| Walking Vishnu Sahasranaamam |
Though Sri Hari Vithal’s pioneering quest, inventive experiments and illustrious work spanned a wide array and large expanse of themes, as Sri Jayendra Saraswathi aptly called him “Walking Vishnu Sahasra Namam”, he became eponymous with Sree Vishnu Sahasra Namam . His predominant work, programs and initiatives were around his passion d’etre’ Sree Vishnu Sahasra Namam, his life mission -propagation and transmission of the sublime splendor of Sree Vishnu Sahasra Namam across the country have elevated him to Iconic status.
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| Integration of the Three Visions |
The very first few words of salutations to his Masters as a prologue to his discourse “Sadasiva Samaarambhaam, Sankaracharya Madhyamaam, Krishnamaachaarya Paryantaam Vande Guru Paramparaam” -used to be just enough to invoke his spellbinding presence on the audience. His ecstatic expatiation of the Thousand Names of the Lord as the sum total of the best qualities the human mind could conceive as inherent in God used to be an awe-inspiring experience. His elucidation of the definitive commentary of Aadi Sankara and its innate synthesis with the alternative visions of Sri Parasara Bhattar and Sri Satyasandha Tirtha, unveiling the excellences, exploits and the resplendent glories of the Lord, used to be an enthralling experience, beyond the confines of all the ‘isms’ & philosophies.
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| Siva Kesava Syncretism |
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 Sri Hari Vithal was emphatic in his annunciation that while all the other Sahasranamas required qualifications, “Sahasranama” itself meant, it was only the “Sri Vishnu Sahasranama”- as it acquired tremendous currency for its glory and efficacy right from the times of yore. “Pavitraanaam Pavitram yo Mangalaanaam cha Mangalam , Daivatam Devataanam cha, Bhutaanam yo Avyayahpitaah” . While being definitive in his assertion, Sri Hari Vithal had always concomitantly brought out the non-distinctive nature of “The Only One Lord” - the Siva Kesava abheda. With his piercingly clear and unambiguous style, he always insisted that the God extolled in Sahasranama is not the deity to be appropriated exclusively by any one as their own, citing examples of Saivaite Pothana’s initiation of Sree Rama Mantra to write Krishna Katha, Paramacharya’s Thiruppavai Thiruvempavai movement, his Sree Vaishnava Master EK’s regular performance of Sree Rudrabhishekam, his personal worship of the Uma Maheswara Panchaayathanam and his passionate propagation of Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam yet another testimony to this syncretism. |
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| Spiritual Applications of ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranaamam’ |
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Sri. Hari Vithal’s avant-garde endeavor in the modern times -for four decades, beginning in 1960’s, on the applications of specific ‘Slokas’ and ‘Mantras’ from ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranaamam’, as potential solutions to mundane problems of humanity at large, was quite unique in his times. The beginnings of these great initiatives did not end with him and have taken shape as lasting programs being steered with passion and devotion. |
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| Envisioning the “Viraat Paraayana’ |
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Sri. Hari Vithal, inspired by Sree Lakshmana Yateendrulu’s divine fete of “ Laksha Samaradhana” ( Worship of One Lakh People dining together) in early 1990’s, shared his envisioned wish with His Holiness Sree Trindandi Ramanuja Jeer Swamy about “One Lakh” People chanting “Sree Vishnu Sahasranamam “ together, and requested him to lead the initiative. His Holiness Trindandi Ramanuja Jeer Swamy instantly blessed Sri. Hari Vithal with his munificent Mangalaasasanams.
This holy conjecture of Sri. Hari Vithal took shape as reality-for the first ever time in history, in the year 1994, on the Bhishma Ekadasi day, more than One Lakh Sixty Thousand devotees in unison, chanted the Thousand glorious Names of the Lord, at the PWD Grounds Vijayawada. His Holiness Trindandi Ramanuja Jeer lovingly bestowed his divine Managalaasaasanams’ to Sri. Hari Vithal on the very dais in PWD Grounds, crediting the spectacular “Sree Vishnu Sahasranama Viraat Paraayana” as “maa Hari Vithal gari Sankalpam”, and keeps on fondly acknowledging the same, at all the subsequent events of “Sree Vishnu Sahasranama Viraat Paraayana’ across the country.
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| ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranaama Parayana Mandali ‘ |
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Sri Hari Vithal established the “Sree Vishnu Sahasranama Parayana Mandali” in the year 1995 in Vijayawada, to institutionalize the practice of group worship -devotees chanting Vishnu Sahasranaamam together. Sri Hari Vithal had endeavored to make people realize and leverage the power of Group Chanting, wherein one tends to get the result multiple equivalent of the entire group’s worship. Sri Hari Vithal has personally trained hundreds of the members on the right way of pronouncing every Naamam in the Sree Vishnu Sahasra Naama. He used to lovingly and painstakingly correct the Shabda and ‘Swara doshas until they attained perfection. |
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| The Full Moon (Pournami ) Paaraayana |
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The “Pournami Paraayana” started in the year 1995 with a small group of 8, under the leadership of Sri Hari Vithal’s, grown beyond several hundreds and over the years to a few thousands. Sri Hari Vithal initiated the special “Pournami Paraayana” of chanting Sree Vishnu Sahasranamam continuously and incessantly for 108 times throughout the day and night on all ‘Pournami’ (Full Moon) days.
