The Thousand Names of  Sri Maha Vishnu

Translations

 Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam Slokha  01 - 12                                                    Page - 1 of 9

Sloka 1

Nama 1: vishvam / a) Universe or Cause of Universe b) One who is full in all respects. Om visvaya namah.

2. Vishnu: - a) One who permeates everything, is inside every sentient and non-sentient being. b) One who surrounds everything. Om vishnave namah.

3: vashatkara / One who controls and directs (not merely pervades).
4: bhuta-bhavya-bhavat-prabhu: The Master of all things past, future, and present. Nirukti - trikAla vartinAm seshi - The Lord of all things that exist in the past, present, and future.

5: bhuta-krit / The creator of all beings.

6 : bhuta-bhrt / The supporter of all things. Bhutani bibharti iti bhuta-bhrt - One who supports all. (seems to be further elaborated by namas 8 and 9)

7: bhavah / He who exists with all the splendor. He who exists always, independent of anything else.
8: bhutatma / The AtmA or soul of all beings - sarvesham bhutanam atma

9: bhuta-bhavanah / One who nourishes and nurtures all beings that He created.

Sloka 2

10: Putatma /  The Pure Self - One who is untainted by the effects of karma - good or bad. Puta Atma yasya sa putatma - One who has the pure Atma is pUtAtmA.

11: paramatma / The Supreme Soul - for whom there is no other guiding or superior soul

12: muktanam parama gatih / One who is the ultimate goal for all muktas or Released or Liberated Souls.

13: avyayah / a) One who does not send back anyone who has reached Him (to the cycle of birth and rebirth .(Sri Bhattar) b) Indestructible (Sri Sankara)

14: purushah / a) One who bestows on the Muktas the enjoyment of the Bliss of Himself in plenty.- puru sanoti iti purushah. b) One who is reclining in this body - puri sete iti purushah. c) One who existed before anything else existed - purA AsIt iti purushah. d) One who completes and fulfills existence everywhere - pUrayati iti purushah

15: sakshi / One who directly witnesses everything .as it is. , The All-Knower, The Omniscient 

16:kshetrajnah / One who knows, and can lead, the muktas to the exact place where the muktas will get their sought-after Supreme Bliss.

17: akshara / One whose greatness never diminishes over time in spite of being enjoyed by the miktas constantly. na ksharati iti aksharah .

Sloka 3

18. yogah / One Who alone is the definite and unobstructed means to salvation. The word yoga is derived from the word yujyate which means "with whose help the goal is attained".

19.  yogavitam neta / One who leads those who practice yoga until they reach their Goal.

20.  pradhana purusha Isvarah / One who is the Lord of Primordial Matter as well as the Jivas.

21.  narasimha vapuh / One who possesses a body of man and lion combined. 

22.  sriman / One with a lovely form.

23.  kesavah / One with lovely locks of hair.

24.  purushottamah / The Supreme amongst the purushas (i.e., individualsouls).

Sloka 4

25. sarvah / (sa as in sanatana) One who is all - the cause of creation and destruction of all things. 

26. sharvah / (sa as in Shiva) The Remover of all sins.

27. shivah / One who confers auspiciousness. subha avahasca sivah - One who bestows auspiciousness on all.

28. sthanuh / One who is .firm in His benefits and anugraha to the devotees.

29. bhutadih / a) One who is eagerly sought after by all beings. b)  The source or cause of all beings. c)  The very source of the panca bhutas.

30. nidhiravyayah / The inexhaustible treasure.

31.  sambhavah / (Though like a Hidden Treasure), One who manifests Himself at will to those who sincerely seek Him. He manifests Himself at any place and at any time and in any form (e.g., nrsimha, matsya, kurma, etc.).

32.  bhavanah / (Having manifested thus), One who regenerates all by dispelling all their evils.

33.  bharta / Supporter.

34.  prabhavah / One whose birth is of a sublime nature.

35.  prabhuh / He who is all powerful.

36.  Isvarah / a) One who has the supreme power of control over all beings. b) One who has the ability to do anything without the help of any other beings or things

Sloka 5

37. svayambhuh / He who manifests Himself by His own free will.

38. shambhuh / One who causes happiness to everyone by the beauty of His appearance.

39. Adityah / a) The purusha in the Sun. b)  One of the twelve Adityas. c)  One who sustains and nourishes everything like the Sun. 

40. pushkarakshah / The Lotus-eyed.

41. maha-svanah / He of the venerable sound (of the Vedas). 

42. anadi-nidhanah / One who is without beginning or end.

43. dhata / The creator (of .Brahma and others).

44. vidhata / The producer (of Brahma from the fetus referred to above).

45. dhaturuttamah / a) One who is far superior to Brahma (dhatr). b) The best of all basic constituents

Sloka 6

46. aprameyah / One who cannot be defined, explained, measured, etc. through logical means, (but who can only be experienced)

47. hrshikesah / a) The controller of the sense-organs of all including Brahma, Rudra, etc.
b) One who, in the form of the Sun and the Moon, makes this world happy through His rays

48. padma-nabhah / One from whose navel the lotus (the cause of the Universe) emanates.
49. amara-prabhuh / The Lord of the immortal gods.

50. visva karma / a) One who is the agent of all actions with regard to the Universe. b) The Creator of the Universe.

51. manuh / The Great Thinker: Mananat manuh -

52. tvashta / One who created all the different forms and names in this Universe.

53. sthavishthah / One who is exceedingly huge in size.

54. sthavirah / One who has always existed, Older than the oldest.

