Vishnu Sahasranama 201 - 225
201. Saṁdhātā संधाता
Saṃdhātṛ mean the one, who joins together. As the One, who upholds the universe, He connects one’s karma with jīva. It is only the karma that determines the quality of a person, with the soul merely remaining as a witness. A soul manifests through three types of bodies – causal, subtle and gross bodies, through which karmas manifest. Law of karma is the law of the Lord.
It can also be interpreted that He causes the bondage of jīva with Him.
202. Sandhimān सन्धिमान्
Realisation of the Brahman is possible only if all the fruits of actions are surrendered to the Brahman. If actions are performed with intent on the fruits of actions, karmas accrue causing the postponement of liberation.
Since all His true devotees surrender their fruits of actions to Him, this nāma adores Him as the enjoyer of the fruits of their actions.
203. Sthiraḥ स्थिरः
Sthira means changeless an exclusive quality of the Brahman. Brahman is eternal.
Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gītā (II.24), “The Soul is eternal, omnipresent, immovable constant and everlasting.”
204. Ajaḥ अजः
Repetitive nāma-s at 95 and 521.
There are various interpretations to this nāma. Aja means the one who drives and according to this meaning this nāma refers to the Self, without which nothing can move. Thus he becomes the driver of the universe. After all, the Self is subtler than the causal body.
Aja also means the māyā, the concealing and projecting power of the Brahman. Without the presence of māyā, creation is not possible and māyā permeates throughout the universe. When one is able to transcend māyā, he is able to realize the Self-illuminating Brahman.
It is also said that this nāma refers to His act of destroying the evil to uphold righteousness. This is confirmed in the next nāma.
205. Durmarṣaṇaḥ दुर्मर्षणः
Durmarṣaṇa means unmanageable. Viṣṇu’s wrath is unmanageable for the evil doers. Viṣṇu’s primary responsibility is to uphold dharma as He is the Lord of Dharma. Anything contrary to the dictums of śāstra-s is considered as an act of evil and the embodiments of such evils are generally called as demons.
This is further explained in the next nāma.
206. Śāstrā शास्त्रा
Śāstra means the compendium of rules for upholding dharma. It is a guide to the way of living a pious and religious life. By following the dictums of śāstra-s, one can control his senses. For example, there is a treatise called Saṁkṣepa Dharma Śāstra, where dharma is explained as the way of living without hatred, attachments and desires and does not act against conscience. The underlying principles of all the śāstra-s are the four Vedas.
With the change of time, śāstra-s are also undergoing changes.
207. viśrutātmā विश्रुतात्मा
Viśrut means celebrated and learned person and ātma refers to the Self-illuminating Brahman, praised by the Vedas. Upaniṣad-s also praise the Brahman as the embodiment truth, knowledge and infinity; and existence, consciousness and bliss. Advaita Vedānta says that all that exist in the universe is only the Brahman.
This nāma praises Viṣṇu as the all knowing Brahman.
208. Surārihā सुरारिहा
Surāri means enemy of gods commonly known as demons. All of Viṣṇu’s incarnations are only to destroy evil doers such as demons in order to uphold dharma.
This nāma adores Him as the destroyer of demons.
209. Guruḥ गुरुः
Though guru generally means a teacher who imparts knowledge, contextually it refers to the one who imparts spiritual knowledge. This nāma particularly refers to Viṣṇu’s incarnation as Kṛṣṇa, who is often revered as loka guru or the spiritual preceptor of the universe.
The primary quality of a guru is that he should be a Self realized person. Spiritual knowledge can be imparted only out one’s own spiritual experience and not by reading or interpreting texts. Gurugītā, a scripture exclusively deals with the qualities of guru and method of paying obeisance to him says that there are five important qualities (II.87) for a guru. They are: to conceal his true nature (devoid of ego), strong minded (will power), kind to all the beings (universal brotherhood), upholding silence and unexpectedly showers his grace on his disciples at his discretion.
Practically, the final stages of spirituality can be taught only by a true guru. Till one finds a guru, confusions will continue to prevail in his mind about the Brahman. Guru is worshipped as Brahmā, the creator; as Viṣṇu, the sustainer and Maheśvara, the absorber. A true guru is held in a higher position than these three principal Gods. The next nāma further explains this.
210. Gurutamaḥ गुरुतमः
Gurutama means the best teacher. He is the one who teaches out of his own experience and not through scriptures. Knowledge obtained through scriptures is totally different from knowledge attained through direct experience.
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (VI.ii.12) classifies persons to whom such direct experience of the Brahman can be shared by way of teaching. The Upaniṣad says, “Vedānta teaches the great secret of how liberation can be attained. This secret was taught in ancient times, but it was not taught to people whose minds were not under control. It was not taught to anyone other than a son or disciple. But even a son or disciple was not taught, if his mind was not under control.”
