Universe that is God: An Insight into the Thousand Names of Lord Visnu

The book offers an erudite commentary on the sacred text of Shri Vishnu Sahasranama, one of the most important hymns in the great corpse of Indian literature. Dr. Panduranga Rao, a scholar of repute, here makes a detailed study of the meaning and significance of the hymn — a garland of thousand names of the Lord of the universe glorifying his qualities in an attempt to qualify the unqualified. Devoting a separate chapter for the analysis of each of the 107 verses of the stotra, he brings out the metaphysical nuances of each name with references from various sources and mentions the texts where the names occur. He explains related concepts and terms in an effort to present a wider understanding of the subject. He also studies the context in which the sacred hymn originated. The scholarly commentary reveals how the sacred text presents a picturesque account of the Supreme reality, Highest existence and Absolute bliss through graphic language and by adopting a photographic style of its own. The work, with a foreword by Dr. Karan Singh, will be extremely useful to all scholars of Indian tradition and literature as well as others who are interested in the recitation and understanding of Shri Vishnu Sahasranama.