The Writer's Blog

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 47) The following lines are perhaps very important, especially the name nakshatranemi & nakshatri where it's stated that The Lord is the controller of all the planets and stars. If studied minutely, one might actually find the answers to many or all the unsolved mysteries of the planets and stars. But it's difficult for people to interpret these scriptures the way they are meant to be, especially since they have been passed on to our generations as MYSTIC TEXTS rather as SCIENTIFIC TRUTHS anirvinnah sthavishthO abhUh dharmayUpO mahAmakhah nakshatranemirnakshatrI kshamah kshAmah samIhanah अनिर्विणणः स्थविष्ठो भुधर्मयूपो महामखः | नक्षत्रनेमिर्नक्षत्री क्षमः क्षामः समीहन: ||   anirvinnah  The One Who is not regretful sthavishthah The One Who stands valorously tall and great bhUh  The One Who is the Earth dharmayUpah The One Who ties all the dharma around Him mahAmakhah The One Who is given great sacrifices that le

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 44) The 44th stanza pretty clearly points out to the life giving nature of His Highness Lord Vishnu, how He is the prAnah and prAnadah vaikunthah purushah prAnah prAnadah pranavah prithuh hiranyagarbhah shatrughnO vyAptO vAyuradhokshajah वैकुंठः पुरुषः प्राणः प्राणदः प्रणवः पृथु: | हिरण्यगर्भः शत्रुघ्नो व्याप्तो वायुरधोक्षजः || vaikunthah  The One Who causes hindrance in the path ( kunthah ) . This is in a positive manner for the hindrance is to those that tend to scatter easily, thus obstructing a negative effect purushah  The One Who is the Supreme Person prAnah  The One Who is the breath of life, thus, making each jiva breathe and pumps life to the soul prAnadah  The One Who puts an end to life at the time of pralayA , thus snatching prAna   pranavah  The One Who recieves all the obeisances of the devotees, the rightful Reciever of all obeisances prithuh The One Who never partial to His devotees and is same for everyone

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 41) The 41st stanza is the all the more important part of this collection of shlokas as here Bhisma pitamah tells dharmarAja Yudhishtira about The Lord being the cause of everything, read on to know more. There is the stress on entropy and thus supporting the Scientific basis of interpreting The Lord as the Great Energy that is the cause of the Universe. Hence,  Lord Vishnu : The Cause of the Universe udbhavah kshObhanO devah srigarbhah paramEsvarah karanam kAranam kartA vikartA gahanO guhah उद्भवः क्षोभणो देवः श्रीगर्भः परमेश्वरः | करणं कारणं कर्ता विकर्ता गहनो गुहः || udbhavah  The One Who is the ultimate cause of creation ( udbhava ) kshObhanah The One Who is the greatest cause of entropy or commotion, once again the name can be scientifically dragged. Entropy in itself is a Science that studies the commotion and irregularity being caused at the atomic level devah  The One Who enjoys the transcendental recreation srigarbha

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 40) We enter the 40th shloka of Vishnu SahasranAmam and we talk about His great power to support the world as well as His wrath and ability to consume the same world at the time of pralaya or apocalypse viksharO rohitO mArgO heturdAmodarah sahah mahIdharO mahAbhAgO vegavAnmitAshanah विक्षरो रोहितो मार्गो हेतुर्दामोदर: सहः | महीधरो महाभागो वेगवानमिताशनः ||   viksharah The One Who is non-destructible rohitah The One Who has the reddish color OR The One Who reddens with anger when His devotees are disturbed mArgah The One Who is the true path to Salvation hetuh The One Who is the cause ( hetu ) of the universe dAmodarah  The One Who was bound with a rope by Mother yasodA   sahah The One Who is ever-forgiving mahIdharah The One Who supports ( dhar) the earth ( mahIh ) mahAbhAgah The One Whose devotional service is the greatest devotion vegavAn The One Who has great speed, vegam means speed and this word is still used as it i

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 39) In these lines, there are names that reflect upon the ferociousness of Lord Vishnu towards the demons and those who perform bad karma. At the same time it also suggests His kindness and open acceptance to those who are kind hearted and perform good karma atulah sarabhO bhImah samayajnyO havir-harih sarvalakshanalakshanyO lakshimivAn samitimjayah अतुलः शरभो भीमः समयज्न्यो हविर्हरिः | सर्वलक्षणलक्षण्यो लक्ष्मीवान समितिंजयः ||   atulah  The One Who cannot be matched by anyone, Who has no comparison ( tulna ) sarabhah The One Who is demonic (ferocious) to those who are demonic bhImah  The One Who is superstrong and overpowers demons, but gives moksa or salvation to those who are slayed by Him samayajnyah The One Who accepts the devotion of those who view all beings as equal havir-harih The One Who heartfully accepts ghee (clarified butter) upon being offered sarvalakshanyah The One Who is adorned with all the great characte

