For whom there no other guiding or superior soul be,
He who the ultimate salvation of every freed being be.

He who has not different forms - always same be, 
He who is inside everybody – witnesses all fully,
He who knows the body – The All-Knower clearly,
He who does not face death – The Immortal be.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Sloka 1


विश्वं विष्णुर्वषट्कारो भूतभव्यभवत्प्रभुः ।
भूतकृद्भूतभृद्भावो भूतात्मा भूतभावनः ॥ १४ ॥
Om vishvam vishnur vashat kaaro bhoota-bhavya bhavat-prabhuh
Bhoota-krut bhoota-bhrud-bhaavo bhootaatma bhoota-bhaavanah.

He who is the Universe itself - spread everywhere fully,
He who personification of Vedic sacrifice (Yagna) be,
He who the master of all past, present and future be,
Who created beings in the universe unquestionably.

He who supports all - the supporter of all things surely,
Who exists with splendor, always, independent wholly,
He who is the Atma or soul of all beings universally,
He who nurtures all beings that He created definitely.


Monday, April 9, 2012

Anusasana Parva, Part 2 Section CXLIX


ॐ यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण जन्मसंसारबन्धनात् ।
विमुच्यते नमस्तस्मै विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे ॥

I bow before Lord Vishnu - all-powerful who be,
The mere thought of whom releases one eternally,
From bondage of eternal cycle of birth and life truly,
I bow before the all powerful Vishnu – the mighty.

नमः समस्तभूतानामादिभूताय भूभृते ।
अनेकरुपरुपाय विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे ॥

Salutations to Lord Vishnu - the Almighty,
The Lord of the earth, who the first being be,
Who existed before all the beings indisputably,
Who manifests himself in many forms certainly.

श्रीवैशम्पायन उवाच
श्रुत्वा धर्मानशेषेण पावनानि च सर्वशः ।
युधिष्ठिरः शान्तनवं पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत ॥ १ ॥

Sri Vaisampayana Uvacha
Shrutvaa dharmaa nashe shaena paavanaani cha sarvashah
Yudhishthirah shaanta navam punareva bhyaabhaashata
1.     
Sri Vaisampayana said
After hearing about Dharma that carries life truly,
Of those great methods that remove sins fully,
For infinity and to surely cleanse completely,
Yudhishtra asked Bhishma - who abode of peace be.

युधिष्ठिर उवाच
किमेकं दैवतं लोके किं वाप्येकं परायणम् ।
स्तुवन्तः कं कमर्चन्तः प्राप्नुयुर्मानवाः शुभम् ॥ २ ॥
को धर्मः सर्वधर्माणां भवतः परमो मतः ।
किं जपन्मुच्यते जन्तुर्जन्मसंसारबन्धनात् ॥ ३ ॥
Yudishtra Uvacha
Kimekam daivatam loke kim vaapyekam paraayanam
Stuvantah kam ka marchantah praapnuyur maanavah-shubham
2.     
Ko dharmah sarva-dharmaanaam bhavatah paramo matah
Kim japan muchyate janthur janma samsaara-bandhanaat
3.     
Yudishtra said
In this wide world who that one God be,
Who the only shelter, He whom does be,
Beings worship,pray attain salvation finally,
Who is He who worshipped with love be?

Which Dharma is so great unquestionably,
That there is none greater undoubtedly,
Which is to be often chanted reverently,
To be free from bondage of life and cruelty?
भीष्म उवाच
जगत्प्रभुं देवदेवमनन्तं पुरुषोत्तमम् ।
स्तुवन नामसहस्रेण पुरुषः सततोत्थितः ॥ ४ ॥

तमेव चार्चयन्नित्यं भक्त्या पुरुषमव्ययम् ।
ध्यायन स्तुवन नमस्यंश्च यजमानस्तमेव च ॥ ५ ॥
अनादिनिधनं विष्णुं सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ।
लोकाध्यक्षं स्तुवन्नित्यं सर्वदुःखातिगो भवेत् ॥ ६ ॥
ब्रह्मण्यं सर्वधर्मज्ञं लोकानां कीर्तिवर्धनम् ।
लोकनाथं महद्भूतं सर्वभूतभवोद्भवम् ॥ ७ ॥
एष मे सर्वधर्माणां धर्मोऽधिकतमो मतः ।
यद्भक्त्या पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्तवैरर्चेन्नरः सदा ॥ ८ ॥
परमं यो महत्तेजः परमं यो महत्तपः ।
परमं यो महद्ब्रह्म परमं यः परायणम् ॥ ९ ॥
पवित्राणां पवित्रं यो मङ्गलानां च मङ्गलम् ।
दैवतं दैवतानां च भूतानां योऽव्ययः पिता ॥ १० ॥
यतः सर्वाणि भूतानि भवन्त्यादियुगागमे ।
यस्मिंश्च प्रलयं यान्ति पुनरेव युगक्षये ॥ ११ ॥
तस्य लोकप्रधानस्य जगन्नाथस्य भूपते ।
`विष्णोर्नामसहस्रं मे शृणु पापभयापहम् ॥ १२ ॥

