SRI SIVASAHASRA NAMA STOTRA in Sri Mahabharata

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SRI MAATRE NAMAHA

The Siva Shasranama Stotra occurs in the 17 th chapter of

Anusasanika parva of Sri Mahabharata. This great work is rightly

celebrated as the most important of all the works of Sri Vedavyasa

who is also called as Krishnadwaipaayana and Baadaraayana. According

to a stanga in the work itself, Vdavyasa an incarnition of sri

Mahavishnu, came sown to inculcate the occult truths of the Vedas in

a way, tjat rdomaru [eople could easily understand and realise them

hence the Mahabharata is generally known as the Fifthe VEDA.

According to the Tantras, each Vedic deity has its Mantra, its

Stotras, its Gita and its Sahasranama, and Vedavyasa has selected

what he considered the most important of such deities to write

Puranas upon. In the Mahabharata he has introduced the stotras of

some of his chosen deities, but he recited the Sahasranamas of Siva

and Vishnu only, as being the most important of whole lot as such

particularly deserving that honour.

Sri Vedavyasa Maharshi has only one Sahasranama of Vishnu in

his works, wheresas he has as many as four of five Sivasahasranamas.

This may be owing to there being a larger number prabably of the

followers of Siva, who is also worshipped in grater number of

aspects than Vishnu. This set of Sahasranamas occurs in Mahabharata

while different sets of the same namas ovvur in the Padma purana,

and Skanda purana etc. But there is not the least doubt that this

collection in Anusasanika parva of the Mahabharata is the most

important of them all and highly venerated and esteemed throughout

all India from Cpe-camorin to the Himalayas, especially as the

chanting of it is deemed to to be very efficatious. This is

apparently due to the one view of Vedavyasa that Vishnu and Siva

are principal Vedic deities, and that as such they deserve a place

in Mahabharata, which is esentially supplement of Vedas.

There was a long standing controversy as to whether the

Saahasranamas are original works of vedavyasa or more extracts

collected by him from other sources. This is once for all settled by

Vedavayasa himself in the present work when he affirms that this set

of names is simply a collection made by him from the number of names

handed down to the posterity by the previous sages who have achieved

success in their several lines by chanting those holy names. Each

devotee in worshipping the Deity, adopts a set of names for chanting

and each of which is specially blessed by the Deity at the request

of the first devotee who pleased Him with it. This Sivasahasranama

has the rare merit of having been communicated to this world from

the Regions of Brahma.

 

( To be continued )

 

 

DR.G.S.SUBRAMANYA SASTRY

 

drgsssastry

 

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