Sri Vishnu Sahasra Namam is a collection of 1000 names of God. Why does God have numerous names? Isn’t God simply God, Almighty, the Supreme? Is it necessary to know all the names of God? These could be some questions in your head as you read the title.

Speaking of names, we all know what a nickname is. It is a result of natural adoration for another. One need not be trained or scholarly to come up with such names. These nicknames may not even ‘mean’ anything, but they carry a ‘feeling’. On the surface, it looks like giving a nickname is effortless and happens instantly, but it is a result of deep emotion towards someone.

Such emotion is generally seen towards another person. However, the emotion of a rushi or a devotee spans from creatures in the creation to the creator.

Does a devotee’s emotion also result in some outpour?

Yes. Devotees experience a quality of God. They relive a past episode of God’s compassionate deeds. The experience is outpoured as a divine name (na:ma) for God. Each of the names carries significant power, glory, and beauty. Sri Vishnu Sahasra Namam is a collection of 1000 such names of God each exquisitely unique.

Sri Para:sara Bhattar is a great devotee born by the grace of Lord Rangantha to Ku:re:sa Misra and A:nda:l. He elaborated the meanings of all 1000 divine names in Sri Vishnu Sahasra Namam revered as the scripture, Bhagavad Guna Darpanam.

Each such name and associated form are the divine materials used to build embankments that hold the flow of God’s glorious innumerable qualities. One can relish the glory of God with the help of such an embankment.

Vishnu is one such ‘divine material for building an embankment’ that holds God’s quality of pervasiveness.

Va:sude:va (va:su + div) is another such ‘divine material for building an embankment’ that holds God’s qualities of brilliance coupled with pervasiveness.

Na:ra:yana (na:ra + ayana) is an ultimate ‘divine material for building an embankment’ that holds God’s qualities of omnipresence, omnipotence, and all-supportive nature being within and around of every single entity, moving and non-moving.

What kind of embankment do you want to build for yourself?

There are thousands of divine names of God that can build you an embankment holding one or more qualities of God. The stronger the embankment is, the more it can hold the glory of God and let you experience the joy. Therefore, Vedic wisdom never limits God to one name or one form.

sri: bhagavan uva:cha
ye: yattha: ma:m prapadyanthe:
tha:ms thatthaiva bhaja:my aham |

– Verse 11, Chapter 4, Jna:na Yo:gaha,
Bhagavad Githa

whatever form (or name) one wishes to ‘see’ Him as, He graces one accordingly

In the current phase where fear is crippling people, it is beneficial to spend some time learning about what these divine names mean. Knowledge about God is the essential knowledge that can break the barriers between you and Him, making you immune to anything that challenges your confidence or causes fear, including and not limited to the coronavirus.

– From the discourse of HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
– 28 th , 29 th May 2021, YouTube JETWORLD

Listen to HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji every day live for 15 minutes at 7:30 pm IST on JET WORLD YouTube. You don’t want to miss these crisp doses of divine wisdom from Swamiji!