Vishnu Sahasranama: The Thousand Names of Lord Vishnu

Vishnu Sahasranama, meaning “Thousand Names of Vishnu,” is a revered hymn in Hinduism that extols the divine qualities and attributes of Lord Vishnu, one of the principal deities in the Hindu pantheon. Composed in the form of a stotra (devotional song of praise), the Vishnu Sahasranama holds profound significance and is often recited as an act of devotion, meditation, and spiritual contemplation.

The hymn is found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, specifically in the Anushasana Parva (Book of Instructions). It is narrated by the grand-sage Bheeshma to Yudhishthira, imparting the knowledge of the thousand names that encompass the various manifestations, qualities, and virtues of Lord Vishnu.

Each name in the Vishnu Sahasranama carries deep symbolism and encapsulates aspects of Lord Vishnu’s cosmic role as the preserver and sustainer of the universe. Devotees believe that reciting these names not only invokes divine blessings but also helps in attaining spiritual clarity, inner peace, and protection from life’s challenges.

The Vishnu Sahasranama beautifully captures the multifaceted nature of Lord Vishnu, depicting Him as the ultimate source of creation, the embodiment of righteousness (dharma), and the supreme refuge for all beings. Through its verses, devotees gain insight into the divine attributes that guide and nurture the universe, fostering a deep connection with the divine presence of Lord Vishnu.

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Vishnu Sahasranama: A Thousand Names of the Supreme

In the recitation of a thousand names, we unveil the myriad facets of the divine. Each name is a doorway to understanding the infinite nature of Vishnu, the cosmic sustainer and preserver

1.

Audio :

viΕ›vaṁ viαΉ£αΉ‡urvaαΉ£aαΉ­kārō bhΕ«tabhavyabhavatprabhuαΈ₯ |
bhΕ«takαΉ›dbhΕ«tabhαΉ›dbhāvō bhΕ«tātmā bhΕ«tabhāvanaαΈ₯ || 1 ||


1. ViΕ›vaṁ: The all or the Universe.
2. ViαΉ£αΉ‡uαΈ₯: He who pervades everything.
3. VaαΉ£aαΉ­kāraαΈ₯: For whom the sacrificial versus are uttered in the
yajnas.
4. BhΕ«ta-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuαΈ₯: The one who is the master and
beyond the past, present and the future.
5. BhΕ«takαΉ›d: The creator and destroyer of all existences in the
universe.
6. BΕ«tabhαΉ›d: One who supports or sustains or governs the
universe.
7. BhāvaαΈ₯: Pure existence.
8. Bhūtātmā: The essence of all beings.
9. BhΕ«ta-bhāvanaαΈ₯: He who originates and develops all Elements.

2.

Audio :

pΕ«tātmā paramātmā ca muktānāṁ paramā gatiαΈ₯ |
avyayaαΈ₯ puruαΉ£aαΈ₯ sākαΉ£Δ« kαΉ£etrajñōkαΉ£ara eva ca || 2 ||


10. Pūtātmā: One whose nature is purity/who is purity.
11. Paramātmā: He who is the supreme one and the Atman.
12. Muktānāṁ paramā gatiαΈ₯: The highest goal of the liberated
ones.
13. AvyayaαΈ₯: One for whom there is no decay.
14. PuruαΉ£aαΈ₯: One who abides in the body or pura.
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15. Sākṣī: One who witnesses everything.
16. KαΉ£etrajΓ±aαΈ₯: The knower of the field or body.
17. AkαΉ£ara: He who is without destruction.

3.

Audio :

yōgō yōgavidāṁ netā pradhānapuruαΉ£eΕ›varaαΈ₯ |
nārasiṁhavapuαΈ₯ Ε›rΔ«mān keΕ›avaαΈ₯ puruṣōttamaαΈ₯ || 3 ||


18. YogaαΈ₯: One attainable through Yoga.
19. Yogavidāṁ netā: The master of those who are established in
the above-mentioned Yoga.
20. Pradhāna-puruαΉ£eΕ›varaαΈ₯: The master of pradhana or Prakriti
and Purusha or Jiva.
21. Nārasiṁha-vapuαΈ₯: One in whom the bodies of a man and a lion
are combined.
22. Śrimān: One on whose chest the goddess Shri always dwells.
23. KeΕ›avaαΈ₯: One whose Kesa or locks are beautiful.
24. PuruαΉ£ottamaαΈ₯: The greatest among all Purushas

4.

