Vishnu Sahasranama 226 - 257

226. Sahasrākṣaḥ सहस्राक्षः

He has thousand eyes. This is an extension of nāma-s 224 and 225. Because of having infinite heads, He has infinite eyes. This infinity also means that He is present as ātman or soul (nāma 225) in all the beings. Omnipresence of the Brahman is once again affirmed.

Nārāyaṇa Sūktam opens by saying, “the Self-illuminating Brahman has many heads and many eyes….”

227. Sahasrapāt सहस्रपात्

He has infinite feet, again an extension of nāma 224. Nāma-s 224, 226 and 227 also appear in the opening verse of Puruṣasūktam.

sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ| sahasrākṣa sahasrapāt| सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः। सहस्राक्ष सहस्रपात्।

This means that He has thousands (infinite) of heads, thousands of eyes and thousands of feet.

Though these sayings may appear to preach dualism, in reality, they advocate only non-dualism. By saying that Puruṣa has multitudes of heads, eyes and feet, the scriptures subtly convey that the Brahman is present as individual soul in all the beings. Multitude of heads, eyes and feet convey the multitude of organisms, including humanity, for which He alone is the cause. The Brahman does not create. He only manifests. The destruction is only for the gross body and not for the soul within. The soul is eternal.  

228. Āvartanaḥ आवर्तनः

Āvartana means circular motion. Viṣṇu, as the Brahman rotates the cycle of transmigration, also known as saṃsāra. It is called as a wheel because birth and death happen like a wheel going up and down. When there is birth, there is bound to be death. The process of transmigration ceases only if one becomes a jīvanmukta. After the death of a jīvanmukta, his soul merges with the Brahman, not to be born again. A jīvanmukta does not attain this status easily. His process of becoming a jīvanmukta starts from acquiring knowledge and ends with realising the Brahman and stays connected with Him all the time, until his physical body dies. After his death, he becomes one with the Brahman.

This nāma says that Viṣṇu is the cause for the cycle of birth and death, until one realizes Him. Kṛṣṇa explains this in Bhagavad Gītā (XVIII. 61-63). “Arjuna, the Lord abides in the hearts of all beings, causing them to revolve according to their karma-s as if attached to a machine (refer nāma 222. Netā), by His cosmic delusion known as māyā. Take shelter in Him completely, and by His mere grace, you shall obtain Supreme Peace and the Eternal Abode.”

229. Nivṛttātmā निवृत्तात्मा

It is nivṛtta + ātma. Nivṛtta means uninfluenced by worldly desires. Brahman though is the cause for the manifestation of the universe and its individual beings, He is not responsible for individual acts of a person. Individual acts unfold in a man when the impressions of his sub-conscious mind percolates into his mind inducing him to act according to his karmas. The mind has to be freed from such afflictions so that the Brahman can be realised within. Ātma refers to the Brahman.

The nāma conveys the saying of Upaniṣad-s that Brahman does not partake in any of the activities of a man and remains only as a witness.

230. Saṁvṛtaḥ संवृतः

Saṁvṛta means concealed or covered. Brahman is covered by avidya or spiritual ignorance in an individual soul, thereby causing ego in a person. This avidya is also known as māyā. In order to realise the Self-illuminating Brahman, one has to transcend māyā, as the Brahman remains concealed by māyā.

Kṛṣṇa explains this in Bhagavad Gītā (VII.13 & 14). “The beings are deluded by the effects of three guṇa-s. Hence, they fail to know Me as immutable and distinct from them. This is because, the divine illusion māyā comprising of these three guṇa-s is difficult to transcend. However, those who perpetually take refuge in Me alone are able to transcend my māyā. Māyā is also the creation of the Brahman.”

Kṛṣṇa also says in Bhagavad Gītā (VII. 25), “Veiled by yogamāyā, I do not manifest to all. Hence ignorant men fail to recognise Me....”

