VISHNU SAHASRANAAM

401. Veerah –“The Valiant.” One who, by His prowess; creates the fear in the minds of the Rakshasas.

402. Saktimataam-sreshthah –“The best among those who have power.” All powers that are available, have been classified under three types: the power-of -Knowledge (Jnaana-Sakti), the power-of-Desire (Icchaa-Sakti) and the power-of-Action (Kriyaa-Sakti). All these powers are expression of the Self in the intellect, in the sub-conscious mind and in the physical body, respectively. Naturally the Self is the best among all other kinds of powers inasmuch as, all powers are expressions of this Great Self.

403. Dharmah -This term is used in Hinduism in thousands of different shades that, to the early student, the meaning of this term is lost in confusion. Dharma of a thing is that because of which the thing is, without which the thing is not.” This term, Dharma, has, therefore, been translated as “the Law of Being” -the Dharma of the Sun is light; the Dharma of the Fire is heat, the Dharma of Sugar is sweetness. What then is the Dharma of the individual? The essential Dharma of the individual can only be the self, because, without which is the individual cannot exist, and the individual’s expressions, physical mental and intellectual, are all expressions of the self through the equipment in Him. Thus “Dharma” means the only self in all individuals.

This is essential Dharma in anything is that which supports the things and, therefore, the self which is essence everywhere, is considered as the very one which supports everything.

404. Dharma-vid-uttamah –“One who is the highest among men of realisation.” All those who know the Reality are knower among all knowers of the self. 

Stanza 44

vasikunthah purushah praanah praanadah pranavah prithuh
hiranyagarbhah satrughno vyaapto vaayuradhokshajah.

405. Vaikunthah –“One who prevents men from going astray into wrong paths (Vikunthah).” In Mahabharatha it is mentioned, “I united the Earth with Water, Space with Air with Fire, hence, the name ‘Vaikunthah’ has come to Me.

406. Purushah –“One who dwells in all bodies (Puris).” In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3-4-1) it is said, “because He as the first (Poorva) of all of them consumed (Aushad) by fire all sins, therefore, He is called Purushah.” In short, He is the One Self which thrills all living creatures everywhere at all times.

407. Paanah –“One who is the form of ‘Praana’ exits in the body, propels all sense organs to act in their appointed fields, it is the Lord Vishnu that activates the body as the 5 praanas, is found in the Vishnupurana. As Praana, He causes movements.

408. Praanadah –this can mean “One who gives ‘Praana’ or as one who takes away ‘Praana’, because, the root ‘da’ has both the meanings, ‘to give’ and to break.’ Therefore, Vishnu is the supreme who gives Praana to all creatures in the beginning of the creation, and He alone is again the one who destroys all the Praanaas (movements) at the time of the dissolution.

409. Pranavah –“That which is praised or adorned by even the gods.” There is a declaration of Sanatkumara, “because it is being worshipped and adorned by the gods, the self is called as Pranavah. This great reality is indicated in Vedas by the symbol Om and, therefore ‘Omkaara’ is called as Pranava.  Thus the supreme self, ‘Omkaara’ is Vishnu.

410. Prithuh –“The expanded.” He whose expanse is expressed as the world of infinite forms. In short, “He who All-pervasive.” Looking at the world, through Puranas, it suggests, “the one who is born as the king Prithuh, the son of the king vena –for bringing prosperity to the country, is Lord Narayana.”

411. Hiranyagarbhah –it is the term used in the Vedanta for the “creator”. He is the expression of the creative urge of the lord Narayana. “The Golden-egg” means here that from which all the objective world had emerged out, indicating the creator.”  The term thereby suggest that the entire creative power of the creator is but the expression of the Self, Narayana.

412. Satru-ghnah –“the destroyer off he enemies.” The lord is the one who annihilates all the enemies of the gods, meaning, He is the one who destroys all the negative tendencies in all serious seekers totally devoted to Him.

413. Vyaaptah –“The Pervader.” The effects can never remain without the Cause; the Cause is concurrent and inherent in it, effects. And thus, the world that has risen from the Infinite, should be pervaded by the Infinite. He who thus pervades everything is Narayana.

414. Vaayuh –“One who in the form of the atmospheric air, sustains all life everywhere.” He is not the air, but He is the life-giving rower in the air.

415. Adhokshajah -Mahabharata says, “at no time My vitality flows downwards, and hence, I am called, Adhokshajah'. The term can also mean, “One who is not available for the powers of the sense organs to perceive.” Or, it can also mean, “He who remains under both the atmosphere and the earth as the Supporter of the entire universe.”

Stanza 45

rituh sudarsanah kaalah parameshthee parigrahah
ugrah samvatsaro daksho visraamo visva-dakshinah.

416. Rituh –“Seasons”-Here it means. the Lord of Time, who governs the seasons.

417. Sudarsanah  -“One who is easy to be perceived if the seeker has sufficient devotion,” or “He whose meeting is auspicious inasmuch as it removes the seeker's worldly worries.”

418. Kaalah –“One who measures the merits and defects in each individual, and who doles out the appropriate results.” Bhagavat Geeta says, “I am the Time of counting.” Kaalah is also the name of Lord Death, and in this sense, it can mean “the Lord, who is Death or Annihilation- personified to all His enemies.”

419 Parameshthee –“One who is centred in His own infinite glory.” Or, it can also mean “One who is readily available for experience in the Supreme cave of the heart.”

420 Parigrahah –“The Receiver” He who receives from His devotees even insignificant things as a leaf or a flower, with all satisfaction” Some commentators stretch the suggestion of the word and find a meaning in this term as “One who has been accepted as the Sole Refuge by all devotees.”

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