Audio :

sarvaαΈ₯ Ε›arvaαΈ₯ Ε›ivaαΈ₯ sthāṇurbhΕ«tādirnidhiravyayaαΈ₯ |
saṁbhavō bhāvanō bhartā prabhavaαΈ₯ prabhurΔ«Ε›varaαΈ₯ || 4 ||
25. SarvaαΈ₯: The omniscient source of all existence.
26. ŚarvaαΈ₯: Destroyer.
27. ŚivaαΈ₯: One pure.
28. Sthāṇur: One who is steady, immovable and changeless.
29. BhΕ«tādiαΈ₯: Source of all elements or existing things.
30. Nidhir-avyayaαΈ₯: The changeless and indestructible Being in
whom the whole universe becomes merged and remains in
seminal condition at the time of Pralaya or cosmic dissolution.
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31. SambhavaαΈ₯: One born out of His own will as incarnation.
32. BhāvanaαΈ₯: One who generates the fruits or Karmas of all Jivas
for them to enjoy.
33. Bhartā: One who supports the universe as its substratum.
34. PrabhavaαΈ₯: One from whom all the great elements have their
birth. Or one who has exalted births as incarnations.
35. PrabhuαΈ₯: One who is an adept in all rites.
36. IΕ›varaαΈ₯: One who has unlimited lordliness or power over all
things

5.

Audio :

svayaṁbhΕ«αΈ₯ Ε›aṁbhurādityaαΈ₯ puαΉ£karākṣō mahāsvanaαΈ₯ |
anādinidhanō dhātā vidhātā dhāturuttamaαΈ₯ || 5 ||

Β 
37. SvayambhΕ«αΈ₯: One who exists by Himself, uncaused by any
other.
38. ŚaṁbhuαΈ₯: One who bestows happiness on devotees.
39. Δ€dityaαΈ₯: The golden-hued person in the sun’s orb.
40. PuαΉ£karākαΉ£aαΈ₯: One who has eyes resembling the petals of
Pushkara or lotus.
41. MahāsvanaαΈ₯: One from whom comes the great sound – the
Veda.
42. Anāndi-nidhanaαΈ₯: The one existence that has neither birth nor
death.
43. Dhātā: One who is the support of the universe.
44. Vidhātā: He who generates Karmas and their fruits.
45. DhāturuttamaαΈ₯: The ultimate support of every thing

6.

Audio :

aprameyō hαΉ›αΉ£Δ«keΕ›aαΈ₯ padmanābhōmaraprabhuαΈ₯ |
viΕ›vakarmā manusvtaṣṭā sthaviαΉ£αΉ­hassthavirō dhruvaαΈ₯ || 6 ||


46. AprameyaαΈ₯: One who is not measurable or understandable by
any of the accepted means of knowledge like sense,
perception, inference etc.
47. HαΉ›αΉ£Δ«keΕ›aαΈ₯: The master of the senses or He under whose control
the senses subsist.
48. PadmanābhaαΈ₯: He in whose navel (nabhi) the lotus (padma),
the source of the universe, stands.
49. Amara-prabhuαΈ₯: The master of Amaras or the deathless ones,
i.e. the Devas.
50. ViΕ›vakarmā: He whose Karma (work) has resulted in all that
exists (Vishvam) or He whose power of creation is unique and
wonderful.
51. ManuαΈ₯: He who thinks.
52. Tvaṣṭā: He who makes all beings shrunken (Tanukarana) at the
time of cosmic dissolution.
53. SthaviαΉ£αΉ­aαΈ₯: He who excels in everything in bulk or
substantiality.
54. SthaviraαΈ₯-dhruvaαΈ₯: Eternal One, being the most ancient. It is
taken as a single phrase, the name along with its qualification.

7.

Audio :

agrāhyaαΈ₯ śāśvataαΈ₯ kṛṣṇō lōhitākαΉ£aαΈ₯ pratardanaαΈ₯ |
prabhūtastrikakubdhāma pavitraṁ maṁgalaṁ param || 7 ||


55. AgrāhyaαΈ₯: One who cannot be grasped by the organs or
knowledge or conceived by the mind.
56. ΕšΔΕ›vataαΈ₯: One who exists at all times.
57. KαΉ›αΉ£αΉ‡aαΈ₯: The existence-Knowledge-Bliss.
58. LohitākαΉ£aαΈ₯: One whose eyes are tinged red.
59. PratardanaαΈ₯: Destroyer of all at the time of cosmic dissolution.
21
60. PrabhΕ«taαΈ₯: Great because of unique qualities like
omnipotence, omniscience etc.
61. Tri-kakub-dhāma: He who is the support (dharma) of the three
regions above, below and in the middle.
62. Pavitraṁ: That which purifies everything.
63. MaαΉ…galaṁ param: Supremely auspicious

8.

