VISHNU SAHASRANAMAM

Stanza 8

eesaanah praanadah praano
jyeshthah sreshthah prajaapatih
hiranya-garbho bhoo-garbho
maodharo madhu-soodanah.

(64) Eesaanah –“The Controller of all the five Great Elements”. When this term is used, Eesvara becomes the Administrator of His own Law in the phenomenal world of plurality. The executive function of His Infinite Will, when manifested through Him, the Lord. Eesvara, is said to function as Eesaanah. Or, the term can also mean One who is the Supreme Eesvara-the Paramesvara.

(65) Praanadah -One who gives (Dadaati) the Praanas to all. The term Praanas used in philosophy indicated “all manifestations of Life in a living body”. The Source of Life from which all dynamic activities in the living organisms of the world flow out, meaning, That from which all activities emerge out is Praanadah. Taittireeya Upanishad (2- 7) exclaims: “Who could then live. who could breath” if He be not every- where.”

(66) Praanah -That which sustains is Praana and that which has got Praana functioning in it is called a Praanee. Since the Lord is termed as this very same Praana, it means by its suggestion that He is One who ever lives. The Immortal and the Eternal is Praanah.

The term can also mean that which gives Life-impulse even to the air; the capacity to sustain life in the atmosphere flows from Him alone. In the Kenopanishad we read the Supreme ‘Defined’ as the “Praana of Praanas” (Praanasya Praanah).

(67) Jyeshthah -Older than all. The Infinite is That which was even before the very concept of space (Aakaasa) came into existence. The term is the superlative degree of the Aged. In short, the import of this term is the same as the more familiar term used in our sastras, the Ancient (Sanaatanah).

(68) Sreshthah -The most Glorious One: Here again it is the superlative degree of glorious, Sreyah.

(69) Prajaapatih -The Lord (Pati) of all living creatures (Prajaah) .The term Prajas means ‘Children’. Therefore Prajaapati means the Great Father, to whom all beings in the living kingdom are His own children, In this sense, the term connotes One, who, as the Creator, creates all creatures.

(70) Hiranyagarbhah -One who dwells in the womb (garbha) of the world (Hiranya). The Upanishad declares: “All these are in-dwelt by the Lord.” The “Golden Universe” is an idiom in Sanskrit where ‘gold’ means “objects of fulfilment and joy”. One who dwells in them all is Hiranyagarbhah. The term can also mean as He who, having become first the Creator, has come to he considered as the womb of all objects.

(71) Bhoogarbhah -One who is the very womb of the world (Bhooh) The One from whom the world has emerged out. In the Cosmic Form of the Lord, this world occupies an insignificant though sacred portion, just as the foetus in the womb, constantly and lovingly nurtured and nourished by the very Essence in the mother. Or, Bhooh = the earth: the divine consort of Hari: Garbha = Protector.

(72) Maadhavah -The Lord of Maayaa, Spouse of Mahaalakshmee. Or, the term can signify the One who is ultimately experienced through a diligent practice of “Madhu technique”: the very famous Madhu Vidyaa of the Chandogya Upanishad. The term Maadhavah can also mean One who is the Silent (Mauni); who is ever the Non-interfering Observer, the Silent Witness of the physical, mental and intellectual activities in the realm of change. To put it in one word, He is the One whom the seeker experiences when he has stilled his mind which has been purified by Yoga practices.

(73) Madhusoodanah  -One who destroyed the great demon Madhu. The story of Vishnu destroying these two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, is a story of secret suggestions in Mahabharata. Madhu also means in Veda (Madhu=honey) as the fruits of actions (Karma-phala). Actions leave impressions and these sensuous Vaasanaas are destroyed by meditations on the Reality and so the Supreme gathers to Itself the name Madhusoodanah: “the Destroyer of Vaasanaas.”

Stanza 9

eesvaro vikramee dhanvee
medhaavee vikramah kramah
anuttamo duraadharshah
kritajnah kritir-aatmavaan.

(74) Eesvarah -One who is Omnipotent, and so has all powers in Him to the full. The manifested powers of Life express themselves in every intelligent man as the power of action in the body (Kriyaa Sakti), the power of desire in the mind (Icchaa Sakti) and the power of knowledge in the intellect (Jnaana Sakti). All these three powers are manifestations of Him, and since He is the One everywhere, He is the total mighty power-the Great Vishnu.

(75) Vikramee -One full of prowess (Vikrama), courage, daring. Or, it can be One who has “Special foot steps”. This term commemorates how the Lord, as Vamana, measured with His tiny three steps all the three worlds.

(76) Dhanvee -Lord Vishnu’s Divine Bow is called ‘Saarnga’ and it is described as the mightiest among the weapons. One who is having this Mighty Bow at all times is Dhanvee. It can also remind us of His incarnation as Sree Ramachandraji, when, in order to protect the world from the mighty Raakshasas of Lanka, He had to dedicate a substantial part of His life almost constantly wielding his bow: hence Sri Rama came to be known as Dhanushpaani; in His attitude of protection He is known as Kodandaraama. Thus, the term Dhanvee, the Wielder of the bow, is quite appropriate for Vishnu. “I am Sri Rama among the Wielders of the bow” –Geeta Ch.l0, St. 31.

(77) Medhaavee -Supremely intelligent; One who is capable of understanding everything. One who has the capacity to comprehend intellectually all that is happening around is called Medhaavee. Since Consciousness is the One Light in all living creatures, which illumines all intellects, and since Vishnu is this Infinite Consciousness, He is the One Knower, knowing all things, at all times, at once. Hence Sarasvati, the Goddess of Learning and Knowledge is described as the very tongue of Vishnu.

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