How do I start reciting the Viṣṇu Sahasranāma?

begin by listening along with a clear recording, read from a good text with meaning, and recite once a day or on Thursdays and Ekādaśīs.

The Viṣṇu Sahasranāma, the thousand names of Viṣṇu, is taught by Bhīṣma to Yudhiṣṭhira in the Anuśāsana Parva of the Mahābhārata. Ādi Śaṅkarācārya wrote one of his first commentaries on it, and it is loved across Vaiṣṇava and Smārta homes alike.

To start: get a text with Devanagari or IAST and meaning, and recite along with a slow recording for a few weeks. A full recitation, with the opening and closing verses, takes about 25–30 minutes at first and less with practice. If that is too much, read 25 or 50 names a day and complete it over the week.

Mornings or evenings both work; Thursdays, Ekādaśīs and the month of Kārtika are popular. Mistakes in pronunciation will smooth out over time — the names are being said with devotion, and that is what counts.

Source: Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva · Commentary: Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

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