Epilogue
Text 121
om namaḥ
itīdaṁ kīrtanīyasya keśavasya mahātmanaḥ |
nāmnāṁ sahasraṁ divyānām aśeṣeṇa prakīrtitam
Bhīṣma continued---
O Śrīman Nārāyaṇa,
let me invoke auspiciousness
by offering my respectful obeisances unto You.
I have now completed the chanting
of the thousand transcendental names
of the glorious Śrīman Nārāyaṇa,
Viṣṇu, who is known as Keśava the killer of the Keśī demon.
Note:
Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes the following explanation of the name Keśava, found in the Smṛti-śāstra:
yasmāt tvayaiva duṣṭātmā
hataḥ keśī janārdana
tasmāt keśava-nāmtvaṁ
aloke geyo bhaviśyasi
"O Lord Janārdana, because killed the Keśi demon,
You will become glorified throughout the entire world by the name Keśava."
Text 122
ya idaṁ śṛuṇuyān nityaṁ yaś cāpi parikīrtayet |
nāśubhaṁ prāpnuyāt kiñcit so 'mutreha ca mānavāḥ
yah--who; idam--this; śṛuṇuyāt--hears; nityaḥ--regularly; yah--who; ca--and; api- also; parikīrtayet-chants; na-not; aśubhaṁ-inauspiciousness; prāpnuyāt--will attain; kiñcit--at all; saḥ--he; amutra--in the next life; iha-and in the present life; ca--and; mānavāḥ--person.
One who hears and chants
these thousand names of Lord Viṣṇu
will not suffer in an inauspicious condition of life,
either in this birth, or the next.
Text 123
vedāntago brāhmaṇaḥ syāt kṣatriyo vijayī bhavet |
vaiśyo dhana-samṛddhayaḥ syāt śūdro sukham avāpnuyāt
By chanting these thousand names of Lord Viṣṇu,
a brāhmaṇa will become learned in all the Vedic literatures,
a Kṣatriya will become victorious, a Vaiṣya will become wealthy,
and a Śūdra will become happy.
Text 124
dharmārthī prāpnuyāt dharmam arthārthī cārtham āpnuyāt |
kāmān avāpnuyāt kāmī prajārthī cāpnuyāt prajām
dharma-arthī—one who aspires to attain religious merit; prāpnuyāt—will attain; dharmam—religious merit; artha-arthi--one who desires wealth; ca--also; arthaṁ-- wealth; āpnuyāt--will attain; kāmān--opulent arrangements for material happiness; avāpnuyāt--will attain; kami--one who desires to enjoy the senses; prajā-arthī--one who desires many descendants; prāpnuyāt--will attain; prajāḥ--a dynasty.
By chanting these thousand names of Lord Viṣṇu,
one who desires to attain religious merit, will accrue great pious credit,
and one who desires wealth will become wealthy.
One who desires opulent arrangements for sense-gratification will attain them,
and one who desires
to father a great dynasty with many descendants, will also attain his end.
Text 125
bhaktimān yaḥ sadotthāya śucis tad gata-mānasaḥ |
sahasraṁ vāsudevasya nāmnām etat prakīrtayet
bhaktimān--one who is devoted to his spiritual master; yah--who; sadā-- regularly; utthāya-rising early in the morning; śuci--pure; tat-gata-mānasaḥ-- meditating on Śrīman Nārāyaṇa; sahasraṁ--thousand; vāsudevasya--of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva; nāmnām--of names; etat--this; prakīrtayet--should chant.
A person who is a faithful follower of a bona-fide Vaiṣṇava spiritual master, should rise early every day, and after purifying Himself by taking a bath, should fix His mind on Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, the son of Vāsudeva, and chant this series of His one thousand holy names.
Text 126
yaśaḥ prāpnoti vipulaṁ jñāti prādhānyam eva ca |
acalāṁ śriyam āpnoti śreyaḥ prāpnoty anuttamam
yaśaḥ--fame; apnoti--attains; vipulaṁ--unlimited; jñāti--among his kinsmen; prādhānyam--prominence; eva--certainly; ca--also; acalāṁ--everlasting; śriyam-- opulence; apnoti--attains; śreyaḥ--auspiciousness; prāpnoti--attains; anuttamam-- without peer.
A person who thus chants the thousand holy names of Lord Viṣṇu, will attain unlimited fame, and will become the most prominent of all his kinsmen.
He will attain everlasting opulence, and he will also attain the supreme auspiciousness.
