VISHNU SAHASRANAAM

(15) Saakshee -Witness. In every day life he is a witness who without any mental reservation or personal interest observes and watches what is happening in a given field of experience. “Saakshaad Drashtari Saakshee syaad-Amarakosa. “The ‘Knower’ in every bosom is the same Supreme Self”, says Lord Krishna (Geeta Ch. 13, St. 3). Though thus Consciousness illumines everything, It is only a Witness, as It knows no change. Just as the sun illumines every thing in the world and yet the Sun is not affected by the condition of the things it is illumining, so too Vishnu, the Supreme, illumines all, without Itself undergoing any change.

According to Paanini Sutras the word Saakshee is derived from “Sa +akshi”, meaning “direct perceiver”.

(16) Kshetrajnah -One who knows the body and all the experiences from within the body, is the Knower-of-the- field, Kshetrajnah. As Brahmapurana would put it: Bodies are ‘fields’ and the Atman illumines them all without an effort, and therefore, is called Knower-of-the-field, Kshetrajnah”.

(17) Aksharah -lndestructible: things which are finite are necessarily conditioned by time and space; the Infinite is unconditioned, and so It is Aksharah. Since It is Indestructible, It cannot come under the methods of universal destruction arising from nature or through the wilful actions of man. “It cannot be cleaved by instruments of destruction, nor can fire burn It, nor water drench It, nor air dry It”-(Geeta Ch. 2, St. 23). It is also indicated that the Supreme Brahman is the Akshara-“Aksharam Brahma Paramam” -(Geeta Ch. 8, St. 3).

Please note that in the stanza there is the extra word ‘only’ (Eva) used, indicating that Kshetrajnah is the Aksharah; there is no difference between them both: the “Knower-of-the-field” and the “field”.

Stanza 3

yogo yoga-vidaam netaa
pradhaana-purushesvarah
naarasimha- vapuh
sreemaan kesavah purushottamah.

(18) Yogah -The one who is to be known or realized through yoga. By withdrawing the sense organs from their objects of preoccupation, when the mind of the seeker becomes quietened, he is lifted to a higher plane-of-consciousness, wherein he attains “yoga”, meaning wherein he realizes the Reality. At such moments of equanimity and mental quiet “yoga” is gained: Samatvam yoga uchyate- (Geeta Ch. 2, St. 48).

Since He is experienced through Yoga He is known as Yogah.

(19) Yoga-vidaam netaa –One who guides all the activities of all men ‘who knows yoga’ (Yogaviti) .To all men of realization, He who is the Ideal, is the Supreme Lord. Just as our activities are today ordered by our selfishness and individuality, the Ideal that commands and orders all activities in the bosom of a Man of Realization is his God-Consciousness. This realm of experience is Mahaa Vishnu. In the Geeta also we find the same idea expressed, in the language of emotion, when the Lord says: “Those who contemplate upon Me with total dedication, their daily welfare and spiritual progress I shall bear”.

(20) Pradhaana-purusha-eesvarah -Lord of both Pradhaana and Parusha. The term Pradhaana means ‘maayaa’-the total cause for the entire universe of forms. Purusha indicates the individuality in each one of us-the Jeeva Lord Eesvara means the Master (Eeshte iti Eesvarah). The Lord of Maayaa and Jeeva means the one who makes both these possible to exist and function. The One Infinite Reality which Itself manifests as Maayaa, Jeeva and Eesvara is the Essence in Vishnu.

(21) Naarasimha-vapuh -One whose form is half human and half lion This is the famous fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu which He took in order to destroy the atheistic tyrant Hiranyakasipu and bless his devotee, Prahlaada.

(22) Sreemaan -One who is always with Sree. Mother Sree is Mother Lakshmi. In the Puranic terminology Laksmi stands for all powers, all faculties. The total manifested power potential in the Omnipotent is Lakshmi. These powers are ever in Him and therefore, He is the Sreemaan.

(23) Keshavah -He who has beautiful and graceful (Va) locks of hair (Kesa) is familiar as in Lord Krishna’s form. Or, it can also mean, one who destroyed the demon Kesin who was sent to destroy the child-Krishna by his uncle Kamsa This interpretation is endorsed by the Vishnu Purana, 5.16.23.

(24) Purushottamah -The constitution of the individuality, Jeeva, when analysed, we find that it is made up of both the perishable-matter and the Imperishable-Spirit. The Spirit expressing through matter is the individuality, Jeeva. Reflected moon is the moon of the heavens dancing on the surface of water. Just as the moon is something different from its reflections and the water surfaces, so too the Self is, in its transcendental nature, something different from both matter, the perishable, and Spirit, the Imperishable, ever playing in matter. This Transcendental Truth is indicated by the term the Supreme Purusha (Purushottama).

Stanza 4

sarvas-sarvas-sivah sthaanur
bhootaadir nidhir-avyayah
sambhavo bhaavano bhartaa
prabhavah prabhur-eesvarah.

(25) Sarvah  -He who is the all. He being the One cause from which have sprung forth all things and beings. He himself is the all. In Mahabharata Udyoga Parva (70-12) we read: “As He is the origin and end of all, whether existent or otherwise, and as He, at all times, cognises all, He is called  “Sarva”. All waves rise from the same ocean and, therefore, the ocean is the very essence in all waves.

(26) Sarvah - The Auspicious One: meaning, the One who gives auspiciousness to those who hear of Him, to those who have a vision of Him, and to those who meditate upon Him.

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