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 34) The 34th shloka lays stress on His attitude towards anger , Let's read and understand What and Who He is ishtovishishtah sishteshtah sikhandi nahusho vrishah krodhahA krodhakritkartA visvabAhurmahIdharah इष्टोविशिष्टः शिष्टेष्ट: शिखंडी नहिषोवृषः | क्रोधहा क्रोधकृतकर्ता विश्वबाहुर्महीधर: || ishtah The One who is dearest form of worship avishishtah  The One who is impartial to all   sishteshtah  The One who is worshipped by the learned and disciplined men ( sishtah ) sikhandi  The One has sikhand (peacock feather) adorned on His head nahushah The One who binds all jivas with His mAyA   vrishah The One who rains all desires. The One who is the dharma krodhahA  The one who annihilates anger ( krodha ) in all those who attain Him   krodhakrit The One who produces anger in evil jivas   kartA  The One who performs: Creation, Sustenance and Annihilation   krodhakritkartA  The One who destroys the asuras visvabAhuh

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 33) The 33rd shloka primarily focuses on the Lord's role in establishing the yuga yugAdikrt-yugAvartO naikamAyo mahAshanah adrisyO-avyaktarUpascha sahastrajidanantajit युगादिकृतयुगावर्तो नैकमायो महाशनः | अदृश्योअव्यक्तरुपश्च सहस्त्रजितनन्तजित ||   yugAdikrt The One who starts ( Adi ) the yugas (age)   yugAvartah The One who rotates the yugas as He is the time naikamAyah The One who holds infinite mAyA (illusions) mahAshanah The One who consumes everything at the end of a yugA , asanA means meal and mahAn means great or immense. Again scientifically can be pointed to the great destructive force operating at the time of apocalypse adrisyah The One who is invisible vyaktarUpaha The One who establishes His form to the yogis and self-realized beings   sahastrajit The One who conquers a thousand demons in battle anantajit The One who has won over infinte beings

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 32) The 32nd shloka lays stress on Lord nArAyana and desires of jivas . Besides, the most interesting name would pavanah which loosely tries to relate itself with the cause of wind bhUta-bhavya-bhavan-nAthah pavanah pAvano-nalah kAmah kAmakrit-kAntah kAmah kAmapradah prabhuh भुतभव्यभवन्नाथ: पवनः पावनोअनलः | कामहा कामकृतकान्तः कामः कामप्रदः प्रभु: || bhUta-bhavya-bhavan-nAthah  The One who is the Lord of everything in the past, present and future pavanah The One who blows the wind, scientific interpretation would be easy enough for anyone, the source of energy that moves the wind. Well, it's a difference in pressure that causes wind, but look at in the broader sense, The wind in itself is an energy, and The Lord that we are talking about for the past few months can be assumed to be the greatest source of energy. And energy has the property to transform itself from one form to another and besides it cannot be created. Wind

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 29) This is perhaps one of my favourite shlokas, maybe because the names are simpler in nature and can be decoded by anyone who speaks any of the Indian languages. The anecdote of Krsna and SudAma is mentioned here and so is the great abode of Vishnu subhujO durdharaO vAgmi mahendrO vasudhO vasuh naikarUpO brihadrUpO sipivishtah prakAshanah सुभुजो दुर्धरो वाग्मी महेन्द्रो वसुधो वसु: | निकरूपो बृहद्रूपो  शिपिविष्टः प्रकाशनः || subhujah The One whose arms are beautiful, arms that always does good, the protecting arms durdharah The One who cannot be borne easily. dhar means to bear while dur stands as a negative prefix, therefore One who cannot be borne easily or held easily vAgmi  The One who gave the vedas, thus, the speaker of powerful words mahendrah The One who is the great indra , the Lord of Gods vasudhah The One grants wealth for the food he consumes, an anecdote from the lilas of Sri Krsna when His childhood friend s

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 28)  The 28th stanzas most important name is vardhamAnah although the prime stress is on the word vrsh which is interchangeably used as a verb (to rain) and noun (Dharma)  vrshAhi vrshabho vishnurvrshaparvA vrshodarah vardhanO vardhamAnasva viviktah srutisAgarah वृषाही वृषभो विष्णुर्विषपर्वा वृषोदरः | वर्धनो वर्धमानश्व विविक्तः श्रुतिसागरः ||  vrshAhi  The One who is equivalent to Dharma   vrshabhah The One showers His grace on His devotees, vrs (वृष) means to rain vishnuh The One who transcends everything vrshaparvA  The One who provides the steps ( parvA ) to dharma (vrsha) vrshodarah The One who rains ( vrsh ) creations from his womb/navel ( udarah ) vardhanah The One who increments everything vardhamAnah The One who is ever increasing, ever growing. This can be scientifically inferred as the ever expanding form of the universe (since the Big Bang). It is touted by Scientists and men of Science all around the world that

