10. Epilogue : Uttarabhaga

10.1 As mentioned in the beginning of this article, the Uttarabhaga of the Vishnu Sahasranamam is known as “Phala Sruti” or the fruits of hearing the rendering and singing His glories and the types of results that one would obtain by chanting these Namas.

10.2 Need for Aachaara

10.2.1 Of the 22 Slokas in Uttarabhaga, Sloka 17, a statement of truth is particularly important, relevant and meaningful, for the modern questioning youth.
“ Sarvaagamanaam Aachaarah Pratamam Parikalpate;
Aachaarah Prabhavo Dharmoh Dharmasya Prabhurachyutah”

“For all agama shastras, aachara (discipline) has been determined to be the foremost requirement. Dharma, self ordained duty is born out of this discipline and the Lord of Dharma or duty is Achyuta.





10.2.2 It is interesting that after worshipping Him as “Sangraha”, one shorn of rituals etc to uplift His devotees, we talk of discipline as the foremost requirement. Hence it is necessary to deal with this a little. In fact, Aachara is better negatively defined. “Mityachara” is a hypocrite. Therefore, Aachara is one who is not a hypocrite.

10.2.3 While talking about Karmayoga (Yoga of Action), in Bhagavad Geeta, the Lord says, “As the un-enlightened act from attachment to action, so should the enlightened act without attachment, desirous of guidance to the multitude”- 3.25

“ Let not the wise man unsettle the mind of ignorant people attached to Karma. By doing persistently and precisely, let the wise induce the others in all activities”-3.26
10.2.4 Doing duty for duty’s sake, devoid of any desire is too high a philosophy for the common man. Working for results is far superior to remaining lazy. Teaching dis-interested service to him will serve only a negative purpose. Therefore, it is necessary to keep him active first at all costs.

10.2.5 Then, the Lord takes the disciple through Gnana, Karma and Sanyaasayogas to Dhyaanayoga. Here, He lays down certain qualifications to be undergone to be fit for meditation.

10.2.6 The following environments are defined ;

(1) “He should always try to concentrate his mind, living alone in solitude, having subdued his mind and body and got rid of desires and possessions” – 6.10

(2) “ He should seat himself firmly, fixed in a clean place, his seat neither too high nor too low and having spread on it the kusa grass, the deer skin and a cloth, one over the other in that order”- 6.11

10.2.7 The process of practice of meditation is defined as follows ;

(1) “Sitting there on his seat, making the mind one-pointed and restraining the thinking faculty and the senses he should practice yoga for self purificatioin”-6.12

(2) “Let him hold the body, head and neck erect and still, gazing at the top of his nose, without looking around”-6.13

(3) “Serene and fearless, firm in the vow of a Brahmachari, subdued in mind, he should sit in Yoga, thinking on Me and intent on Me alone”-6.14

(4) “For him who is moderate in eating and recreation, temperate in his actions, who is regulated in sleep and wakefulness, Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain”-6.17

10.2.8 Thus, the Lord slowly elevates a person from being ritualistic and action borne to the level of a yogi by following some disciplines. We have this in our every day life as well. For example, a person in uniform, whether a school child, a soldier or a blue collared worker is instantly committed to his/her duties more than when without uniform. The person gets identified with the job he/she performs when in uniform. Similarly, when a person does certain ritualistic performances, the codes prescribed, whether they are in purity, bath, clothing or practices followed are necessary to elevate the person from merely performing the rituals to one of attaining the elevated level towards God. Otherwise, rituals will remain merely as rituals shorn of benefits and hence the need for aachara.

10.3 Achyuta

10.3.1 It is stated that the Lord of duty (Dharma) is Achyuta. This name occurs in the Naamaavali as 100th , 318th and 552nd in the Vishnu Sahasranamam. Why specifically the name Achyuta in the context of observing discipline?

10.3.2 “Achyuta”, literally means, “He who does not deviate from His Supreme State”. Adishankara in his commentary explains, “ Swaroopa Samartyaan na chyuto, Na syavati Na svavishyata iti Achyutah- He does not swerve from his position, does not allow His devotees to swerve either, nor does He move out of the hearts of His devotees”. He is also free of the six types of changes (attributed to the moon)- “Jayati, Asti, Vartati, Viparinamati, Apaksheeyati, Nasyati- hides, comes out, grows, reaches the end of growth, reduces and totally disappears”.


10.3.3 In the last Sloka of the 18th chapter of the Geeta, (prior to Sanjaya’s conclusions), Arjuna conclusively states his four gains of listening to Bhagavad Geeta taught by Lord Krishna. He lists them as ;
(1) His delusion is destroyed.
(2) He has regained his memory through the Lord’s grace.
(3) He is firm.
(4) He is free from doubt.

10.3.4 Arjuna makes this confession, the very essence of the entire text of Bhagavad Geeta, to the Lord, whom he addresses as Achyuta, the One who does not deviate from His Supreme State, the very embodiment of the non-swerving, unwavering state. It is, therefore, no wonder that Achyuta is addressed as the Lord of Dharma in the 17th Sloka in Phalasruti.

10.4 Beyond Anusasanika Parva

10.4.1 Though the 254th Chapter in Mahabhaarata in Anusasanika Parva, known as Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram, in the dialogue between Bheeshma and Yudhishtra ends here, it is conventional to chant a few more slokas narrated by Arjuna, Lord Krishna, Sage Vyasa (who composed Mahabharata of which Vishnu Sahasranamam is a part), Devi Parvati, Lord Parameswara, Brahma, Sanjaya and again Lord Krishna. The most outstanding part of these slokas is the reply by Ishwara to Parvati.




10.4.2 Parvati desires to know the one name by which great seers pray the thousand names of Lord Vishnu in an easy manner. Ishwara unhesitatingly replies, in the presence of Lord Krishna and Sage Vyasa, “SRI RAMA is the name and if one chants SRI RAMA once it is equivalent to chanting all the names of Vishnu”.





10.4.3 The prayers end with Sanjaya and Lord Krishna striking an apparently rather discordant self agnostic note, but really it reiterates the point that, whether you call the Lord Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Achyuta or Govinda, they are all verily the same, immutable and indestructible Self and He is worthy of worship by any one or all these names.

May Lord Vishnu bless us all.


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Credits
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