Vishnu Sahasranama Meaning 381-400

381. Vikartā विकर्ता

The previous nāma kartā spoke about His doership. This nāma speaks about His creative abilities. The subtle meaning conveyed through this nāma is that He creates multitudes of creatures, out of His own Self. Everything is created out of Him. Without Him being present, none can exist.

382. Gahanaḥ गहनः

Repetitive nāma 544.

Gahana means imperishable and impenetrable. Though everyone knows that He is the Absolute, yet it is difficult to know Him. He can be realised within, only through knowledge and meditation.

Normal human consciousness is prone to multifarious afflictions due to innumerable thought processes. When one begins to think about Him always, other thought processes become weak and cease to exist over a period of time, when His thought alone pervades his mind. When thoughts about Him become intent, He is realised as the Self.

383. Guhaḥ गुहः

He conceals His true nature through the effects of māyā.

Kaṭha Upaniṣad (II.i.12) says, “Of the size of the thumb, He resides in the body…..When a spiritual aspirant knows Him, He does not want to conceal Himself.” This means that He conceals Himself to those, who do not make any efforts to realize Him. Such men are engrossed in materialistic world, acting through their sensory organs. In spirituality, sensory organs should be mortified, because they cause lasting impressions in the mind. Unless mind is devoid of too many extraneous impressions, He cannot be realized.

Kṛṣṇa says (Bhagavad Gītā VII. 24 & 25), “The ignorant men think that I have assumed an ordinary form and fail to understand Me as the Supreme Spirit…Because of the supreme power of my māyā, I stand veiled.”

384. Vyavasāyaḥ व्यवसायः

Vyavasāya has several meanings. Contextually, determination, having a resolute mind, intellect incarnate, etc, are applicable to this nāma.

Kṛṣṇa explains this in Bhagavad Gītā (II. 40 & 41). “In karma yoga, there is only a single pointed determination (to realize the Self). But the reasoning of those who have irresolute mind is endless and ramified.”

Determination is the effect of a resolute mind. Instead of determining to realize the Self, the mind wanders in the materialistic world, gets afflicted with sensory and bodily pleasures. When the mind gets addicted to worldly pleasures, it is difficult to tame the mind.

One has to be knowledgeable to realize Him, as He is the embodiment of knowledge. This is based on the fact that only two objects of the same type can merge together to make a single entity. For example, river merges with an ocean and because of this merger, the element water remains the same ever after the merger. If fire and water are united, fire is extinguished by water. When one wants to merge with Him, then he has to become knowledgeable.

385. Vyavasthānaḥ व्यवस्थानः

He is the cause for the framework of universal laws. The cosmos functions on certain foundational principles, laid down by Him. If the laws are violated, He does not hesitate to annihilate the violators, to restore normalcy.

He is like the foundation of a building, without which, the building cannot exist.

386. Saṁsthānaḥ संस्थानः

He is the abode to all the beings at the time of annihilation. This nāma is one of the well known names of Viṣṇu.

Please refer nāma also.

387. Sthānadaḥ स्थानदः

It is derived from the words sthāna (place) + dā (to give) forming an attributive compound (masculine gender), which means ‘one who assigns a place’.

He assigns different positions to different beings based on the law of karma. What one sows, so he reaps is the basis for law of karma. Karmas are accumulated only by one’s own actions, either good or bad. Karmas stop accumulating only if one surrenders to Him.

388. Dhruvaḥ ध्रुवः

He is fixed (no changes happens in Him) like the polar star. Changelessness is the unique quality of the Brahman.

Kaṭha Upaniṣad (II.ii.13) explains this as “nityo'nityānāṁ नित्योऽनित्यानां” which means ‘He who is permanent among the impermanent.’

389. Parardhiḥ परर्धिः

He is the One who has supreme manifestations. This nāma originates from the word ṛddha ऋद्ध, meaning prosperous, abundant, wealthy. Viṣṇu is an embodiment of all these qualities and hence this nāma.

Bhagavad Gītā talks about His supreme forms in chapter XI. The supremacy of the Brahman cannot be seen, but has to be realized only through mind. Seeing is an act that has boundaries and objects seen are perishable, whereas the Lord is beyond boundaries and eternal.

390. Paramaspaṣṭaḥ परमस्पष्टः

Parama means conspicuous and spaṣṭa means clearly perceived, distinctly visible, etc. He is clearly visible to those who seek Him through their minds.

Brahman can be realized only in an un-afflicted mind. Mind will always have too many thoughts at a time. These thoughts will not be formed if one disassociates himself from the end results of all his actions. In other words, if one chooses to surrender unto Him, the concept of doership would be lost paving way to realise His omnipresence. He prevails everywhere.

391. Tuṣṭaḥ तुष्टः

Tuṣṭa means contended. He is the One, who does not expect anything from His devotees except their unsullied devotion.