Bhishma Uvacha
Jagat-prabhum deva-devam anantam purusho-tamam
Sthuva nnaama-sahasrena purushah satatottitah
4.     
Tamevaa chaarcha-yannityam bhaktyaa purusha-mavyayam
Dhyaayan stuvan nama-syamschha yajaamanah thameva cha
5.     
Anaadi-nidhanam vishnum sarvaloka mahe-shvaram
Lokaa dhyaksham sthuva nnityam sarva-duhkhaatigo bhavet
6.     
Brahmanyam sarva-dharmagnam lokaanam keerthi-vardhanam
Lokanaatham maha.-dbhootam sarvabhuta-bhavod-bhavam
7.     
Esha me sarva-dharmaanaam dharmo-dhikatamo matah
Yadbhaktya pundaree-kaaksham stavairarche nara sadaa
8.     
Paramam yo maha-tejaha paramam yo maha-tapaha
Paramam yo mahad-bramha paramam yah paraayanam
9.     
Pavitraanaam pavitram yo mangalaanam cha mangalam
Daivatam devatanaam cha bhootanaam yovyayah pitaa
10.  
Yatah sarvaani bhutaani bhavantyaadi yugaagame
Yasminscha pralayam yaanti punareva yugaakshaye
11.  
Tasya loka pradhaanasya jagannaa-thasya bhupate
Vishnor naama-sahasram me shrunu-paapa-bhayaapaham
12.  



 Bhishma said
Person who chants thousand names with fidelity,
Of Lord of the Universe, who the God of Gods be,
Of He who is limitless - would undoubtedly,
Get freed from bondage of life and cruelty.

He who also worships and prays but daily,
That Purusha who does not change surely,
That Vishnu who does not end or begin truly,
That God who the lord of all worlds does be.

Him, who presiding over the universe be,
Who removes unfailingly in life all misery,
Chanting praises, worshipping, singing be,
Of the lotus eyed one - with devotion totally.

Who is partial to the Vedas positively,
Who knows dharma – the only one be,
Who increases the fame undoubtedly,
Of those who resident in this world be.

Who the master of the universe be,
Who the truth among all the life be,
Who decides the life of all living truly,
Who ‘dharma’ that is great does be.

That which the greatest light does be,
That which the greatest penance be,
That which the greatest brahmam be,
And greatest shelter that I know be.

And now please do hear from me,
The complete thousand names holy,
Which wash away all sins clearly,
Of Him who purest of the pure be.

Of That which is holiest of holy,
Of Him who God among Gods be,
Of That father who without death be,
Among all that lives in this world truly.

From Him whom all the souls that be,
Were born at the start of the world really,
To Him in whom, all that lives clearly,
Will disappear at the world’s end finally.


And of that the chief of all this world be,
Who bears the burden of this world fully,
I would teach you without fail unmistakably,
Of all those names with their fame clearly.

Which deals but of His great qualities,
And which the sages sing so lovingly,
So that beings of this wide world do be,
Great, pleased, ever content and happy.
4 - 12
यानि नामानि गौणानि विख्यातानि महात्मनः ।
ऋषिभिः परिगीतानि तानि वक्ष्यामि भूतये ॥ १३ ॥
Yaani naamaani gounaani vikhyaataani mahaatmanah
Rishibhih parigeetaani taani vakshyaami bhootaye
13.  
Rishis like Narad , Sanat Kumar sung them lovingly,
Vyasa gone to Vedas, collected them finickly,
Like bees collects from various flowers honey,
And has given it to us - strung it in a Namavali.
13.

Background


When Bhishma, the embodiment of wisdom and knowledge, and great grandfather of Kauravas and Pandavas, was lying on his deathbed in the battlefield of Kurushetra – the death of  knowledge and wisdom was approaching. Then Lord Krishna asked Yudhishtar to take guidance from his great grandfather Bhishma on aspects of life.
This was witnessed by sage Vyas and Krishna, reflects in reality Bhishma's life and his imparting knowledge to his progeny.
Just as the Bhagavad Gita is Krishna Kathita; Vidur Neeti is Vidur Kathita - Vishnu Sahasranamam is Bhishma Kathita.
Vishnu Sahasranam eradicates evil in us and gives us a chance to reconnect with the divine within.

Renouned Parvas Of Mahabharat


Renouned                Text About      Parva (From)
Vidur Neeti       Wisdom of               Vidur Udyog
                                From section 33 part of 05.
                               to section 41

Bhagavad-Gita  Discourse between Bhishma
                                Krishna & Arjun part of 06

Vishnu                     Hymn of Vishnu Anushashana
Sahastranama                             part of 13

Vishnu Sahasranama is another great work from Sage Vyas, the extraordinary author of Mahabharata, Puranas and various Stotras.
'Sahasra' means 'a thousand', 'nama' means 'name' and 'Sahasranam' means 'having thousand names'. Hence Vishnu Sahasranama means Lord Vishnu’s thousand names.

Mahabharat


The Mahabharat depicts sibling rivalry, diplomatic manoeuvring and shifting of human values. It climaxes in a direct confrontation on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, between five sons of King Pandu (Pandavas) and hundred sons of King Dhritarastra (Kauravas). It is a tale of war between brothers – between sons and fathers; students and teachers.
It marks the end of Dvapar Yuga (an era of moral lifes of values and principles) and the commencement of Kal Yuga (an era of selfishness, deceit and immorality).
The Mahabharat is divided into eighteen books or chapters (called Parvas):


01. Adi Parva                                  02. Sabha Parva
03. Aranyak or Van Parva                04. Virat Parva
05. Udyog Parva                             06. Bhishma Parva
07. Drona Parva                              08. Karna Parva
09. Shalya Parva                            10. Sauptika Parva
11. Stri Parva                                 12. Shanti Parva
13. Anushashana Parva                  14. Ashwamegha Parva
15. Ashramvasik Parva                   16. Musala Parva
17. Mahaprasthanika Parva             18. Swargarohan Parva