Text 127
na bhayaṁ kvacid āpnoti vīryaṁ tejaś ca vindati |
bhavaty arogī dyutimān bala-rūpa guṇānvitaḥ
na--not; bhayam--fear; kvacit--of anything; apnoti--attains; vīryam--courage; tejaḥ--authority over others; ca--also; vindati--finds; bhavati--becomes; arogī-- healthy; dyutimān--splendid and majestic; bālā--with physical strength; rūpa-- beauty; guṇa--and all good qualities; anvitāḥ--endowed.
He will become courageous and free from fear,
and he will become a leader, controlling others.
He will become healthy, handsome and majestic in appearance,
physically strong, and full of all good qualities.
Text 128
rogarto mucyate rogād bandho mucyate bandhanāt |
bhayān mucyeta bhītastu mucyetāpanna āpadaḥ
roga-by disease; artaḥ--afflicted; mucyate--becomes free; rogāt from disease; bandhaḥ--in bondage; mucyate--becomes free; bandhanāt--from bondage; bhayāt-- from fear; mucyate -becomes free; bhītiy--frightened; tu--also; mucyate--becomes free; apannaḥ--one suffering from a calamity; āpadaḥ--from calamity.
One who suffers from disease will become free from the disease,
and one in prison or some other bondage will become free.
One who is frightened because of a wicked enemy
will become free from his fear,
and one suffering from a calamity will become free from calamity.
Text 129
durgāny atitaraty āṣu puruṣaḥ puruṣottamam |
stuvan nāma sahasreṇa nityaṁ bhakti samānvitaḥ
durgāni--very horrible sins; atitarati--crosses over; āṣu--quickly; puruṣaḥ-- a person; puruṣa-uttamam--Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, Lord Viṣṇu; stuvan- glorifying; nama-sahasreṇa--with these one thousand holy names; nityaṁ-- regularly; bhakti-samānvitaḥ--with devotion.
One who regularly, and with devotion,
glorifies Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, Lord Viṣṇu,
by chanting these on thousand holy names,
will quickly become free from many horrible sins.
Text 130
vāsudevāśrayo martyo vāsudeva parāyaṇāḥ |
sarva pāpa viśuddhātmā yāti brahma sanātanam
vāsudeva-aśrayaḥ--taking shelter of Lord Vāsudeva; martyaḥ--conditioned soul residing in the material world; Vāsudeva--parāyaṇāḥ--attached to Lord Vasudeva; sarva--all; pāpa--from sins; viśuddha--purified; ātmā--self; yāti--attains; brahma-- Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa; sanātanam--eternal
He takes shelter of Lord Vāsudeva,
and becomes greatly attached to Him.
He becomes purified of all sins,
and he attains the association of Lord Kṛṣṇa,
the eternal Śrīman Nārāyaṇa.
Text 131
na vāsudeva bhaktānām aśubhaṁ vidyate kvacit |
janma mṛtyu jarā vyādhi bhayaṁ naivopajāyate
na--not; vāsudeva-bhaktānām--of the devotees of Lord Vāsudeva; aśubhaṁ-- inauspiciousness; vidyate--is; kvacit--at all; janma--of birth; mṛtyu--death; jarā--old- age; vyādhi--and disease; bhayam--fear; na--not eva--certainly; upajāyate--is produced.
No actually inauspicious condition is ever imposed
on the devotees of Lord Vāsudeva,
and thus they do not fear having to take birth again within this world,
and again suffer the miserable conditions of old-age, disease, and death.
Text 132
imaṁ stavam adhīyānaḥ śraddhā bhakti samānvitaḥ |
yujyetātma sukha kṣānti śrī dhṛti smṛti kīrtibhiḥ
imam--this; stavam--prayer; adhīyānaḥ--one who carefully studies; śraddhā-- with firm faith; bhakti--and devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa; samānvitaḥ--endowed; yujyeta--becomes endowed; ātmā-sukha--with the happiness attained by spiritual realization; kṣānti--with tolerance of the temporary dualities of material existence; śrī--with the opulence of renunciation; dhṛti--with patient control of the senses; Smṛti--with continual meditation of Lord Kṛṣṇa; kīrtibhiḥ--with fame.
One who carefully studies these prayers with great faith and devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa, becomes full of the happiness attained by spiritual realization.
He becomes tolerant of the temporary happiness and distress of material existence, and endowed with the opulence of renunciation.
He attains patient control over the senses, and continual meditation on Kṛṣṇa, and because of all these opulences, He attains great fame.
Text 133
na krodho na ca mātsaryaṁ na lobho nāśubhā matiḥ |
bhavanti kṛta-puṇyānāṁ bhaktānāṁ puruṣottame
na--not; krodham--anger; na--not; ca--and; mātsaryaṁ--envy; na--not lobhaḥ-- greed; na--not; asubha matih--wicked intelligence; bhavanti--exists; kṛta- puṇyānāṁ--of those who have performed the pious activity of chanting these one thousand holy names of Lord Viṣṇu; bhaktānām--of the devotees; puruṣottame--of the Supreme Person.