231. Sampramardanaḥ सम्प्रमर्दनः

He is the destroyer, the third act of the Brahman. Anyone who is born is bound to shed his physical body when the time comes. This is the natural process of destruction or death. Apart from the natural process of death, when evil doers predominate, He destroys them to uphold dharma. The good and the bad are balanced only by the Brahman to keep the universe afloat. If this balance is affected beyond a point, Brahman chooses to annihilate the universe, only to re-create again. This nāma refers to His third act of causing individual deaths. It is like demolishing a dilapidated house and re-constructing it.

232. Ahaḥ saṁvartakaḥ अहः संवर्तकः

This nāma is an extension of the previous nāma. The previous nāma talked about death of individuals and this nāma speaks about the annihilation of the universe as a whole. The fifth act of the Brahman is the re-creation. He is the annihilator of the universe. Aha is a word of affirmation to the next part of this nāma saṁvartaka, which means annihilation. This nāma affirms that He carries out the fourth act of the Brahman, the annihilation.

233. Vahniḥ वह्निः

Vahni refers to agni, the fire. Vahni particularly refers to the agni that carries the oblations offered in sacrificial pits.  Vahni carries these oblations to the invoked gods in the fire altar. All fire rituals are overseen by Viṣṇu and hence, He is addressed as Vahni in this nāma.

Kṛṣṇa talks about this Bhagavad Gītā (IX.16). “I am the Vedic ritual, I am the sacrifice, I am the offering to the departed; …I am the sacred fire and I am the act of offering oblations into the fire.”

234. Anilaḥ अनिलः

Repetitive nāma 812.

Anila refers to the wind god Vāyu. Since Viṣṇu is prāṇa or vital air, He is adored here as Anila.  Without prāṇa, existence is not possible. 

Anila is one of the eight Vasus.

235. Dharaṇīdharaḥ धरणीधरः

Dharaṇi means the earth and dhara means supporting. This nāma says that Viṣṇu supports the earth, in the form of a boar, His Varāhāvatār.  He rescued the earth, which was submerged in deep waters. Lord’s compassion is being discussed through this nāma. 

This nāma also conveys one of the three acts of the Brahman, the sustenance.  It is only due to the Grace of Viṣṇu, the earth is being sustained.

236. Suprasādaḥ सुप्रसादः

Prasāda means graciousness, kindness, etc and su enhances the meaning of the word prasāda.  Viṣṇu is the embodiment of graciousness and kindness. He is fond of true devotees.  He is waiting to shower His grace on sincere devotees.  True devotion, the deep love for Him, has to blossom forth from one’s mind. One need not search Him elsewhere as He dwells within our body, as the Self.

237. Prasannātmā प्रसन्नात्मा

There are several meanings for the word prasanna. Generally, prasīdan means pleasing. The personality of Viṣṇu is always pleasing, not because of his pleasing personality alone, but because of His compassion and concern towards all the beings. Concern for others is always reflected in one’s face.  As far as He is concerned, He does not distinguish between a devotee and a non-devotee.  For Him, everyone is the same.  The one, who realizes Him, attains liberation, not to be born again does not undergo pains and miseries generally associated with transmigrations. Ātma refers to the Brahman. 

This nāma highlights His inherent nature.

238. Viśvadhṛk विश्वधृक्

Viśva means all pervading and dhṛk means supporting.  The Brahman, being omnipresent supports the universe. The multifarious activities of the universe cannot be supported by someone, who is not omnipresent.  Brahman alone can support the whole universe.

239. Viśvabhuk विश्वभुक्

He is all enjoying, all possessing and eats everything.  These are the exclusive qualities of the Brahman. He is enjoying the ignorant acts of the beings by happily witnessing their actions associated with ego, forgetting the fact that their own karmas are responsible for their actions.  Deluded by māyā, they always brood over their pasts of think about the future, refusing to live in the present moment.  

This nāma subtly conveys the three acts of the Brahman.  He enjoys in His act of creation.  By possessing complete of knowledge of His creations, He sustains them.  The third act of the Brahman is annihilation which is described here as eating.

