Vishnu Sahasra Naamam-Vol III-RR-edit.pub - Ibiblio

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c) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives the meaning "He Who is worshiped by great
ya~jna-s", or "He Who is worshiped by the great j~nAni-s" - mahat yajanam
yasya, mahadbhih ijyata iti vA.
The dharma cakram writer explains the spirit behind offering worship to
bhagavAn who is the mahA-ya~jnah (the personification of the ya~jna-s)
through five types of ya~jna-s that are expected of each one of us:
1. the bhUta ya~jna,
2. the pitR ya~jna,
3. the nara ya~jna,
4. the Rshi ya~jna, and
5. the deva ya~jna.
bhUta ya~jna involves our rendering service and assistance to the life forms
that are below our level. This involves the protection of plants, trees, the
four-legged animals, etc., all of which are rendering service to us in various
ways, and making our life possible.
The pitR ya~jna involves our devotion and service to our elders, to our parents,
etc., who have devoted their lives to bring us up, educate us, and help us live
the way we live, and thus made our lives possible.
The nara ya~jna involves service to our fellow humans in the society, including
how we treat others in our thought, word, and deed. Without the help of the
others in the society, we will not be able to lead our lives, and in return, we
owe the debt to society to make it better by spreading good thoughts, good
word, and good deed.
The Rshi ya~jna involves learning, chanting, protecting, and propagating the
mantra-s, veda-s, and the knowledge that the Rshi-s have given us. This will
lead to our acquiring the kind of knowledge that they possessed, over time.
The deva ya~jna involves our worshipping Him with constant and uninterrupted
devotion, which will result in our attaining Him.
The significant point to take from this discussion is that we should perform all
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