Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama Avadhanam @ Charlotte

Avadha:nam is an ancient literary performance that demands exceptional cognitive abilities such as focus, memory, speech, expression, and divided attention.

Ashta:vadha:nam and Satha:vadhanam are popular variants of this practice among Telugu people. However, have you ever wondered why Avadha:nam is an essential component of the recitation of Sree Vishnu Sahasra Nama Stotram? This hymn, composed in Sanskrit by sage Vedavya:sa and recited by Bhishma Pitamaha to Yudhishthira, is believed to bestow spiritual and material benefits to those who chant it.

Chanting Sanskrit slo:ka of Vedas enhances brain regions linked to cognitive function, improving memory power and concentration, as evidenced by the “Sanskrit effect.”

Our A:cha:raya, His Holiness Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, is a Vedic scholar who advocates Sanskrit hymn memorization in Santhai style to reinforce brainpower. He also recommends daily recitation of the Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama for everyone’s well-being.

We are fortunate that our compassionate A:cha:raya conceptualized Avadha:nam as an instrument to showcase the intellectual prowess of the performer, or avadha:ni, and to empower students with Vedic education through Jeeyar Educational Trust’s Prajna program. Achieving mastery in any skill or task requires dedication and hard work, with no easy shortcuts to success. Consistent practice and disciplined learning are crucial, as well as having a strong memory and multitasking abilities for optimal performance.

We are honored to showcase two exceptional groups of students in this mini Avadha:nam event. It’s important to highlight that the Avadha:nis will be tested on multiple Prakriya:s. The junior group has dedicated their entire summer to mastering SVSN Avadha:nam on basic Prakriya:s, while the senior group comprises proficient Avadha:nis who are well versed in advanced Prakriya:s.

The Junior Avadha:nis’ skills in Prakriya 1 and Prakriya 2 methods were truly impressive.

Prakriya 1: They were given slo:ka numbers and had to answer with the first pa:dam of the slo:ka.

Prakriya 2: The first pa:dam of the slo:ka was given and had to answer with the slo:ka number. Their exceptional attention, memory, and auditory skills were on full display. It is evident that their hard work and dedication during the summer break have paid off.

The Senior Avadha:nis amazed the audience with these prarkriya:s –

Prakriya 3: They were given the last pa:dam of the slo:ka and avadha:nis responded by saying the slo:ka number and chanted the entire slo:ka. Cognitive skills, the memorization, retrieving ability and auditory processing of these Avadha:nis.

Prakriya 4: Aka:ra:di Prakriya, where Avadha:nis were tested on slo:ka which starts with a ‘specific alphabet’ and they identified how many slo:kas repeated with that specific alphabet and the number of corresponding slo:ka associated with each alphabet in Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama as well as recited the first pa:dam of each slo:ka.

Prakriya 5: Avandha:nis were given a starting number and another number to add and the Avadha:nis were demonstrated the slo:kas of the progression sequence. They were also given in progression and regression patterns at the same time. It was an amazing power of the “Divided Attention” , the ability to process more than one task simultaneously; those are mathematical calculations, retrieving corresponding slo:ka and reciting with the tune.

Prakriya 6: Nakshathra Avadha:nam, a Nakshatra (birth star) is given to the Avadha:nis and they answered the four slo:ka numbers associated with that nakshatram and answered with the correct slo:ka associated with the nakshatra pa:dam. There are a total of 27 nakshatra:s, each nakstra has four pa:dams. When you multiply 27 with 4 you get 108 and there are 108 slo:kas in this Stotram. If you recite this stotram every day, which means you are praying for the wellbeing of all living beings.

Prakriya 7: Rapid fire/speed test, Avadha:nis were tested with a quick response for one minute to see how many questions can be answered per minute. It is commendable that Avadha:nis were able to deliver prompt and effective responses. The retrieval capability of Avadha:nis is truly remarkable. To enhance productivity and efficiency, it is crucial to continue the practice.

Eight students in the junior group and five students in the senior group cleared all of the avadha:na challenges effortlessly. Kids made an intellectually stunning evening and the audience were amazed.

Lead: Smn. Aravind Parankusam
Junior Group Teacher:
Smt. Rojarani Vupputuri

Senior Group Teachers:
Smt Dr. Anuradha Illendula
Smt Srilakshmi Ramakrishna
Smt Vijaya Bhatter
Smt Srilakshmi Paladugu

– From the discourse of HH Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
– A Report from JETUSA
– 18^thJuly 2023,
– Charlotte, North Carolina.

HH Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji Message