The introductory slokas place you in the context of why this text came about. Who asked who what. What was the specific question that triggered this text to blossom and things like that. Was this text a composition of anybody or was it actually an anthology of texts coming down the time -- all these questions you may find answered here.
The prime scene is -- Bhishma is beaten down, lying under perhaps a thatched roof in the battle ground. Sri Krishna knows that there will be some time left before the grandsire shuffles off his mortal coil. So He directs Yudhishtira, the arch-asker of questions, to go and ask Bhishma about the vast lore of administrative, social and personal ethics prevalent at that time. 'After hearing all dharmas' -- this is how the narration begins. A funny way to begin but lots of meaning into that. The text is going to introduce the one and only efficacious dharma for life. That is chanting Bhagavan Nama. Now shall we go?
SrutvA dharmAn asEshENa pAvanani cha sarvasa: |
yudhishtira: sAntanavam punarEva abhyabhAshata ||
After hearing all dharmas without leaving anything, all dharmas purifying, still, Yudhishtira began to ask again, the son of Santanu.
Yudhishtira : --
kimEkam daivatam lOkE kimvApyEkam parAyaNam |
stuvanta: kam kamarchanta: prApnuyur mAnavA: subham ||
Human beings must attain the ultimate goodness. For that, what Deivam should be worshipped, as per the Sastras? What or who is the sole refuge ultimate? By praising whom, by worshipping whom human beings can attain the said Ultimate Goodness?
KO dharma: sarva dharmANam bhavata: paramO mata: |
kim japan muchyatE jantu: janma samsAra bandhanAt ||
According to your well considered final decision what is the dharma of all dharmas, by chanting whose Names the beings born do get liberated from the samsara of births?
Sri Bhishma told him --
Jagatprabhum dEvadEvam anantam purushOttamam |
stuvan nAmasahasrENa purusha: satatOtthita: ||
Singing the praise, by chanting the thousand names, of Jagatprabhu (Lord of the world), DevadevA (God of gods), Ananta (Infinite), PurushOttamA (Supreme Person existing in all as inner Atman) the human being always rises out of samsara.
TamEva chArchayan nityam bhaktyA purusham avyayam |
dhyAyan stuvan namasyam cha yajamanastamEva cha ||
AnAdinidhanam vishNum sarva lOkamahEswaram |
lOkAdhyaksham stuvan nityam sarvagukkhAtigO bhavEt ||
That worshipper who worships that Supreme Person always out of bhakti, who meditates on Him, who praises Him always, who does salutations to Him, that worshipper chanting the praises of VishNu, who is the greatest God of all the worlds, One who is without beginning or end, who sees with grace all the beings of the world, that worshipper goes beyond all miseries.
BrahmaNyam sarva dharmajnyam lOkAnAm keertti vardhanam |
lOkanatham mahadbhUtam sarvabhUtabhavOdbhavam ||
(This verse to be read along with the previous two verses) One who is preferred by Vedas, one who knows the real import of all the dharmas, one who increases the glory of the world and the Sastras, one who is the Master of the beings, one who is the greatest Existent Reality, from whom all things have come into and are coming into existence -- (by worshipping Him the worshipper goes beyond all miseries).
Esha mE sarvadharmANAm dharmO S dhikatamO mata: |
yadbhaktyA puNdareekAksham stavairarchEn nara: sadA ||
This, this is the best dharma in my confirmed conclusion. By which way a human being always chants the praise and worship the PuNdareekaksha (Bhagavan with the lotus-like eyes) that is the best dharma is my firm conclusion.
Paramam yO mahattEja: paramam yO mahattapa: |
paramam yO mahadbrahma paramam ya: parAyaNam ||
PavitrANAm pavitram yO mangalAnAncha mangalam |
daivatam dEvatAnAm cha bhUtAnAm yO S vyaya: pitA ||
Yata: sarvANi bhUtAni bhavantyAdiyugAgamE |
yasmimcha praLayam yAnti punarEva yuga kshayE ||
Tasya lOkapradhAnasya jagannAthasya bhUpatE |
vishNOr nAmasahasram mE sruNu pApabhayApaham ||
Who is the Supreme Light, who is the greatest Tapas, who is the greatest Ultimate Reality, who is the final refuge, who is the best Purifier of the Pure, who is Auspicious of auspiciousness, who is the One God of all gods, who is the ever-permanent Parent, knowing no change, of the beings, from whom all the beings come into existence in the beginning of time, in whom after existing, at the time of pralaya, all the beings go into rest, Oh Leader of the Lands! kindly hear from me the thousand names of that Vishnu, of that prime most of the world and Sastras, of that Jagannatha, kindly hear these thousand names to quench the awful fear of sins.
