Sahasranama

Sahasranāma is a Sanskrit term which means "a thousand names".^[1] It is also a genre of stotra literature,^[2]^[3] usually found as a title of the text named after a deity, such as Vishnu Sahasranāma, wherein the deity is remembered by 1,000 names, attributes or epithets.^[1]^[4]

As stotras, Sahasra-namas are songs of praise, a type of devotional literature.^[2] The word is a compound of sahasra "thousand" and nāman "name". A Sahasranāma often includes the names of other deities, suggesting henotheistic equivalence and/or that they may be attributes rather than personal names.^[5] Thus the Ganesha Sahasranama list of one thousand names includes Brahma, Vishnu, Shakti, Shiva, Rudra, SadaShiva and others.^[6] It also includes epithets such as Jiva (life force), Satya (truth), Param (highest), Jnana (knowledge) and others.^[6] The Vishnu Sahasranama includes in its list work and jñāna-yājna (offering of knowledge) as two attributes of Vishnu.^[7] The Lalita Sahasranama, similarly, includes the energies of a goddess that manifest in an individual as desire, wisdom and action.^[8]

A sahasranama provides a terse list of attributes, virtues and legends symbolized by a deity. There are also many shorter stotras, containing only 108 names (108 being a sacred number in Dharmic religions) and accordingly called ashtottara-shata-nāma.

^ ^a ^b Sir Monier Monier-Williams, sahasranAman, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Oxford University Press (Reprinted: Motilal Banarsidass), ISBN 978-8120831056
^ ^a ^b Harvey P. Alper (1991). Understanding Mantras. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 362–363. ISBN 978-81-208-0746-4.
^ Nancy Ann Nayar (1992). Poetry as Theology: The Śrīvaiṣṇava Stotra in the Age of Rāmānuja. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 17. ISBN 978-3-447-03255-1.
^ David Kinsley (1974), Through the Looking Glass: Divine Madness in the Hindu Religious Tradition, History of Religions, Vol. 13, No. 4, pages 270-305
^ John S. Mbiti. Concepts of God in Africa. p.217, 1970
^ ^a ^b श्रीगणपतिसहस्रनामावली, Sri Ganapati Sahasranama, Shree Sharada SahasraNama/श्री शारदा सहस्रनाम dedicated to Sharda Devi,The presiding deity of Kashmir now in Sharada Valley, Muzaffarabad POK SanskritDocuments.Org Archive
^ Dharm Bhawuk (2011). Spirituality and Indian Psychology. Springer. pp. 152–153. ISBN 978-1441981103.
^ V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar (1942). The Lalitā Cult. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 4–5 with footnote 7. ISBN 978-81-208-0919-2.

[mmwsahasran-1] Sir Monier Monier-Williams, sahasranAman, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Oxford University Press (Reprinted: Motilal Banarsidass), ISBN 978-8120831056

[harveyalper362-2] Harvey P. Alper (1991). Understanding Mantras. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 362–363. ISBN 978-81-208-0746-4.

[Nayar1992p17-3] Nancy Ann Nayar (1992). Poetry as Theology: The Śrīvaiṣṇava Stotra in the Age of Rāmānuja. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 17. ISBN 978-3-447-03255-1.

[4] David Kinsley (1974), Through the Looking Glass: Divine Madness in the Hindu Religious Tradition, History of Religions, Vol. 13, No. 4, pages 270-305

[5] John S. Mbiti. Concepts of God in Africa. p.217, 1970

[ganapatisahas-6] श्रीगणपतिसहस्रनामावली, Sri Ganapati Sahasranama, Shree Sharada SahasraNama/श्री शारदा सहस्रनाम dedicated to Sharda Devi,The presiding deity of Kashmir now in Sharada Valley, Muzaffarabad POK SanskritDocuments.Org Archive

[7] Dharm Bhawuk (2011). Spirituality and Indian Psychology. Springer. pp. 152–153. ISBN 978-1441981103.

[8] V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar (1942). The Lalitā Cult. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 4–5 with footnote 7. ISBN 978-81-208-0919-2.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

Sahasranama

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · View on Wikipedia