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Bhaj Govindam / Vishnu Sahasranamam
Courtesy of Ramta <ramta@aol.com>
per article <3nebc1$2tt@newsbf02.news.aol.com> of April 23, 1995.
"Bhaja Govindam is a musical piece in Sanskrit composed by the
great Hindu saint and philosopher Adi Shankaracharya hundreds of
years ago (I don't have the exact period of time). He is considered
as the incarnation of Lord Shiva, the three-eyed God. In this
piece, he describes the trials and tribulations ("samskara" ) that
everyone has to go through in this life and how to escape the "life
and death" odyssey by seeking Lord Govinda (the "protector" among
the Trinity of Gods in Hindu religion). It is written for the
layman in simple verses that can be chanted by anyone. Each verse
("sloka") may be sung in a different raga. There are a total of, I
believe, 25-30 slokas (I am not sure though). In a deeper sense, by
composing Bhaja Govindam, Adi Shankara provided a simple tool with
which one could develop Bhakti (unflinching faith) for and identify
with the Lord Govinda.
"Vishnu Sahasranamam (Sa-ha-sthra) is another great composition
in the Hindu literature by "Grandsire" Bhishma, the senior most
member of the Kaurava race in Mahabharata. In the decisive battle
that ensues between the Pandavas and Kauravas in this epic, the
legandary Bhishma puts up a chivalrous fight against the heroic
Arjuna, the master archer of the Pandavas but is defeated in the
end and lays on a bed of arrows ("saratharpa") waiting for an
auspicious moment to breathe his last. It is then that Lord Krishna
unfolds himself in his universal form ("Vishwarupa") and Bhishma
sings 1000 names in the Lord's praise that came to be known as
Vishnu Sahasranamam. The lyrics are read as a poem or as "namavali"
(literally means name calling). The names may not be distinguished
in the poem form but come up individually in "namavali".
"Temples all across the country (India and US) have devotees
that chant Vishnu Sahasranamam on a daily or weekly basis. There
are cassettes and books available if you are interested.
- Raman Iyer"
End of Article.
*-=Om Shanti=-* Jai Maharaj
jai maharaj |_|_|_|_| mantra corporation
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