Sri Visnu Sahasranama

by Swami Tapasyananda

Of all the means of God-realization, the easiest is chanting the name of Lord with fervour, as Sri Ramakrishna has pointed out repeatedly. Vishnu Sahasranama is a unique hymn in that the Vishnu who is extolled is not a sectarian Deity but the Universal Spirit who is the ultimate guiding Principle of the universe. All the namas are mellifluous and, if chanted with an understanding of their meaning, they enable a devotee to attain remarkable peace and bliss. Sri Sankaracharya's commentary helps the devotee to have an insight into the deep significance of each Nama.

About the Author:

Swami Tapasyananda was a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Mission. He was a disciple of Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj, one of the eminent disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.[1] The Swami was a vice-president of the Ramakrishna Order from 1985-1991. He was an erudite scholar in Indian and Western philosophy. He has to his credit many books in English, including the translations of many scriptures. His translation of Bhagavata Purana in four volumes has been highly acclaimed in intellectual and devotional circles. He was the president of Ramakrishna Math, Chennai from 1971-1991. Swamiji was well-known for his austere life and intuitive intellect. He was a prolific writer. Some of the books authored by him are listed below. He translated a lot of Hindu classics into English from original Sanskrit.