YAni nAmAni gauNani vikhyAtAni mahatmana: |
rushibhi: parigeetAni tAni vakshyAmi bhUtayE ||
He is the MahAtmA, ParamatmA. His names are, some based on His qualities, some based on the great actions He did, some on the contexts of His incarnations and so on. All those names are significantly extolled in many places of Vedic lore. His names are fondly sung by the great Rishis who have seen directly the Vedic mantras. All those great names of Sri Vishnu, I will tell you, just for the sake of compassion that swells in my heart for the human beings (now at this stage of my exit from the world).
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Meditation on Sri VishNu :
KsheerOdanvat pradEsE suchimaNivilasat saikatE mauktikAnAm
mAlAkluptha Asanastha: spatikamaNinibhai: mauktikai: maNditAnga: |
subhrai: abhrai: adabhrai: uparivirachitai: muktapeeyUsha varshai:
Anandee na: puneeyAt arinalina gadA sangkha pANi: mukunda: ||
Let Mukunda make us pure.
He is sitting on the banks of the milky ocean,
Strewn everywhere on the banks on the sands
Are precious stones dazzling,
Sitting on the thrones garlanded all along by pearls
His limbs are pristine and exuding subtle rays
Adorned by the crystal-like special pearls
His throne is roofed above by various milk-white clouds
Sprinkling often their amruta showers in joy
And in bliss He wears lovely ornaments
Chakra, Lotus-stalk, Gada and Conch
Let that Mukunda make us pure.
BhU: pAdau yasya nAbhi: viyadasuranila: chandrasUryau cha nEtrE
karNAvAsA: sirOdhyau: mukhamapi dahanO yasya vAstEyam abdhi: |
antasstham yasya visvam suranarakhagagObhOgi gandarva daityai:
chitram ramramyatE tam tribhuvanavapusham vishNum eesam namAmi ||
Om namO bhagavatE vAsudEvAya ||
For whom the Earth is feet,
whose navel is the sky,
whose breath is wind, eyes are moon and sun,
whose ears are directions,
whose head is Dyaus (top world or heaven),
whose mouth is agni,
whose apparel is the ocean,
inside whom resides all the worlds,
devas, human beings, birds, cows and animals,
snakes, gandarvas and daityas, so varied
the creation doth increaseth the joy,
that Vishnu, whose form are all the three worlds,
that God do I salute for us all.
Not mine but unto Bhagavan Vasudeva, the Paramatma.
SantAkAram bhujagasayanam padmanAbham surEsam
viswAdhAram gaganasadrusam mEghavarNam subhAngam |
lakshmeekAntam kamalnayanam yOgihrud dhyAnagamyam
vandE vishNum bhavabhayaharam sarvalOkaikanAtham ||
Whose form giveth such peace to the mind,
Who reclines on the bed of Ananta
Whose navel adorns a Lotus
Who is the Master of heavenly beings
Who is the basis of Viswam,
Who is immensely vast like the space
Whose colour is that of dense clouds
Whose limbs are so auspicious
Who is so loved by Lakshmi
Whose eyes are lotus-like
Who is attained by meditation in the hearts of Yogis
Who is the exclusive Master of all the worlds
And who is dispelling the fear of worldliness
He is Vishnu, Him I salute.
MEghasyAmam peetakausEyavAsam srivatsAnkam kaustubhOdbhAsitAngam |
puNyOpEtam puNdareekAyatAksham vishNum vandE sarvalOkaikanAtham ||
Who is dark like pregnant clouds
Who has appareled Himself with yellow silk
Whose bosom is bearing the mole of Srivatsam
Whose limbs all are aglow with the light from the gem Kaustubham
Who is surrounded by sadhus of great punyam
Whose eyes blossom forth like lotus flowers
He is Vishnu, the Exclusive Master of all the worlds,
Him I salute.
Nama: samastabhUtAnAm AdibhUtAya bhUbhrutE |
anEkarUparUpAya vishNavE prabhavishNavE ||
He is the Origin of all the beings and things
He is the support of earth
He has innumerable forms
He is Vishnu
To Him, the Master Vishnu, salutations.
Sasankha chakram sakireeda kundalam sapeetavastram saraseeruhEkshaNam |
sahAravakshasthala sObhikaustubham namAmi vishNum sirasA chaturbhujam ||
Who holds aloft conch and chakra
Who wears the crown and kundalas
Who is dressed in yellow clothes
Whose eyes are lotus-like
On whose chest adorned by garlands
Shines forth Kaustubham
He of four broad shoulders
Vishnu do I salute bowing my head.
ChAyAyAm pArijAtasya hEmasimhAsanOpari |
Aseenam ambudasyAmam AyatAksham alankrutam ||
chandrAnanam chaturbAhum srivatsAnkita vakshasam |
rukmiNee satyabhAmAbhyAm sahitam krushNam AsrayE ||
He is sitting on the golden throne
under the shade of heavenly tree, Parijatam
He is blue like the clouds
With broad long eyes and adorned
His face is like the full moon
With four broad shoulders
And the chest adorned by the mole srivatsam
Along with Rukmini and Satyabhama
He is KrishNa
I surrender unto Him.
Srirangam Mohanarangan
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