Happy Birthday to Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Bheeshma Ekadasi

 Happy Birthday to Sri Vishnu Sahasranama

Bheeshma Ekadasi

When the world was getting ready to transition to Kaliyuga, the Kurukshetra war entered the 10tth day, Bheesma fell and was on a bed of arrows and was waiting for Uttarayana to arrive as he had boon to select the date and time of his exit

Lord Krishna takes the Pandavas led by Yudhistira to the battlefied Where Bheesma was and requested Bheeshma to provide clarifications on Dharma to Yudhistira. 

Yudhistira asked six questions to Bheeshma and and while providing the answer, Bheeshma chanted Vishnu Sahasranama, extolling 1000 names of Lord Vishnu, in very presence of Lord Krishna, who is considered as an Avatar of Lrd Vishnu. This chanting of Vishnu Sahasranama took place on Ekadasi day and hence this Ekadasi came to be known as Bheeshma Ekadasi. In 2022 this day happened to be 12th Febraury. 

Yushistira's six questions were

kimekam daivatam loke kim vāpyekam parāyaṇam                                            stuvantaḥ kam kamarcantaḥ prāpnuyurmānavāḥ śubham                                  Ko dharmaḥ sarva dharmāṇām bhavataḥ paramo mataḥ                                    Kim japan mucyate jantuḥ janmasamsārabandhanāt

1. Who is the one greatest  Lord in the world ?
2. Who is the one refuge for all?
3. By glorifying whom can man  reach the Auspiciousness peace and prosperity?
4. By worshiping whom can a man reach peace and prosperity?
5. What is, the Greatest Dharma amonst all Dharma?
6.  By doing japa of what can creatures go beyond  the bonds of samsara?

Vishnu Sahasranama is considered as as essnce of Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita. Bhishma says that whoever listens or chants Vishnu Saharanama daily never meets with any evil. Adi Sankara  says that the Sahasranama bestows all noble virtues on those who chanted it. Parasara Bhattar, disciple of Bhagavat Ramanuja mentions that Vishnu Sahasranama absolves people of all sins 

It is aways good to chant Vishnu Sahasranama in full. It takes about 30 minutes. 108 Vishnu Sahasranama slokas are assigned to  27 Stars ( Ashwini to Revathi). Each Star has 4 pathams. If one is praying for the welfare of afriend or relative, then four slokas associated with that Star  may be chanted as many times as possible. One slide is allocated to a Star with four pathams.

Presented in the Video is Chanting of Vishnu Sahasranama, Panchayudha Sotrram ( Glorification of five weapons of LOrd Vishnu) and Dwadasnama Pancharam. Threse three are always chanted together.