Brahman does not expect anything from those who pursue spiritual paths, as He is beyond needs and always remains contended. What He expects is purity of mind and perpetual thought about Him. From dualistic point of view, if spiritual person puts one step towards the Brahman, He moves towards the devotee by two steps.

It can also be explained that as He always remain contended, He always remains in the state of Bliss. He can be realized only if the mind of an aspirant remains in the state of bliss.

392. Puṣṭaḥ पुष्टः

He is full, an exclusive quality of the Brahman.

The well known invocation explains this quality.

पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते॥

pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate |
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate ||

Brahman is full; this Brahman with names and forms is also full. The fullness comes from that fullness. If the fullness of the fullness is accepted, what is left behind is only fullness.

   This can be explained as follows: The invisible Brahman, who is omnipresent, is the cause for all that we see as names, forms and shapes. The latter is also known as the effect. In other words, from the cause emerges the effect, both being Brahman. Cause is pūrṇam and since the effect originates from the cause, which is pūrṇam, the effect is also pūrṇam. When both and effect are pūrṇam, naturally pūrṇam prevails everywhere. This is the omnipresence of the Brahman.

393. Śubhekṣaṇaḥ शुभेक्षणः

Śubhekṣaṇa refers to the One who has auspicious eyes. His mere look alone is capable of conferring auspiciousness. Because of His look, those who desire for material prosperity get the same; but they continue to transmigrate. Those who seek liberation, attain liberation. But as long as attachment to material world persists, liberation cannot be attained.

394. Rāmaḥ रामः

Rāma means pleasing, pleasant, etc and in the pleasing and pleasant nature of the Brahman, Yogī-s reside. Brahman is full of bliss and the great Yogī-s by focussing their minds on Him experience His blissfulness. When they are enjoying His Bliss, they do not need anything. They continue to stay in a rapturous state, unmindful of the needs of their bodies.

One can begin to enjoy His Bliss, if one firmly decides to pursue spiritual path.

395. Virāmaḥ विरामः

Virāma means cessation. Brahman is the Abode of all the individual souls. When the individual souls cease to transmigrate, they merge with Him, not to be born again. Transmigration ceases only if one surrenders unto Him, dissolving the thought of doership.

396. Virajaḥ विरजः

Viraja means, free from passion. When the Yogī-s who perpetually stay connected with Him become free from passions, as discussed in the previous nāma. He is the greatest source of happiness and if one is able to establish connection with Him and consciously stay with Him all the time, obviously the Yogī will not have any earthly passions.

This can be compared to a situation where one is unwilling to come out of an air-conditioned place in peak summer. The hot weather outside is bondage arising due to attachment to the material world and the air-conditioned place is His bliss.

397. Mārgaḥ मार्गः

Repetitive nāma 365.

Mārga means path and contextually it means the path to liberation. One can traverse through the path of liberation only if he attains enough spiritual knowledge.

Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (VI.15) explains this. It says, “ayanāya anyaḥ panthāḥ na vidyate अयनाय अन्यः पन्थाः न विद्यते”, meaning there is no other way to go. The Scripture subtly conveys that acquiring knowledge is the only path to attain liberation and there is no other way.

Story about a young man: In a holy city, an international conference was arranged to discuss about Self-realisation. Many leading spiritual gurus were invited to participate. The conference was held in a posh hotel. A poor young boy who was living adjacent to the hotel was standing outside the hotel, to have a glimpse of spiritual gurus, who alighted from several plush cars. The boy was not allowed to stand anywhere near the hotel. The boy was arguing with the security. The boy said to the security, “God is everywhere and why should these people discuss about Him by spending so much of money. He is within you and He is within me. When we are looking at the world, we have to look through the eyes of God. Then there is no question of duality. It is as simple as that. These men are not realized souls and I am wasting my time here trying to have a glimpse of these men.” By saying this he walked away. Not only the security, but the organizer, a leading spiritual guru, who was standing at the entrance to welcome the guests were awestruck. What subsequently happened is another story.

398. Neyaḥ नेयः

Neya means to be governed or to be brought to a state. He leads the spiritual seekers to realize Him through the path of liberation as discussed in the previous nāma. There are several states before realizing Him and He helps His true seekers to pass through these different states to attain perfection.

He can be realised through proper meditation. Meditation is a process wherein the impressions of material world is removed gradually, paving way for His realisation. When all the though processes are muted, one’s consciousness becomes pure. This leads to focusing on Him and as a result of which He pervades the mind. Ultimately, the yogī realizes the Brahman in his mind. This is the spiritual path or mārga.

399. Nayaḥ नयः

Naya means leading. Not all the spiritual seekers attain liberation. He leads only those seekers who sincerely make all-out efforts to realize Him.

It can also be said that He leads the entire universe according to the Law of Karma.

400. Anayaḥ अनयः

He does not have a leader. He is the Supreme and beyond Him there is nobody. This refers to the purest state of one’s consciousness, where He is realised as Bliss.