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Sri Vishnu Sahasranama

Reciting of slokas or recitation of stotras is an integral part of every Hindu family. 
Sri Vishnu Sahasranama is recited by every Hindu - be it an Dvaita(Madhavacharya), Advaita(Shankaracharya) and Visistadvaita(Ramanujacharya). Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, sung by several Yogis and by Hindu people is taught by Bhishmacharya (grandfather to Yudhistira) to King Yudhistira (eldest of the five pandavas and embodiment of Dharma) in Mahabaratha for the good of the world, is the praise of the Lord (Supreme God Narayana) with thousand names. 
Reciting Sri Vishnu Sahasranama daily after bath helps us to reach heaven and it is considered to be most beneficial to mankind. Sri Vedavyasa is the rishi of Sri Vishnu's one thousand names. We have over forty commentaries on Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram. Sri Adi Sankara's commentary is the earliest of them. Sri Parasara Bhatta, a disciple of a disciple of Sri Ramanujacharya has written a detailed commentary. Sri Satyasandha Yatiswara from the Dvaita school is another prominant commentator. Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram, along with the Bhagavad Gita is an integral part of the epic Mahabharata composed by Sage Vedavyasa (Vyasa is also the one who organized the vedas into the classifications as we know them today).
Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram consists of three sections,
- A prolog, which gives the background on why the Stotram was imparted to the great and just Yudhishtira by Bhishma pitamaha
- Thousand names of Vishnu, organized in a poetic format in 107 stanzas, in the anushtup chandas (eight syllables in a quarter) with two quarters per line and two lines per stanza
- The phala sruti or a recounting of the benefits that can accrue by chanting the Stotram
For more information, you may refer to the following books
1. Sri Vishnu Sahasranama with the Bhashya of Sri Parasara Bhattar, with Translation in English, A. Srinivasa Raghavan, Sri Visishtadvaita Pracharini Sabha, Madras.
2. Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram, Keelathur Srinivasachariar, The Little Flower Co., Madras.
3. Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram, C. V. Radhakrishna Sastri, C. Venkatarama Sastri Trust.

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