211. Dhāma धाम
Dhāma refers to the class of superhuman beings. Viṣṇu is also known as Paraṁdhāma, the highest among the superhuman beings, which refers to the Brahman.
Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa (Bhagavad Gītā) as, “paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paraṁ bhavān परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परं भवान्”. This means “You are the Supreme Brahman, Supreme Abode and the Supreme Purifier.” Here dhāma is used to mean the Supreme Abode, the place of the Self. The Self alone is self illuminating or svaprākāśa.
Therefore, this nāma conveys two interpretations. It says that Viṣṇu is the Supreme Abode of all the beings. It also says that Viṣṇu exists in the form of Self-illuminating light within, witnessing all the acts of a jīva. Kaṭha Upaniṣad (II.ii.15) says that in the presence of this Light, sun does not shine, nor the moon and stars, nor does the lightning.
212. Satyaḥ सत्यः
Repetitive nāma-s 106 and 869.
Satya means truth. The truth that is being discussed here is the eternal truth, the omnipresent nature of the Brahman. When this Truth is realized, Vedānta itself does not have any significance, as Vedānta and Upaniṣad-s reveal the ways and means of realizing the Brahman. That is why, Upaniṣad-s call Brahman as satyaṁ-jñānaṁ-anantaṁ brahma. Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (II.i.20) also says, “from this Self emanate all worlds, gods and beings and this secret is known as Truth of Truth.” The Upaniṣad describes Brahman as, “Not this, not this (negation) because there is no appropriate description than ‘not this’. Its (Brahman) name is ‘The Truth of Truth’. The vital force (prāṇa) is the Truth.”
This nāma adores Viṣṇu as the embodiment of Truth. Here truth is not a statement. It affirms the omnipresent and infinitude of the Brahman. This is the Truth referred in this nāma.
213. Satyaparākramaḥ सत्यपराक्रमः
He is effectively valorous. Satya in this nāma is used to mean effectiveness. It is not enough if one remains valorous. He has to put that into use in order to uphold dharma. All of Viṣṇu’s incarnations are effectively used to destroy the evil doers (demons) in order to uphold dharma. Hence He is addressed as Satyaparākrama.
214. Nimiṣaḥ निमिषः
Nimiṣa means closing of eye lids. When one enters trance, eye lids are automatically closed. In rare cases, one can enter the state of trance by keeping his eyes open. Though eyes are open, his vision gets automatically disconnected thereby connection between the materialistic world and his mind is snapped. Gabriel Pradiipaka describes this phenomenon thus: “Yogī experiences nimīlanasamādhi (closed eyes) and experiences his own self. Secondly he is able to see his own Self in everything (this is unmīlanasamādhi).”
A famous posture of Viṣṇu is His yoganidrā, His meditative sleep. Viṣṇu undertakes His yoganidrā at the end of each yuga (comprising of several thousand years). When He enters into His yoganidrā, annihilation of the universe begins and at the end of His yoganidrā, re-creation begins. There is a concept behind this yoganidrā. When one enters trance, he gradually gets himself disconnected from the materialistic world and begins his merger with the Brahman. During this time, he does not think anything else except the Brahman and His all pervasiveness. When he comes back to his normal active state, he gradually loses his consciousness on the Brahman to get himself submerged in the materialistic world. This is similar to jīvanmukta. A yogi practices this frequently and ultimately becomes one with the Brahman or videhamukata (merging with the Brahman after death).
As far as this nāma is concerned, Viṣṇu enters into trance to annihilate and re-create the universe, the two important acts of the Brahman.
215. Animiṣaḥ अनिमिषः
This nāma conveys the opposite meaning to the previous nāma. This nāma says that He does not wink His eyes. If it is taken to describe the jīvātman within, then it means that the Self within always remains awake, even in the third level of consciousness, the deep sleep state. The Self is beyond all the stages of consciousness. He neither sleeps nor remains awake, confirming His state of remaining without any modifications.
216. Sragvī स्रग्वी
Srag means the possessor of garland. Viṣṇu wears a garland called vaijayanti in His chest, which is made up five gems. These five gems represent the five tanmātra-s (rudimentary subtle elements like sound, touch, etc). Because Viṣṇu is wearing the garland of vaijayanti, He is addressed as Sragvī.
217. Vācaspatir-udāradhiḥ वाचस्पतिर्-उदारधिः
Vācaspati refers to the god of speech; udāradhi means sagacious or highly insightful. Sound originates from the Śabda Brahman and hence, He is revered as god of speech. The second part of this nāma refers to His insightfulness, which can be explained to mean that the Brahman needs enormous insight to carry out creation, sustenance and dissolution.
After having discussed about the origin of tanmātra-s in the previous nāma from which gross elements evolve, this nāma says that sound (one of the tanmātra-s) originates from Him. The importance of sound is highlighted here as Vedas are modifications of sound. The second of part of the nāma praises His acumen.