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 27) The 27th shloka puts a great deal of stress of SIDDHAM (fruit) and SIDDHI (Achievement/Fulfilment) especially in the second half asamkhyeyOaprameyAtma visishtah sishtakrch-shuchih siddhArtah siddhasankalpah siddhidah siddhisAdhanah असंख्येयो अप्रमेयात्मा विशिष्टः शिष्टकृचशुचिः | सिद्धार्तः सिद्धसंकल्पः सिद्धिदः सिद्धिसाधनः ||  asankhyeyah The One who cannot be valued in numbers aprameyAtma The One who cannot be explained by reason or logic   visishtah  The One who is the most excellent, the Supreme being sishtakrt The One who performs( krt) the Creation ( srsti) or can also be rendered the One who looks after the do-gooders ( sistakrt ) shuchih The One who is devoid of any spots or dirt, niskalanka siddhArtah The One who has achieved all purposes. Although not relevant to our context but Gautama Buddha 's original name was Siddhartha and it's a general belief that He was one of the avatArs of Lord Vishnu. Alth

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 26) The shloka highlights the Lord's role in leading living beings to the path of salvation and thus attaining Him suprasAdah prasannAtma visvadhrg visvabhuk vibhuh satkarta satkrtah sadhuh nArAyano narah सुप्रसादः प्रसन्नात्मा विश्वधृग्विश्वभुग्विभु: | सतकर्ता सत्कृतः साधुजन्हुर नारायणो नरः || suprasAdah  The One whose grace brings good to everyone, even to those who have defied Him, like sisupala   prasannAtma  The One whose Atma is always satisfied ( prasanna ) visvadhrg  The One who fills the world/universe with positivity of confidence visvabhuk  The One who protects ( bhuk ) the universe ( visvam) vibhuh The One who takes various forms satkarta  The One who always does good ( satkarma ) satkrtah  The One who is worshipped by those who do good (Gods) sadhuh  The One who has realized Himself, Self-realized janhuh  The One who conceals His greatness from non-devotees nArayanah The One frees jivas off sam

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 25) The 25th stanza takes a deeper look at the Lord and His relation with the samsAra chakra or the cycle of births   Avartano nivrtAtma samvrtah sampramardanah ahah samvartako vanhirnilo dharanidharah आवर्तनो निवृतात्मा संव्रतात्मा सम्प्रमर्दन: | अहः संवर्तको वन्हिरनिलो धरणीधरः  || Avartanah The One who can turn the Cycle of births ( samsAra chakra ) nivrtAtma  The One whose nature is free and not bound by samsAra chakra   samvrtah  The One who is hidden to those who don't believe Him or the unenlightened jivas   sampramardanah The One who destroys evil doers and sinners as rudra or kAla ahassamvartakah The One who causes the sun to rise and hence cause daytime. Thus, he is the source of light, which can be either scientifically interpreted as the source of daylight (The Sun) or can be philosophically opted as the creator of knowledge  vanhih The One who carries, links to Shri Krsna's role as the carrier of arjuna .

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 20) The 20th shloka depicts the scientific theory which suggests that land came out of water, atleast most of it.   maheshvAso mahIbhartA srinivAsah satAmgatih anirudhah surAnando govindO govidAmpatih महेष्वासो महीभर्ता श्रीनिवासः सतांगतिः | अनिरुद्धः सुरानन्दो गोविन्दो गोविदाम्पतिः ||    maheshvAsah The One who discharged the great arrow. isu (इशु ) is arrow and as ( अस ) is to throw and mahAn (महान) is great mahIbhartA The One who bears the Earth, when it was brought out of water srinivAsah  The One on whose chest resides srI (श्री) that is Goddess MahALakshmi. More on the importance of srI (श्री) will be propounded in the coming shlokas satAmgatih The One who helps the vaidyAs (those learned in vedAs) realize the Lord , the ultimate truth anirudhah  The One who cannot be stopped by anyone surAnandah The One who gives joy ( Anandah ) to the Gods ( surAs ) govindah The One who dug the earth( go ) from deep ocean beds,