Audio :

īśānaαΈ₯ prāṇadaαΈ₯ prāṇō jyeαΉ£αΉ­haαΈ₯ Ε›reαΉ£αΉ­haαΈ₯ prajāpatiαΈ₯ |
hiraαΉ‡yagarbhō bhΕ«garbhō mādhavō madhusΕ«danaαΈ₯ || 8 ||


64. ΔͺśānaαΈ₯: He who controls and regulates everything.
65. PrāṇadaαΈ₯: One who bestows or activates the Prana, the vital
energy.
66. PrāṇaαΈ₯: The Supreme Being.
67. JyeαΉ£αΉ­haαΈ₯: The eldest of all; for there is nothing before Him.
68. ŚreαΉ£αΉ­haαΈ₯: One deserving the highest praise.
69. PrajāpatiαΈ₯: The master of all living beings, because He is
Ishvara.
70. HiraαΉ‡yagarbhaαΈ₯: One who is Atman of even Brahma the
creator.
71. BhΕ«garbhaαΈ₯: One who has got the world within Himself.
72. MādhavaαΈ₯: The Consort of Ma or Mahalakshmi or one who is
fit to be known through Madhu-Vidya.
73. MadhusΕ«danaαΈ₯: The destroyer of the demon Madhu.

9.

Audio :

Δ«Ε›varō vikramΔ« dhanvΔ« medhāvΔ« vikramaαΈ₯ kramaαΈ₯ |
anuttamō durādharαΉ£aαΈ₯ kαΉ›tajΓ±aαΈ₯ kαΉ›tirātmavān || 9 ||


22
74. ΔͺΕ›varaαΈ₯: The Omnipotent Being.
75. VikramΔ«: The courageous One.
76. DhanvΔ«: One armed with bow.
77. Medhāvī: He who has great intelligence capable of grasping all
texts.
78. VikramaαΈ₯: He who crosses (Karmana) i.e. transcends samsara.
Or one who has Vih, bird i.e. Garuda as His mount.
79. KramaαΈ₯: Vishnu is called Kramah, because He is the cause of
Kramana or crossing of the ocean of samsara by devotees, or
because from Him all Krama or manifestation of the universe,
has taken place.
80. AnuttamaαΈ₯: He than whom there is none greater.
81. DurādharαΉ£aαΈ₯: One whom none (Asuras) can overcome.
82. KαΉ›tajΓ±aαΈ₯: One who knows everything about what has been
done (Kruta) by Jivas. Also one who is pleased even with those
who offer such simple offerings as leaves, flowers, fruits and
water.
83. KαΉ›tiαΈ₯: The word means what is achieved through all human
efforts or works.
84. Δ€tmavān: One established in his own greatness i.e. requiring no
other support than Himself.

10.

Audio :

sureΕ›aαΈ₯ Ε›araαΉ‡aṁ Ε›arma viΕ›varetāαΈ₯ prajābhavaαΈ₯ |
ahaαΈ₯ saṁvatsarō vyālaαΈ₯ pratyayassarvadarΕ›anaαΈ₯ || 10 ||


85. SureΕ›aαΈ₯: The lord of the Suras or Devas. It can also mean the
greatest of those who bestow good.
86. ŚaraαΉ‡aṁ: One who removes the sorrows of those in distress.
87. Śarma: One who is of the nature of supreme bliss.
88. ViΕ›varetāαΈ₯: The seed of the universe.
89. PrajābhavaαΈ₯: He from whom all beings have originated.
90. AhaαΈ₯: Luminous one.
23
91. SaṁvasaraαΈ₯: As Time is a from of Vishnu, He is called
Samvasara or a year.
92. VyālaαΈ₯: Being ungraspable like a serpent, He is called Vyalah.
93. PratyayaαΈ₯: One who is of the nature of Pratiti or Prajna
(consciousness).
94. Sarva-darΕ›anaαΈ₯: One with eyes everywhere. As the Lord has
assumed all forms, the eye-sight of all beings is His.

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