His Holiness China Jeer Swamy inaugurated the “Pournami Parayana” on the Vaisakha Pournami of Yuva Nama samvatsaram. Many participants cherish the memories of the heartening sight of Sri Hari Vithal and Smt. Lalitha Vithal joining the Parayana even past 11 pm, while he was in serious ill health till 2007, with feeble physical energy and drooping eye lids- to motivate and charge up the other devotees. While the first cycle of 10 Years of the “Pournami Paraayana” kick started by Jeer Swamy was completed, the second cycle of next 10 years was inaugurated by His Holiness Ashtakshara Ramaanuja Jeer Swamy- which is in progress. Sree Vishnu Sahasra Namam is now chanted regularly under the stewardship of Sri. M Satya Sri Hari on all Sunday evenings, on all holy occasions.
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| Dhanurmaasa Parayana |
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Yet another divine initiative started and led by Sri Hari Vithal in Vijayawada was the “Dhanurmasa Parayana”, wherein the ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranama Parayana Mandali’ along with hundreds of people in the locality of a particular host would perform the ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranama Parayana, with the ‘Samputeekaranam’ for the 108 Slokas with “ Sidhaarthah Sidha Sankalpah Sidhidah Siddhi sadhanah”.
Starting in the “Brahma Muhurtham’, followed by a brief ‘Pravachanam’ by a Holy Master and concluding with “Prasada Goshti,” this hugely well-received initiative by Sri Hari Vithal, had grown into great stature and popularity among the pious devotees in Vijayawada. With the divine benediction of China Jeer Swamy, the attendance, swelling year over year, thousands of devotees sitting on the fringes of the roads and adjoining by-lanes participating in the “Dhanurmasa Parayana” listening to the lead group inside the host’s premises through amplifiers- is a divine sight to beckon. Owing to its great demand, today the Parayana Mandali had to put forth a norm that any family soliciting to host “Dhanurmaasa Parayana” has to be necessarily participating in the same for at least three years
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| Birth Day Celebrations of Sree Vishnu Sahasra Namam |
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The Magha Shukla Ekadasi, the Birth Day of Sree Vishnu Sahasranamam, aptly celebrated at Sri. Hari Vithal’s residence itself attracts the attendance of thousands. On this auspicious day, while the whole of human kind was blessed with the Sree Vishnu Sahasranama Strotram by Bhishma Pithaamaha ages ago, many devout citizens of Vijayawada used to eagerly look forward to savor the contemporary grandsire’s refreshing narration of the infinite virtues of the Lord. |
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| Sree Vishnu Sahasra Nama Paaraayana Yatras |
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By yet another unique initiative by Sri Hari Vithal, several thousands of devotees were led, to perform Sree Vishnu Sahasranama Paaraayana together at the holy shrines in South India - Tirumala, Sreesailam, Srikalahasthi, Simhachalam, Bhadrachalam, Yadagirigutta, Chilkur , Kotappakonda, , Mangalagiri, Kanchi, Sringeri , Mysore etc. |
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| Sree Vishnu Sahasra Naama Shanthi Yagam |
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In 1996, Sri Hari Vithal commenced the program of “Sree Vishnu Sahasranama Shanthi Yagam” followed by Narayana Seva under the divine benediction of His Holiness China Jeer Swamy. In the second year of the program in 1997-98, the Yagam and Lakshmi Narayana Puja were performed by thousands of devotees in Andhra Gymkhana / Swarajya Maidan grounds Vijayawada |
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| Reaching Out initiatives -Narayana Seva |
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Sri. Hari Vithal had initiated the winter ‘Narayana Seva’ program in 2005. Every winter , the young volunteers of ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranama Parayana Mandali, span on bikes out in small groups and silently wrap a warm shawl around the shivering destitute in the slums around Vijayawada. |
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| Sree Vishnu Sahasra Namam Competitions |
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Sri Hari Vithal had firm conviction to lay the foundation of the right Samskaras in every child much early in their life. He used to cite the example of ‘Centri Petal Force’ (Centre Seeking), to hold our children to the life anchors and our cardinal values. He urged parents to practice and live the Values themselves first, so that they percolate as blooming expressions in their children. This natural process then extends to families and to the larger community. With this as the objective, Sri Hari Vithal started Sree Vishnu Sahasranama competitions for Children.
The competitions conducted for various age groups of children, have inculcated unflinching devotion in thousands of kids and their families in the city of Vijayawada. Its heartening to note, right in its second year of the program, the participation reached to 1,800 children in the recitation competitions. Astounding performance by most of the children in recitation as well, explanation of the meanings of the Sree Vishnu Sahasranama was a glorious sight of the spiritual renaissance in Vijayawada. His Holiness Sree China Jeer Swamy , thrilled on this initiative and bestowed his Managalaasaasanams on Sri Hari Vithal, all the children , their parents and the organizing committee convener Sri. M Satya Srihari.
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| Education Support to Children –“ Baala Vidya Vikas” |
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Baala Vidya Vikas is the educational support initiative envisages to adequately support needy children to pursue education by means of providing books & fee support. |
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| “Sree Vishnu Sahasra Naama Darsanam” |
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With the divine Managalaasaasanams of His Holiness Sree Ramaanuja Jeer Swamy, Sri Hari Vithal’s magnum opus discourses have been compiled and edited by Smt. Lalitha Harivithal into “Sree Vishnu Sahasra Naama Darsanam” which is currently under publication. |