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 19) The 19th shloka's most important name is mahAviryah (महावीर्यः) since it reflects upon the scientific theories of the great energy that caused the big bang and the great energy that is triangulating itself to bring an end to the world. mahAbudhirmahAvIryo mahAshaktirmahAdhyutih anirdeshyavapuh srimAnmeyAtma mahAdhridhik महाबुद्धिर्महविर्यो महाशक्तिर्महाध्युतिः | अनिर्देश्यवापु: श्रीमानमेयात्मा महाद्रिधिक||  mahAbudhih The One who is more intelligent than the most intelligent put together, the most intelligent mahAvIryah The One who has the most virya or most energetic, the energy that is cause of creation and destruction and everything in between. Thus, Scientifically pointing to the infinite energy that has caused the creation of the universe, the energy that is maintaining the universe and life forms and the energy that shall cause the end mahAshaktih The One who is the most powerful mahAdhyutih The One who is splendid

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 18) The 18th stanza in the Vishnu SahasranAmam talks about how Mahavishnu is the greatest among all herculean powers and illusionists. vedyo vaidyah sadAyogi vIraha mAdhavomadhuh atIndriyo mahAmAyo mahotsAho mahAbalah वेद्यो: वैद्यः सदायोगी वीरः माधवोमधुहु:| अतीन्द्रियो महामायो महोत्साहो महाबलः||     vedyah The One who is to be realized   vaidyah  The One who posseses knowledge or vidya sadAyogi  The One who is always the Yogi vIraha  The One who is brave and kills asurAs mAdhavah The One who is the master of ma or knowledge madhuh The One who is as sweet as honey atIndriyah The One who cannot be percieved by normal senses   mahAmAyah The One who is the greatest illusionist and produces the greatest illusions to the illusionists themselves mahotsAhah The One who takes great pleasure and enthusiasm in creating, maintaining and thus destroying the universe mahAbalah The One who is of greatest strength  

Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 14) Today, I briefly translate the 14th shloka of SahasrAnAmam and this one actually deals a lot with the Vedas. We will see here, how Mahavishnu's names in these shlokas depict His immense knowledge in and about the vedas such that he himself has been refered to as the Vedas. sarvagah sarvavidbhAnurvishvakseno janArdhanah vedo vedavidvyango vedAngo vedavitkavih सर्वगः सर्वविध्भानुर्विश्वक्सेनो जनार्धन: वेदों वेदाविदव्यंगो वेदांगो वेदावित्कविः   sarvagah  The One who goes everywhere, omnipresent sarvavidbhAnu The One who knows everything and shines brightly with the possession of that knowledge of knowing it all vishvaksenah The One whose presence in a battle makes the enemy run away in different directions janArdhanah The One who oppresses the evil men and sends them to hell vedah The One who is the knowledge scripted in the heart vedavit   The One who is the true knower of all knowledge (Vedas) avyangah The One who is f

Here's another reference to the unity of the Vedic trinity . Any person following the vedic traditions would tell you that Rudra ( रूद्र )is the name of the ' Hindu' Lord of destruction, more commonly known as Shiva ( शिव ). Now what is this name doing in the Vishnusahasranamastotram? Well, that's one way of pointing to existence of SINGLE GOD concept of MONOTHEISM present deep in the vedic religion. Hinduism is often the point of laughter among the Western as well as Arabic faiths because of the presence of a quarter to billion Gods and goddesses. They often ask, how lamer can it get? Well, the modern hindu doesn't know the meaning of his/her own religion. Vedic religion promotes the belief of a single God and did it much before the story of Jesus or Prophet were even narrated. I am not trying to prove any supremacy here, but trying to put this point forth, that the real Hinduism is in fact a MONOTHEISTIC religion. Rudra literally means the One who destr

Today I will try decoding the 13th stanza of Vishnu Sahasranamastotram. This thirteenth stanza will be key to explaining a point that I regard as something every Hindu (VEDIC) believer needs to know. HINDUISM or the SANATAN Dharma is MONOTHEISTIC, unlike what the pandits and great sadhu maharajas say. rudro bahushira babhrurvishvayonih shuchishrvAh... amrtah shAshvatah syAnurvarAroho mahAtapAh... रुद्रो बहुशिरा बभ्रुर्विश्वयोनि: शुचिश्रवा: | अमृतः शाश्वतः स्यानुर्वरारोहो महातपाः ||   rudrah - Here's another reference to the unity of the Vedic trinity . Any person following the vedic traditions would tell you that Rudra ( रूद्र )is the name of the ' Hindu' Lord of destruction, more commonly known as Shiva ( शिव ). Now what is this name doing in the Vishnusahasranamastotram? Well, that's one way of pointing to existence of SINGLE GOD concept of MONOTHEISM present deep in the vedic religion. Hinduism is often the point of laughter among the Western as well as Ar