SVS 7

Swami Parasara Bhatta is considered as the Purohita of Sri Ranganatha of Srirangam. Today's [20th February 2008] lecture is from the Aswametha mandapa hall of Sri Asthika samajam, in Venus colony, Alwarpet, Chennai. Here great scholars like Brahma sri Anantharama Dikshitar, Mukkur sri LakshmiNarasimhachariar, Thoopul sri LakshmiNarasimhachariar, sri Balakrishna Sastrigal, sri Krupandavariar, etc., have lectured and sanctified the minds of lots of listeners. Bheeshma in reply to Yudhishtra's questions tells that he considered worshiping the Lord Sri Krishna as the most important and practiced it. Further he tells Yudhishtra four slokas, of which the fourth sloka has to be joined with each of the three other slokas. Why should we worship Lord Sri MahaVishnu?
Paramam yo mahatteja paramam yo mahatapa paramam yo mahat brahma parama yo parayanam. [1]
Pavitranam pavitram yo mangalanam cha mangalam. Deivatham devathanancha bhoothanam ya avyaya pitha [2]
Yatasarvani bhoothani bhavantyadi yukagame yasmincha pralayamyanti punareva yugakshaye [3]
Tasya loka prathanasya jagannathasya bhoopate vishnornama sahasram me srunu papa bayapaham[4]
Papabayapaham = sins run away in fear, srunu = by listening to, Vishnor nama saharam = the thousands of names of Sri Vishnu.
Paramam yo mahat teja = = [Such a Sri Vishnu's] radiance is greater than the greatest. Swami Desika says that when Lord Sri Varadaraja appeared in the yagna performed by Brahma in Kanchipuram, the Sun appered like a mere lamp in bright sunlight! Tapa = all are afraid of Him [ Vedas proclaim that in constant fear of the Lord all stars, Sun, Wind and Moon are active in their duties]. Paramam ya parayanam = He is the most sacred and supreme destiny for us.
Pavitranam pavitram = sacred among sacred, Ganges is sacred because it originated from the feet of the Lord. Mangalanam cha mangalam = auspicious among auspicious. Sanctity and auspiciousness are inherited from the Lord. Deivatham devatanamcha = He is the supreme and the only God among all gods. Bhoothanam ya avyaya pitha = He is the father for all living beings. Third sloka tells that from Whom the entire Universe originated and unto Whom all the Universe would integrate, His greatness can be listened to from me [Bheeshma].