SVS4

In India, persons dying in some Kshetrams attain moksham. In some other places, death in the water of that Kshetram will get moksham. But only in Kurukshetra, death on the ground or in water or in air space, would fetch Moksham. This is a reason for choosing this place for the war in Mahabharatha. The lake here is called Brahama sarovar and is very sacred. In the Ayurveda medical treatise Charaka samhita, it is mentioned that SVS parayanam would cure many nerve related ailments. In Jyotish shastra [Astrology], SVS is calimed to ward off ill effects of many planets. Those who perform sahasra bhojanam, as a prayaschittam [repentance] and wherein thousand brahmins would be fed, each one of them has to be nominated by one nama of SVS. Kadambari is considered as a very excellent literary work of Bhana Bhatta in Sanskrit. In that it is mentioned that for normal and safe delivery, SVS is cahanted continuously outside the labour room, along with Veda recitation. Swami Parsara Bhattar in his introduction to his commentary on SVS, lists six reasons for the eminence of SVS.

1. It is the essence of Mahabharata.
2. Many great sages like Vyasa, Vasishta, Bylar, Sunandu, etc., chant SVS.
3. It has been presented by Veda Vyasa, who grouped Vedas and who edited 18 puranas.
4. It was told to Yudhishtra by Bheeshma, considered as Mahatma.
5. SVS is approved for chanting by many noble persons and our great elders.
6. Like Gita and in the direction of Gita, SVS is an easy way to reach Moksham.

Normally we start SVS with introductory sloka ' shuklambaradaram..". These slokas are chanted by followers of all the three schools of philosophy - Shankara's advaitam, Ramanuja's visishtadvaitam and Madhva's dwaitam.
Shuklambaradaram..shantaye is invocation of Sri Hayagriva, an avatar of Sri Vishnu.
Yasayadvarati.. vishvaksenam tamasraye invokes Vishvaksena, the Army Commander in Vaikuntam and is the husband of Sootravati. He is prayed to remove all hurdles.