मनन Manana · ReflectStep 2 of /18
Viṣṇu Sahasranāma · Pūrvabhāga 7–9
The six questions
Listen to the chant, and read the meaning under each verse. A narrated version is on its way.
Pūrvabhāga 7 · Yudhiṣṭhira turns to Bhīṣma
Vaiśampāyana said
Pūrvabhāga 7
श्रुत्वा धर्मानशेषेण पावनानि च सर्वशः ।
युधिष्ठिरः शान्तनवं पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत ॥
śrutvā dharmān aśeṣeṇa pāvanāni ca sarvaśaḥ |
yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śāntanavaṃ punar evābhyabhāṣata ||
Meaning
The sage Vaiśampāyana tells the story. Yudhiṣṭhira had heard every teaching on dharma, and every sacred act that purifies. Still he was not at peace, and once more he turned to Bhīṣma, the son of Śantanu, and spoke.
Word by word
Words joined in recitation are shown split. Where sounds change at the joins, the dictionary form is given under the word.
Pūrvabhāga 8 · Who is the one God?
Yudhiṣṭhira said
Pūrvabhāga 8
किमेकं दैवतं लोके किं वाप्येकं परायणम् ।
स्तुवन्तः कं कमर्चन्तः प्राप्नुयुर्मानवाः शुभम् ॥
kim ekaṃ daivataṃ loke kiṃ vāpy ekaṃ parāyaṇam |
stuvantaḥ kaṃ kam arcantaḥ prāpnuyur mānavāḥ śubham ||
Meaning
Yudhiṣṭhira asks: Who is the one God in all the world? What is the one highest refuge? By praising whom, and by worshipping whom, can human beings reach what is truly good?
Word by word
Pūrvabhāga 9 · What sets us free?
Pūrvabhāga 9
को धर्मः सर्वधर्माणां भवतः परमो मतः ।
किं जपन्मुच्यते जन्तुर्जन्मसंसारबन्धनात् ॥
ko dharmaḥ sarvadharmāṇāṃ bhavataḥ paramo mataḥ |
kiṃ japan mucyate jantur janmasaṃsārabandhanāt ||
Meaning
Which dharma do you hold to be the highest of all? And what can a living being recite, to be set free from the bonds of birth and the endless round of worldly life?
Word by word
Reflection
Listen to how simple Yudhiṣṭhira's questions are. He has just sat through days of teaching on law, kingship and philosophy, and at the end he asks what a child might ask. Who is God? Where do I finally rest? Whom do I praise? How do I worship? What is the best thing to do? What do I say, to be free? Śaṅkara counts them carefully: six questions. Then he points out something lovely. Bhīṣma answers all six, but in reverse order. He begins with the last question, what to recite, and works his way back to the first, who the one God is. It is as if a wise teacher says: let us start with what you can do today, with your own voice, and the rest will follow. Notice one more word. Yudhiṣṭhira does not ask what a king, or a priest, should recite. He says jantu, any living being. Śaṅkara takes this seriously: these names are for everyone, each according to their ability.
Your reflection
How well do you know these verses?
The audio plays each verse chanted; its meaning is written under it, and a narrated version is on its way. Tap a word for its meaning. Space plays and pauses.