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Call Number : MA-SAN-03-DCS-027

KRISTUM KANYASUTAM VANDE क्रिस्तुं कन्यासुतं वन्दे

(Bow to thee, Christ Son of the Virgin)
Sanskrit Slokas From

Kristu Sahasra Nāmam क्रिस्तु सहस्र नामं

(Thousand Names of Christ)

Written By - Chevalier I.C. Chacko

  • Lyrics Selection from the Sanskrit poem "Kristhu Sahasra Namam (THOUSAND NAMES OF CHRIST) " by - Chevalier I.C. Chacko
  • Music in semi-classical style by - Dr. Anto Amarnad CMI
  • Text selected, translated, and presented by - Dr. Francis Vineeth Vadakkethala, CMI (1935 - 2021)
  • Language - Sanskrit
  • Vocal Soloists - Fr. Joseph J. Palackal, CMI & Indumathi Ephraim
  • Album - Krishu Sahasra Namam by Chevalier I.C. Chacko (Track No. 1)
  • Recorded By - Deccan Records, Bangalore 1980
  • Directory of Christian Songs (Call Number)- MA-SAN-03-DCS-027
Notes

A deep longing welled up in my heart as I pondered over the amazing work of Chevalier I.C. Chacko, the Kristu-Sahasra-Namam. And it became my cherished dream to bring it to the devotional life of Indian Christians. A Thousand Names of Christ! . Just a thousand epithets and thousand titles in exquisite biblical lore, and enticing poetical charm and what more, all presented in classical Sanskrit lyrics. Who would not be tempted to have a try? It enshrines the whole history of Christ, gathered from the New and Old Testaments alike, all in one hymn of adoration, a long litany of praise. You can pray fully recite it then, unawares, in accompanying rhythm; you are transported to the marvelous setting of the Gospels, Psalms, and the Book of Revelation. This is I. C. Chacko's Kristu-Sahasra-Namam, a Christian counterpart of the well know Hindu Vishnu-Sahasra-Namam.

Almost seventy years ago, when the enculturation movement was rather at low ebb, I.C Chacko, a learned layman of the ancient St. Thomas Christian Church of Kerala, came forward with the challenging concept of a Kristu-Sahasra-Namam. As Brahmabandhav Upadhyay (1861-1907) was not fortunate enough to hear his famous hymn Vande Saccidanandam in the Christian churches of his time, so too I.C. Chacko was not rewarded by immediate recognition of this Christian masterpiece as a prayer book of the church. Yet, I.C. an honoured lay scholar of the church, a prolific author of creative works, and, and according to the then accepted style of honouring, Chevalier of the church. Though an engineer by vocation, with a creditable degree from England, I.C. was an acknowledged Sanskrit Scholar, a specialist in linguistics, and, above all, a bold thinker in the Church of his time. Of the many other books of I.C., the one which deserves special mention is his famous 'Paniniya Pradhyodam' which secured the national award for displaying high scholarship in Sanskrit and linguistics.

I am truly happy to present I.C.'s Kristu-Sahasra-Namam to a wider Christian world today, and really feel proud that the work has come from an unmatched Sanskrit Scholar who lived his Christian faith in word and deed. I found in the person of Anto Amarnad, a composer who can feel, relish and reverberate I.C 's thinking in the right musical rhythm. When the gifted artists, Fr. Joseph Palackal and Indumathi Ephrem lent their melodious voices to these Christological lyrics and musical notes of Fr. Anto Amarnad, the result was the much loved and eagerly awaited recording: Kristu-Sahasra-Namam. I gladly present all these young artists to the lovers of our Church and culture, rhyme and rhythm, with a blend of new ideas.

In the original Sanskrit verses, all the thousand names are presented in the accusative case as the objects of verbs 'Vande', 'Bhaje', or 'Pranamami' all of which are transitive verbs, meaning ,"I revere and I adore.". However in English translation for better understanding, I have presented many of the names as simple qualifications of Jesus, all of them ultimately referring to Christ whom the devotees adore. Though the poetic Rhyme and Rhythm are given due attention, the prime consideration was always fidelity to the original.

This recording does not t present all the thousand names of Christ, but only a selection of the best among them, arranged under eight separate titles. Appropriate tunes are successfully provided by Amarnad to match the moods and content of the selected texts.

In the fond hope that one day these verses will find their way into the prayer life of many a devoted Christian, religious as well as lay, I present to the lyrical world this musical feat which is a happy blend of the classical rhythm of our country (India) and sacred music of our Church. And all Churches are parts or limbs of one universal Church, the mystical body of Christ,

Francis Vineeth Vadakkethala C.M.I.
( 1935- 2021)

Keywords -

Thousand_Names_Of_Christ, KristhuSahasraNamam, Christu_Sahasra_Namam Christian_Devotional, Christian_Songs, Christian_Bhajans Christu_Sahasra_Namam, Kristhu_Sahashra_Naamam, Christian_Bhajans, Christian_Chants, ThousandNamesofChrist, Indumathi_Ephraim, Vineeth_Vadakkethala, Anto_Amarnad Joy_Elamkunnapuzha, Deccan_Records, Christ_SonOf_VirginMary, Praise, SonOfMary Jesus_Christ, JesusandMary


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