240. Vibhuḥ विभुः

Repetitive nāma 880.

Vibhu means bestowing riches.  Viṣṇu is the bestower of worldly riches to those who ask for it.

Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (I.i.6) while explaining about the Brahman, uses the world ‘vibhu’.  The Upaniṣad says that Brahman is invisible, cannot be grasped, whose origin is unknown, formless, without eyes, ears, hands and feet, eternal, extensive (vibhuṁ), all pervasive, subtlest of all, etc.  The Upaniṣad has used the word vibhuṁ to mean the extensive or the omnipresent nature of the Brahman. The omnipresent nature of the Brahman is not realised because of māyā.  Māyā succeeds in upholding the spiritual ignorance in man, as a result of which, he thinks he is the doer.  If māyā is properly understood and transcended, His omnipresent nature can be realised. After all, darkness is dispelled by light.

241. Satkartā सत्कर्ता

Sat refers to wise men.  Wise are those, who have understood the illusionary effect of māyā and understood the omnipresent nature of the Brahman, as explained in the previous nāma. Viṣṇu honours wise men, as they are very close to Him.  They are just waiting to become one with Him.  The Lord also feels happy because, these wise men uphold virtuousness, which is always upheld by

242. Satkṛtaḥ सत्कृतः

He is worshipped by those who are worthy of worship in their own capacities. There are two kinds of men who are worthy of worship.  Those who are well versed in Vedas and other scriptures and who become authorities on ritualistic worship, form the first kind. Because of their thorough knowledge on Holy Scriptures, they are worshipped. Second type of men are those who have realized the Self, known as jīvanmukta.  The second type of men mostly goes unnoticed as they do not exhibit themselves by any specific attire or paraphernalia.  The latter category merely exists in this world to ward off their remaining karmas and merge with the Brahman after their death.  The first category of men has to undergo further spiritual transformation to attain the Brahman and is bound to be reborn.  Brahman cannot be realized through rituals alone and one has to explore within to realize the Self.

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gītā (IX.13-15), “Those who are pursuing spiritual path, knowing Me as the source of all beings and eternal, worship Me all the time with single minded devotion, always chanting My names and glories, working hard to attain Me with determined devotion and prostrate before Me through meditation. Others worship My Absolute formless nature, as their own selves through knowledge.  Yet others worship Me through My diverse celestial forms.”

This nāma says that Viṣṇu is worshipped by both the category of men.  Both these categories of men are worthy of worship.

243. Sādhuḥ साधुः

Sādhu means righteous, honourble, virtuous, etc.  The word also refers to a saint, sage or seer. Since Viṣṇu is the upholder of dharma, He is addressed here as Sādhu. He is an embodiment of all these qualities. A Sādhu is one, who never deviates from the path of virtues and without any wants. 

244. Jahnuḥ जह्नुः

Brahman has five primary duties and they are creation, sustenance, dissolution, annihilation and recreation.  Since Viṣṇu performs all these acts, He is adored as the Brahman.  This particular nāma refers to the act of annihilation.  When the balance between sin and virtues tilt towards sins, Brahman chooses to annihilate the entire universe and recreates again to uphold virtues. 

Jahnu also refers to a dark enclosed space, which can be explained as the seat of the soul.    

245. Nārāyaṇaḥ नारायणः

Nārāyaṇa can be better explained through Mahānārāyaṇa Upaniṣad, chapter XIII, called Nārāyaṇa sūktaṁ, which consists of 12 verses. The Upaniṣad says, “Nārāyaṇa is the Brahman. He is the Self and the Supreme Light. The world is pervaded by Nārāyaṇa both within and externally. He dwells in the heart as described in all the Upaniṣad-s. He is the Self illuminating Brahman.”

Because He is the abode of all the beings He is called Nārāyaṇa. This is the most commonly uttered name of Viṣṇu. ॐ नमो नारायणाय Om namo Nārāyaṇāya is called aṣṭākṣarī mantra (containing eight syllables).  Om namaśivāya is known pañcākṣarī mantra (containing five syllables).

