The miracle of vishnu sahashranamam
I am not a Brahman by birth and have not been introduced to sloka chanting as a matter of family tradition. I wanted to self-teach the chanting of Vishnu Sahashra namam but could not succeed. While in Coimbatore, I saw an elderly gentleman-- a malayalee-- chanting aloud Vishnu Sahashranam, evert day in the evening, after doing parkrama at the Vishnu temple in an Ayurvedic hospital. I approached him for help. He told me to listen and follow him while chanting. I did that for a few days. Although I did not follow him with a book and repeat it verbatim, I was able to recite it on my own, back home. I consider it as a result of the blessing of that gentleman, whom I consider as a guru, as far as Vishnur Sahasranam chanting is concerned that I have been able to chant this powerful sloka. Now, my wife, who has been practising the chanting of various slokas, says she finds it difficult to chant this mantra. I hope she will get over the difficulty as I did with some more effort on her part.
As to the healing effect of the chanting of this sloka, there can be little doubt. Swami Sathyananda Saraswathi has prescribed the chanting of Vishnu Sahashranamam as one of the anti-dotes for stammering, besides others practices to increase ones self belief.
A Brahman friend of mine, who was working in the Gulf told me that once he was so seriously unwell with a heart condition that the doctor who attended on him had given ultimatum for his life. Then, he kept on chanting the mantra non-stop. After the time fixed by the doctor, when he was examined, he was told that he had survived the near impossible condition.