VISHNU SAHASRANAAM

326. Pratishthitah -Everything in the world depends upon something else to serve as its cause. Since all things that we perceive and experience in the world are all effects, they have their own causes, and the effects must necessarily depend upon the cause for their very existence. The Supreme Lord is the One uncaused Cause with reference to whom everything is only an effect. Since He is thus the ultimate Cause, He is not depending upon anything other than Himself. This self-established Reality is indicated by the term Pratishthitah.

Stanza 36

skandah skanda-dharo dhuryo varado vaaryuvaahanah
vasudevo brihat bhaanur aadidevah purandarah.

327. Skandah -This is one of the names of the youngest son of Lord Siva, Subrahmanya, who is described in the Purana as Commanander-in-Chief of the righteous army. Therefore, Skanda means “the Lord, whose glory is expressed, through Subrahmanya”, In order to realise the Self, it is a prerequisite condition that the different personality layers in the seeker should be completely integrated.

328. Skanda-dharah –“One who upholds the withering righteousness.” Or, “One who fathered Lord Subrahmanya”, meaning One who is in the form of Paramesvara.

329. Dhuryah -One who carries the Lord. The Lord is the One who carries the responsibilities of creation, sustenance and annihilation of the entire world of plurality. One who carries out these functions systematically without any hitch round millenniums is Sree Narayana and He is therefore Dhuryah.

330. Varadah -One who blesses all true devotees and fulfils their request for boons. It can also mean “One who gives the best (Varam) in life to those who seek Him with perfect detachment and sharpened discrimination.

331. Vaayuvaahanah –“The One who controls, regulates and moves the great winds”. In the Sanskrit literature, the movement of air in the atmosphere has been classified under seven types and they are called the ‘Sapta Marutah’.

In short, the inconceivable might and power of the winds and their life-sustaining abilities are all lent out to the air by His own munificence and, therefore, He is called as Vaayuvaahanah.

332. Vaasudevah –“One who is at once both Vaasu and Deva. Vaasu means “One who dwells in the physical equipments of all living creatures as its indweller (Jeeva); Deva means “One who revels or One who illumines”. Thus, Vaasudevah means “One who lives in the physical equipment as though conditioned by them, and yet, who is the Vital Consciousness in the light of which every experience is illumined. The Lord is the One who dwells in all things of the universe and He is at once the Supporter of the entire world.

Also, directly, it can be taken to mean, One who is born as the Son of Sri Vasudeva in the Jail of Kamsa, the Blue-Boy of Brindaavana. He is called Vaasu as He veils Himself with His own Maayaa; Deva means “He who sports, wishes to conquer, conducts, shines, creates and moves”. In the Udyoga Parva of Mahabharata, we read, “Like the Sun with his rays I am covering (Deva) in all beings and hence, I am called Vaasudeva”.

Vishnupurana says, ‘‘as He resides everywhere in and through all things, He is termed Vaasudevah. “ All beings remain in the Supreme, and He in all being and hence, the Omnipresent is called the Vaasudeva.

333. Brihat-bhaanuh -Possessed of endless rays, meaning “One who illumines the world with the rays of the Sun and the Moon.”

Mahabharata says, “He whose great rays are in the Sun, Moon and others and He who illumines the universe through them is called the Possessor of great rays.

334. Aadidevah –“One who is the Primary source for everything,” meaning the Lord. He is the First Cause, and hence the first Deity.

335. Purandarah –“The destroyer of the cities.” City is the well-equipped field for gathering endless experiences. The three cities through which we generally move about gathering our experiences in this world are the waking, dream and deep-sleep, On transcending the Gross, Subtle and Causal Bodies, one experiences the Self, and at such a moment these three cities are burned down or pillaged or blasted, The same ideal is explained in the Shiva-purana also; accordingly, we can say that He is One who as Mahesvara, performed the destruction of the three cities.

Stanza 37

asokastaaranastaarah soorah saurih-janesvarah
anukoolah sataavarttah padmee padmanibhekshanah.

336. Asokah –“One who has no sorrows.” Sorrow is a condition experienced when the mind is agitated and extremely disturbed. The agitations of the mind come from desires, greed, etc. Therefore, the term Asokah indicates, “One who has none of these negative tendencies that create in their turn more and more mental disturbances”. This is a true appalation, because, the Lord, as the Self, transcends the realm of the thought-disturbances constituted by the mind-intellect- equipment.

337. Taaranah –“One who enables others to cross.” The ego suffering the constant agitations of the equipments is saved by the Self. The ego (jeeva), when it discovers its identity with the Self, automatically moves away from the sorrows of the vehicles. In short, as Vishnubhaagavata says, “who is there other than You that can save us from the wheel of birth and death.”

338. Taarah –“One who saves is called Taarah, One who saves from the fear of re-birth and also One who is a constant protector of the devotees and, therefore, the devotees themselves call Him as the Saviour (Taarah).

These three terms indicate how Vishnu is the Absolute Protector of His devotees. He saves us from the afflictions (Asoka) of the body and so Subjective-sorrows (Adhyaatma). He enables us to cross the ocean of Samsaara (Taaranah) and, therefore, He saves us from all Cosmic pains (Adhibhootah). He saves us from the elements (Taarah), and so, He is the Saviour from all sorrows of birth and death; this indicates all trans-Cosmic tragedies (Aadhidaivika), meaning that Narayana can save us from all sorrows contributed by the hand God.

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