55. dhruvah / One who is unaffected by Time, Unchanging, Permanent.

Sloka 7

56. agrahyah / One who is beyond the grasp of others.

57. shashvatah / One who is eternal.

58. krshnah / a) One who is always in a state of Bliss (with His sport of creation etc.). b) One who has a dark-blue complexion.

59. lohitakshah / One with eyes red like the beautiful lotus flower.

60. pradrdanah / The Destroyer.

61. prabhutah / One who is affluent, ever full, and well-endowed with wisdom, greatness, and other qualities.

62. tri-kakud-dhama / There are three words in this name - tri, kakub or kakut, and dhAma. 

63. pavitram / Purity Incarnate.

64. mangalam param / The Embodiment of Supreme Auspiciousness.

Sloka 8

65. isanah / The controller.

66. prana_dah / The life-giver.

67. pranah / Life.

68. jyeshthah / Older than the oldest.

69. sreshthah / Most praise-worthy.

70. prajapatih / Lord of the Ever-free Angels.

71. hiranyagarbah / He who is in a lovely Abode.

72. bhugarbhah / One for whom the Earth is the object of protection.

73. madhavah / a) The consort of MA or Lakshmi. b) One who is attained through the Madhu vidya, or through mauna, dhyana, and yoga. c) The Lord of knowledge or the propounder of the knowledge of the Supreme Being. d) One who is born in the race of Madhu, a yadhava. e) One for whom there is no Lord (i.e., One who is the Lord of everyone)
f) A silent observer, a maunee,

74) madhusudhanah / The slayer of the evil demon called Madhu.

Sloka 9

75. isvarah / The Ruler.

76.  vikramI / a) The most courageous, The most powerful. b) One who has the "Special" footsteps viz. Vamana.

77.  dhanvi / The wielder of the bow.

78. medhavi / One who is capable of powerful memory.

79. vikramah / a) One with great strides (see nAma 76), such as in the vAmana incarnation. b) One who rides on the king of birds, the Garuda.

80. kramah / a) One who is the basis for the order in the Universe. b) One who controls and bestows the power of movement. c) One who is highly prosperous.

81.  anuttamah / One for whom there is nothing superior or better.

82.  duradharshah / One who cannot be overcome by the demons and others.

83.  krtajnah / One who is grateful.

84.  krtih / One who is the cause of the virtuous act of His devotees.

85.  atmavan / The real Owner and Controller of the souls of those who do these virtuous acts.

Sloka 10

86. suresah / a) The Lord of all the other gods. b) The best among those who can bestow their devotees' desires.

87.  saranam / The Refuge.

88.  sarma / One who is Bliss, the Highest Goal to be attained.

89.  visvaretAh / The seed for the Universe.

90.  prajabhavah / One from whom all beings have originated.

91.  ahah / a) One who never forsakes anyone. b) One who is like the Day that awakens people from ignorance. c) One who does not destroy His devotees.

92.  samvatsarah / He who lives for the uplift of His devotees.

93.  vyalah / a) One who accepts the devotees - e.g., vibhishana. b) One who is beyond grasp such as a vyAla - a serpent, an elephant, a tiger, etc.

94.  pratyayah / One who can be relied upon.

95.  sarvadarsanah / a) One who shows all His grace to His devotees. b) The All-seeing.

Sloka 11

96. ajah / a) Unborn. b) The Remover of all obstacles. c) One who moves in the hearts of the devotees. d) One who removes the ignorance from the hearts of His devotees. e) One who is the root of all sound (akshara "a").

97. sarvesvarah / a) One who reaches all who seek Him. b) One who is the isvara for all isvaras.

98. siddhah / One who is available at the hands of His devotees. 99.  siddhih / The Goal.

100. sarvadih / The Origin or Cause of all things.

101. acyutah / a) One who has never slipped from His glory. b) One who never lets His devotees slip. c) One who undergoes no modifications such as birth, growth, decay, disease, etc.

102. vrishakapih / One who lifted the Earth from the waters of adharma in the form of varaha. 103. ameyatma / One whose Nature cannot be comprehended.

104. sarva yoga vinissritah / a) One who is beyond any attachment. b) One who is easily attained by all means by His devotees

Sloka 12

105. vasuh / a) One who dwells in the hearts of His devotees. b) One who dwells in the Milk-Ocean. c) One who is the wealth that His devotees seek. d) The best among the eight vasus - pavaka. e) One who lives in the sky.

106.  vasumanah / Om vasumanase namah / a) One who has a  'wealthy' or rich mind. b) One who has a mind which thinks of His devotees as a treasure.

107.  satyah / Om satyaya namah / a) The Truth. b) One whose form is made up of prana, matter and sun. c) One who is well-disposed towards the good.

108. samatma / Om samatmane namah - One who has an even mind.

109. sammitah / Om sammitaya namah / a) One who has let Himself be understood (controlled) by His devotees. b) The One Truth who is accepted by the Rsihis and revealed in the Upanishads. 

110. samah / Om samaya namah / One who treats all His devotees equally.

111. amoghah / Om amoghaya namah / One who always gives fruits to those who worship Him.

112.  pundarikakshah / Om pundarIkakshaya namah / a) One whose eyes are beautiful like the lotus flower. b) One who resides in the heart space of everyone and observes all. c) One who is like the eye to the residents of SrivaikunTham.

113. vrishakarma / Om vrshakarmane namah / One who is of righteous actions.

114.  vrishakriti / Om vrshakrtaye namah / One who is an embodiment of dharma.

Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam Introduction                                 Continued on next page