The devotees of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa,
who perform the pious activity
of chanting these one thousand holy names of the Lord,
become free from anger, envy, greed,
and all wicked thoughts within the mind.
Text 134
dyauḥ sacandrārka nakṣatraṁ khaṁ diśo bhūr mahodadhiḥ |
vāsudevasya vīryeṇa vidhṛtāni mahātmanaḥ
dyauḥ--outer space; sa--with; candra--the moon; arka--the sun; nakṣatraḥ--and all the stars and planets; khaṁ--ether; diśaḥ--the directions; bhūḥ--the earth; mahā-udadhiḥ--the great oceans; vāsudevasya--of Lord Vāsudeva; vīryeṇa--by the prowess; vidhṛtāni--are maintained; mahā-ātmanaḥ--of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa.
The entire expanse of outer space, along with the sun, moon, stars and planets, the ether, the directions, the earth planet, and the great oceans,
are all maintained by the power of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, Lord Vāsudeva.
Text 135
sa-surāsura gandharvaṁ sa-yakṣo raga rākṣasam |
jagad vaśe vartatedaṁ kṛṣṇasya sa-carācaram
sa--with; sura--devas; āsura-demons; gandharvaṁ--and Gandharvas; sa-- with; yakṣā--the Yakṣas; uraga--Uragas rākṣasam--and Rākṣasas; jagat--the entire universe; vase--under the control; vartate--is; idam--this; Kṛṣṇasya--of Lord Kṛṣṇa; sa--with; cara-acaram--the moving and non-moving creatures.
Devas, demons, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Uragas, Rākṣasas, and all moving and non-moving creatures within the universe, are under Lord Kṛṣṇa's control.
Text 136
indriyāṇi mano buddhiḥ sattvaṁ tejo balaṁ dhṛtiḥ |
vāsudevātmakāny āhuḥ kṣetraṁ kṣetrajña eva ca
indriyāṇi--the senses; manaḥ--the mind; buddhiḥ--the intelligence; sattvam--the life-force; tejaḥ--influence; balaṁ--strength; dhṛtiḥ--patience; vāsudeva-atmakāni--produced from Vasudeva; āhuḥ--they say; kṣetraṁ--the field of activities; kṣetrajña--the knower of the field; eva--certainly; ca--also.
The senses, mind, intelligence, life-force, influence, strength, patience, the material bodies of the conditioned souls which constitute their field of activities, and the individual living entities themselves, have all emanated from Lord Vāsudeva.
Text 137
sarvāgamānām ācāraḥ prathamaṁ parikalpate |
ācāra prabhavo dharmo dharmasya prabhur acyutaḥ
sarva--of all; agamānām--of the Vedic literatures; ācāraḥ--the religious activities; prathamaṁ--at first; parikalpate--authored; ācāra--of religious activities; prabhavaḥ--the creator; dharmaḥ--piety; dharmasya--of religion; prabhuḥ--the master and protector; acyutaḥ--the infallible Śrīman Nārāyaṇa.
The infallible Śrīman Nārāyaṇa is the original author of all the codes of religion and religious duties found in all the Vedic literatures,
and He is the protector of all religious activities as well.
Text 138
ṛṣayaḥ pitaro devā mahā-bhūtāni dhātavaḥ |
jaṅgamājaṅgamaṁ bhedaṁ jagan nārāyaṇodbhavam
ṛṣayaḥ--the sages; pitaraḥ--Pitas; devaḥ--devas; mahā-bhūtāni--elements; dhātavaḥ--and minerals; jaṅgama-ajaṅgamaṁ--moving and non-moving; bhedaṁ-- of many varieties; jagat--the universe; Nārāyaṇa--from Lord Nārāyaṇa; udbhavam-- sprung.
The sages, Pitas, devas, material elements and minerals and all moving and non-moving living entities within this universe are created by Lord Nārāyaṇa.
Text 139
yogo jñānaṁ tathā sāṅkhyaṁ vidyāḥ śilpādi karma ca |
vedāḥ śāstrāṇi vijñānam etat sarvaṁ janardanāt
yogaḥ--the aṣṭāṅga yoga system; jñānam--knowledge; tathā--also; sāṅkhyaṁ-- the Saṅkhyā philosophy which distinguishes matter and spirit; vidyā--the fourteen branches of knowledge; śilpa-ādi karma--arts, crafts, architecture, etc.; vedāḥ--the four Vedas; śāstrāṇi--the supplementary scriptures, such as the Mīmāṁsa-sutra; vijñānam--the practical application of transcendental knowledge; etat--this; sarvam-- everything; janardanāt--from Lord Janārdana.
