Sahasranama

Sahasranama

सहस्रनाम, sahasranāma

"having thousands of names"
sahasra – "thousand", nāma – "name" in the nominative case

A type of hymn that lists one thousand (one thousand and eight) names of the main deity. Sahasranamas are used both in individual contemplative practice and as part of a puja performed at home or in a temple.

There are two categories of sahasranamas:

Sahasranama-stotra – a hymn in which names are simply listed in the nominative case and collected in a shloka or another close form:

lokapālastathā loko mahātmā sarvapūjitaḥ ।
śuklastriśuklaḥ saṇpannaḥ śuchirbhūtaniṣevitaḥ ॥66॥

A defender of the world, a Great Soul, Residing Outside the world, revered by Everyone and everywhere. Snow-white, Thrice pure, Immaculate, Undefiled, The one who was worshipped by the teachers of the past.

sthāvarāṇāṇpatiśchaiva niyamendriyavardhanaḥ ।
siddhārthaḥ siddhabhūtārtho achintyaḥ satyavrataḥ śuchiḥ ॥122॥

The Lord of the mountains, Helping to curb the feelings, Carrying out all His intentions, Impeccable and Truly existing, Unknowable, Committed to the truth, Sincere.

vratādhipaḥ paraṇ brahma bhaktānāṇ paramāgatiḥ ।
vimukto muktatejāścha śrīmān śrīvardhano jagat ॥123॥

The Lord of vows and those who keep vows, the Supreme Light, the Absolute Truth, Who is the supreme goal of His devotees. Free, a liberating force, Beautiful, Bringing prosperity and good luck, The One who is the universe itself.

"Shiva-sahasranama stotra" ("Mahabharata", chapter XVII)

Sahasranama-stotra-vali – a sequential list of names in the dative case with the addition of "oṃ" before the name and "namaḥ" after:

oṃ gaṇeśvarāya namaḥ
oṃ gaṇakrīḍāya namaḥ
oṃ gaṇanāthāya namaḥ
oṃ gaṇādhipāya namaḥ
oṃ ekadaṃṣṭrāya namaḥ
oṃ vakratuṇḍāya namaḥ
oṃ gajavaktrāya namaḥ
oṃ mahodarāya namaḥ
oṃ lambodarāya namaḥ

"Ganesha-Sahasranama-stotra-vali" (from "Ganesha-purana")

In addition to the usual repetition of sahasranama, there is also the practice of laksharchana (one hundred thousand worships) or laksharnama (one hundred thousand names), which is an intensive version of reading sahasranama, when the entire text of the hymn is repeated many times (ideally a hundred times).

Reading rules

Before reading, especially in the case of individual practice, the sahasranam-dhyana-stotra is usually recited. At the end of the reading, the so-called Chamaka-stotra (cha me — and [grant] me) is usually recited, in which the multiple reciting of the phrase about the request of cha me is accompanied by a list of items that are primarily necessary for the successful completion of yajna — milk and ghee, water and honey, firewood for the yajna fire, and other accessories. In addition, the reader asks for health, sanity, clarity of mind, faith, knowledge of Vedic texts, etc.