246. Naraḥ नरः

This nāma has originated from the previous nāma. Nara refers to a man and nāra means the entire humanity. Viṣṇu guides the entire humanity.  He guides the humanity towards liberation. The ignorant ones never follow His guidance and continue to be deluded by māyā. The eternal liberation continues to be elusive to them. 

Spiritually speaking, there is no difference between nara and nāra.  The Brahman is all pervasive, be it an individual or the entire beings. If this reality is understood, a religious person begins to transform into a spiritual personality. 

This nāma is used to worship Him as the ultimate guide to the humanity.

247. Asaṁkhyeyaḥḥ असंख्येयः

He manifests in different shapes and forms.  Only the external shapes and forms are different.  The inner Self always remains the same in all the beings. That is why, great importance is attached to universal brotherhood.  Universal brotherhood means not only being compassionate to the fellow humans but all the fellow living beings. The Self within in a man, an animal or a plant does not differ.  It is the same everywhere.

Irrespective of the number of living species, the Brahman does not undergo even the slightest change.  The Brahman does not change at any time, be it creation, absorption, annihilation or recreation. 

Upaniṣad-s say,

pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇamadacyate | 

pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate ||  

पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमदच्यते।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते॥

The meaning is ‘That (the Brahman) is infinite. This (the universe) is infinite. This (the universe) is only the projection of That (the Brahman). If this (the universe) is taken away, That (the Brahman) remains infinite as before.’

The Brahman does not change during any of His five primary acts.   During the annihilation, when the entire universe enters into Him, He remains the same as before. Brahman alone is beyond modifications and is eternal.

248. Aprameyātmā अप्रमेयात्मा

Nāma 46 is Aprameyaḥ.

Aprameya means that one who cannot be measured. Only the Brahman cannot be measured as He is infinite. The Self within is mysterious and inexplicable.  What is remaining within as smaller than an atom pervades the entire universe. Hence the Self is described as immeasurable and cannot be known through senses.  Even Upaniṣad-s attempt to explain the Brahman only by negations and affirmations.  However, Brahman can be experienced. Again the experience is not uniform in everyone.

249. Viśiṣṭaḥ विशिष्टः

Viśiṣṭa means preeminence. Brahman excels in everything. Everything originates from the Brahman alone. Unless one is personified with something, it cannot be given to others. This way, Brahman is the personification of everything. The creation and sustenance of the universe happens out of the energies of the Brahman.

Nārāyaṇa Sūktam (verse 2) explains this by saying “viśvataḥ paramaṁ nityaṁ” which means ‘higher than the world and endless’. The quality of the Brahman is endless, irrespective of the fact that the entire universe is being nourished by the Brahman without any modification happening in Him. This nāma reaffirms the supremacy of the Brahman.

250. Śiṣṭakṛt शिष्टकृत्

This is an extension of the previous nāma. Because of the pre-eminence of the Brahman, He is in a position to command. Śiṣṭa means command. His commands become precepts, as He is a disciplinarian (Śiṣṭa also means disciplined). Upaniṣad-s say that everyone acts, fearing the wrath of the Brahman.

251. Śuciḥ शुचिः

Repetitive nāma 155, where He was adored as the purifier. The present nāma says He is glowing. Brahman alone is Self-illuminating and every other thing derives light only from Him. Kaṭha Upaniṣad (II.ii.15) says, “In the presence of the Brahman, the sun does not shine, nor do the moon and stars, nor does lightning, let alone this fire. When Brahman shines, everything else follows and by Its light all these are lighted.”

That is why Brahman is addressed as Prakāśa, which means Self-illuminating.

252. Siddhārthaḥ सिद्धार्थः

Siddhārtha means the one who has accomplished an aim. Like freewill, there is a concept called Divine will. Divine will is the will of the Brahman to create and sustain that remain uninfluenced by any factors. He cannot even be attained by devotion alone. One’s karmic account should permit to attain Him. Only good thoughts and actions cause good karmic account. Even good karmic account does not give liberation. Only the total surrender to Him alone gives liberation, when the karmic account becomes zero. This nāma says that the aspiration of the Brahman is to offer liberation to everyone. Since men are bound by their own actions, they are unable to attain liberation.

