(comprehensive), The Thousand Holy Names of ... - Mandhata Global

Çré Viñëusahasranäma
But at present our eternal spiritual nature is covered by a
temporary material body. By the laws of nature we are not
free, for the type of body we inhabit and its stage of bodily
existence condition our experience in every way. In material
existence, our bodily condition totally determines our range of
action, thought and consciousness.
Like every material phenomenon, the body goes through the
stages of creation, gestation, birth, growth, production of
byproducts, deterioration and death. One may have performed
good works and consequently find oneself in a relatively
comfortable material condition, or one may be in an
unfortunate condition due to impious activities. But no matter
what kind of karma one may have created for oneself, the
universal sufferings of birth, old age, disease and death are as
inevitable as they are abominable.
This conditional life of suffering in material existence—the
involuntary repetition of birth, old age, disease and death—is
called saàsära. Saàsära is uncontrollable, like a blazing forest
fire. A forest fire ignites automatically by lightning, and to
extinguish it is beyond human power. The raging forest fire can
be extinguished only by another natural force, when there is an
ample downpour of rainwater. We are helpless before the
powerful manifestations of material nature like forest fires and
rainstorms. No one can stop them.
Similarly we are helpless to stop the suffering of saàsära,
unless we are fortunate enough to receive the mercy of God in
the form of His Holy Names. Saàsära-dävänala-léòha-lokaträëäya
käruëya-ghanäghanatvam. Like the cooling downpour
of rain from a storm cloud, hearing the Holy Names of the
Lord from the self-realized spiritual master and chanting them
offenselessly extinguishes the blazing fire of saàsära by
eliminating the root cause of material suffering.
This book and companion CD of Çré Viñëusahasranäma
contain these Holy Names, which are the remedy for the
suffering of materially conditioned existence. Çré means
beautiful on account of being full of spiritual qualities; Viñëu is
the Sanskrit Name of God, the omnipotent, omnipresent
Creator and Master of the universe; and sahasra-näma means a
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