The Aṣṭāṅga yoga system, the Sānkhya philosophy, which distinguishes spirit from matter, the 14 kinds of knowledge; arts, crafts, architecture and similar arts,
the four Vedas, the supplementary Vedic literatures, such as the Mīmāṁsa- sutra, transcendental knowledge and the application of that knowledge in everyday life,
- all these have emanated from Lord Janārdana.
Text 140
eko viṣṇur mahadbhūtaṁ pṛthag bhūtāny anekaśaḥ |
trīnllokān vyāpya bhūtātmā bhuṅkte viśvabhug avyayaḥ
ekaḥ--one; Viṣṇuḥ--Lord Viṣṇu; mahat--the original cause of all causes; bhūtaṁ--the chief living entity; pṛthak--distinct; bhūtāni--the individual living entities; anekaśaḥ--many; trīn-- three; lokān--planetary systems; vyāpya--pervading; bhūta-ātmā--beginningless and perfect; bhuṅkte--accepts what is offered with devotion; viśva-bhuk--the protector of the universe; avyayaḥ--eternally the same.
Lord Viṣṇu is the original cause of all cause, and he is the chief living entity, eternally different from all other living entities.
Lord Viṣṇu is present everywhere in all the three planetary systems, and he is beginningless and perfect. He accepts what is offered with love and devotion, and He is the protector of the universe. He is unchanging and eternally the same.
Note:
Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains that Lord Kṛṣṇa's acceptance of the offerings made by His devotees is described by the Lord Himself in the Bhāgavad-gītā:
patram puśpam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad aham bhaty-upahṛtam
aṣnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it."
verse 141
imaṁ stavaṁ bhagavato viṣṇor vyāsena kīrtitam |
paṭhedya icchet puruṣaḥ śreyaḥ prāptuṁ sukhāni ca
imam--this; stavam--prayer; bhagavataḥ--glorifying Śrīman Nārāyaṇa; viṣṇoḥ--Lord Viṣṇu; vyāsena--by Vyāsadeva; kīrtitam--sung; paṭhet-- should read; yah--who; icchet--desires; puruṣaḥ--person; śreyaḥ--auspiciousness; prāptuṁ--to attain; sukhāni--actual happiness; ca--also.
One who desires to attain actual happiness and auspiciousness
should read this prayer glorifying Śrīman Nārāyaṇa,
which is sung by the sage Vyāsadeva.
Text 142
viśveśvaram ajaṁ devaṁ jagataḥ prabhavāpyayam |
bhajanti te puṣkarākṣaṁ na te yānti parābhavam
Viśva--of the universe; Īśvara--the supreme controller; Ajām--the unborn; devaṁ--Personality of Godhead; jagataḥ--of the universe; prābhava--the source of creation; apyayam--and annihilation; bhajanti--worship; ye--those who; Puṣkara-- akṣaṁ--lotus eyed; na--not; te--they; yānti--attain; parābhavam--defeat.
Those who worship the lotus-eyed Śrīman Nārāyaṇa,
who is the unborn creator controller and annihilator of the material universe,
do not suffer defeat at the hands of the cycle of repeated birth and death,
but become liberated from material existence,
and return back home, back to Godhead.
Note:
Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes the Prabhāsa-khāṇḍa’s description of the transcendental potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa's holy name:
madhura-madhuram etan maṅgalam maṅgālānām
sakala-nigama-valli-sat-phalam cit-svarūpam
sakṛd api parigītaṁ śraddhayā helayā vā
bhṛguvara nara-mātram tārayet Kṛṣṇa-nāma
"The holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa is the most auspicious of all auspicious things, and the sweetest of all sweet things. It is completely spiritual, without any touch of matter, and it is the transcendental fruit of the creeper of all the Vedic literatures.
If one chants the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, even once, either with faith, or even in the spirit of mocking Him, the holy name will deliver the chanter from the bondage of material existence."
The sincere chanter of the holy name may sometimes commit offenses in the course of his chanting. The remedial measure to become free from such offenses is described in the Padma Purāṇa:
gīte nāmāparadheśu
pramadena kathañcana
sadāsaṅkīrtayan nāma
tad-ekaśaraṇo bhavet
"If one may sometimes, because of foolishness or immaturity, commit offenses to the holy name, then the remedy for such offenses is to continue one's regular chanting of the holy name, and take shelter of Him with all earnestness."
nāmāparādha-yuktānām
nāmāny eva haranty agham
aviśrānti-prayuktāni
tāny evārtha-karāṇi ca
"If one becomes determined, and continues
his chanting of the holy name,
and does not give up the process of chanting,
the holy name will remove all his sins,
and grant to him, the most valuable spiritual benefit.