253. Siddhasaṅkalpaḥ सिद्धसङ्कल्पः

Because He is omnipotent, He is able to fulfil all His resolutions. Why the Brahman alone is able to fulfil all His resolutions? Chāndogya Upaniṣad (VIII.vii.1) answers this, “He is free from sin, free from old age, free from death, free from sorrow, free from hunger and thirst. It is the cause of desire for Truth and for commitment to Truth.” Taittirīya Upaniṣad says ‘satyam’ (truth) is Brahman. Because He is committed to Truth, He is able to accomplish all His resolutions. His only resolution is to offer liberation to those who seek liberation. There are two kinds of people. First kind of people seeks liberation and in order to attain liberation, they are willing to forego their material comforts. The second kind of people is not interested in liberation and pursues materialistic life. Unless liberation is pursued, it cannot be attained. He resolves to offer liberation to those who seek liberation in the prescribed manner.

254. Siddhidaḥ सिद्धिदः

He is the giver siddhi. Siddhi in this context refers to emancipation and not superhuman powers. Brahman does not give superhuman powers. They are attained by tough meditations. This nāma is to be read with few of the previous nāma-s, which talk about the Supremacy of the Brahman. He gives liberation or siddhi, provided one seeks liberation properly, as discussed in the previous nāma. Liberation is not attained through religious practices, but by constantly staying connected with Him. One’s consciousness should always be fixed with Him. The penultimate state to liberation is the state of jīvanmukta. Jīvanmukta means, getting liberated during one’s life time. He continues to live in a liberated state till his body dies.  

The nāma says that He alone is capable of offering liberation.

255. Siddhisādhanaḥ सिद्धिसाधनः

He guides well all those who seek liberation. Sādhana in this context means perfection or perfect practice. Libration can be attained only through perfect practice. Both mental and physical training is necessary to attain liberation. When He pervades in one’s mind, He makes to him to seek the right spiritual path that culminates in liberation. This nāma says that He shapes and finetunes a true seeker to attain liberation.

Brahman is ever ready to offer liberation. At the same time, He has also unleashed His power of concealment and projection that is deceptive in nature called as māyā. Māyā is testing tool in the hands of the Brahman to offer liberation. If one is able to transcend māyā, the illusionary aspect of the Divine, he becomes a perfect person to attain liberation. Liberation is not a miracle, but a gradual process happens over a period of long time.

256. Vṛṣāhī वृषाही

He is an embodiment of dharma. Vṛṣa among several other meanings, also include virtuous act. Viṣṇu is the upholder of dharma and this nāma highlights this aspect of the Brahman. Brahman is always virtuous and all virtues originate from Him. Vṛṣa also means anything that is mot excellent of its kind.

Many times, there will be a combination of dualism and non-dualism in scriptures and Viṣṇu Sahasranāma is not an exception. Such combination arises when the author develops intent love for Him, leading to frequent trances. During such trances, the author does not know what he writes. The author’s love for Him overtakes the logic behind such narrations. This nāma is one among them.

257. Vṛṣabhaḥ वृषभः

Vṛṣabha means the One who showers bounties. When He is properly approached, He gives whatever is prayed for. As discussed earlier, people pray for two things. One is the material prosperity. They are ignorant and afflicted with bondage and attachment. The other class is spiritual seekers. They seek only liberation and are willing to sacrifice material prosperity. Material life and spiritual life cannot co-exist in a person. The choice is to be made by the individuals.

Prayers are not answered that easily, unless one’s devotion transforms into love for Him. Devotion defers from love. In devotion, He is worshipped keeping Him on a pedestal, as a result of which His closeness is not ensured. Whereas in love, one lives with Him and there is no distance between the devotee and the Brahman, as they become one.