218. Agraṇīḥ अग्रणीः
He is the One, who leads His true devotees to higher spiritual realms. The highest spiritual realm is Viṣṇu’s abode, which can be reached only through liberation. To attain liberation, one has to cross several impediments. Spiritual pursuit begins with acquiring knowledge and ends with realizing the Brahman within.
219. Grāmaṇiḥ ग्रामणिः
Grāmaṇi originates from the word grāma and in this context grāma means the collection of human beings or the entire humanity, including plant and animal kingdoms. Viṣṇu leads all the beings and arrange them in an orderly fashion. This nāma is an extension of the previous nāma. Previous nāma said that He leads His devotees to liberation. This nāma talks about the origin of such devotees. They are the one who have meticulously followed the path shown by Him.
220. Śrīmān श्रीमान्
Repetitive nāma-s at 22, 178 and 613.
He is radiant. Brahman alone is Self-illuminating. This illumination is explained in Kaṭha Upaniṣad (II.ii.15) which says that when the Brahman shines, everything else follows. By His light alone luminaries like sun and moon are lighted. This Light also prevails in all of us. Those who are able to realize this Light within are called as Self-realized persons.
221. Nyāyaḥ न्यायः
Nyāya means justice. Viṣṇu is the sustainer of the universe through law of karma, which is also known as the Law of the Lord. Law of karma is based on the theory ‘what is sown is reaped’. Law of karma is the justice system of the Lord and Viṣṇu upholds this justice system, and hence He is called Nyāyaḥ.
222. Netā नेता
The universe is described as a machine, and He is the operator of the machine. Every action of the universe is fully automated and purely depends upon the theory of interdependency. For example, if the distance between the two planets is affected, it will lead to a disastrous collision in the cosmos. Take, for example, a man. He has to depend on various sense organs to do an act. Eyes have to see and pass on the information to the mind; if the mind is in doubt, it refers to intellect; mind conveys its decision to organs of action such as hands and legs to complete an act. If any of these organs function without dependent on others, the act cannot be carried in a proper manner. Without His presence, the universe cannot even exist, leave alone its functioning. Brahman though is the cause for all actions, does not partake in any of the actions. He merely witnesses all the actions that unfold in the universe. He is witnessing because He has already arranged everything in orderly fashion as per nāma-s 219 and 221.
Therefore, this nāma says that He is the cause (the operator) for all the activities of the universe.
223. Samīraṇaḥ समीरणः
Samīraṇa means ‘causing movement because of air’. This nāma says that Viṣṇu causes movement of all the beings by infusing prāṇa. The formation of a fetus also happens only due to prāṇa. The physical body dies only due to the escape of prāṇa. It is only due to prāṇa, a life is created, sustained and destroyed.
Taittirīya Upaniṣad (I.i.1) explains this. “śaṁ no viṣṇururukramaḥ| namo brahmaṇe| namaste vāyo|tvameva pratyakṣaṁ brahmāsi| शं नो विष्णुरुरुक्रमः। नमो ब्रह्मणे। नमस्ते वायो।त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि।”. This means, ‘Viṣṇu who walks with long strides (the well known three long steps in His Vāmana avatar) bless us. Salutation to the Brahman (this salutation confirms that Viṣṇu is the Brahman). Salutation to Vāyu, you are none other than Brahman. I declare you as the explicit evidence of the Brahman.’ The Upaniṣad says that Vāyu is also the Brahman. This saying of the Upaniṣad categorically affirms the omnipresent nature of the Brahman, which is subtly conveyed through this nāma.
224. Sahasramūrdhā सहस्रमूर्धा
Mūrdhan means a head in general and sahasra generally means thousand and contextually means infinite. This nāma says that any act that happens in the universe gets noticed by the Brahman. If one thinks that his actions go unnoticed, it is not true. Every action of everyone gets noticed by the Brahman and also gets recorded in his/her karmic account. That is why, Brahman is declared as omnipresence. Without Brahman being present in the form of an individual soul, no life can exist. This truth is conveyed through this nāma.
This is also explained in Puruṣasūktaṁ, which says, “sahasraśīrṣā puruṣa” which means the Puruṣa (the Brahman) has thousand heads. Kṛṣṇa also says in Bhagavad Gītā (XIII.13), “sarvato'kṣiśiromukham सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम्”, which means having eyes, heads and faces in all directions.
225. Viśvātmā विश्वात्मा
Brahman is the cause of the universe. Viśva in this context refers to the universe. Ātma is the soul. There are various light fittings but to illuminate them, electricity is required. Ātma is like electricity. Electricity is invisible like Ātma and electricity is potent like Ātma. Thus, electricity becomes the cause for illumination. In the same way Ātma becomes the cause of the universe. Without electricity, lights cannot burn and without Ātma or the Self the universe cannot exist. In the individual plane, a body cannot exist without the Self within and in the universal plane, the universe cannot exist without the omnipresence of the Self.
