Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram

Sanskrit, Transliteration and English Translation

Meditation on Viṣṇu

शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् ।
प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥१॥

śuklāmbaradharaṃ viṣṇuṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam,
prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyet sarvavighnōpaśāntaye. (1)

One should meditate on Viṣṇu, dressed in white robes, moon-coloured, four-armed, with a cheerful face, for the removal of all obstacles.

यस्य द्विरदवक्त्राद्याः पारिषद्याः परः शतम् ।
विघ्नं निघ्नन्ति सततं विष्वक्सेनं तमाश्रये ॥२॥

yasya dviradavaktrādyāḥ pāriṣadyāḥ paraḥ śatam,
vighnaṃ nighnanti satataṃ viṣvakṣenaṃ tam āśraye. (2)

I take refuge in Viṣvaksena – whose attendants, led by the elephant-faced one and numbering in the hundreds, ever remove all obstacles.

व्यासं वसिष्ठनप्तारं शक्तेः पौत्रमकल्मषम् ।
पराशरात्मजं वन्दे शुकतातं तपोनिधिम् ॥३॥

vyāsaṃ vasiṣṭhanaptāraṃ śakteḥ pautramakalmaṣam,
parāśarātmajaṃ vande śukatātaṃ taponidhim. (3)

I salute Vyāsa – the great-grandson of Vasiṣṭha, the grandson of Śakti, the immaculate son of Parāśara, the father of Śuka, the treasure of austerities.

व्यासाय विष्णुरूपाय व्यासरूपाय विष्णवे ।
नमो वै ब्रह्मनिधये वासिष्ठाय नमो नमः ॥४॥

vyāsāya viṣṇurūpāya vyāsarūpāya viṣṇave,
namo vai brahmanidhaye vāsiṣṭhāya namo namaḥ. (4)

O Vyāsa in the form of Viṣṇu, O Viṣṇu in the form of Vyāsa, O descendant of Vasiṣṭha, O treasure of Brahman – I offer obeisances unto Thee again and again.

अविकाराय शुद्धाय नित्याय परमात्मने ।
सदैकरूपरूपाय विष्णवे सर्वजिष्णवे ॥५॥

avikārāya śuddhāya nityāya paramātmane,
sadaikarūparūpāya viṣṇave sarvajiṣṇave. (5)

I bow before Viṣṇu – the pure, the unchanging, the eternal, the Supreme Self, ever of one form, ever victorious over all.

यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण जन्मसंसारबन्धनात् ।
विमुच्यते नमस्तस्मै विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे ॥६॥

yasya smaraṇamātreṇa janmasaṃsārabandhanāt,
vimucyate namas tasmai viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave. (6)

Obeisance to that Viṣṇu, the all-powerful – whose mere remembrance frees one from the bondage of birth and the cycle of worldly existence.

श्रीवैशम्पायन उवाच –
श्रुत्वा धर्मानशेषेण पावनानि च सर्वशः ।
युधिष्ठिरः शान्तनवं पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत ॥७॥

śrī vaiśampāyana uvāca –
śrutvā dharmānaśeṣeṇa pāvanāni ca sarvaśaḥ,
yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śāntanavaṃ punarevābhyabhāṣata. (7)

Śrī Vaiśampāyana said – Having heard the Dharma in its entirety and all the purifying teachings, Yudhiṣṭhira again addressed the son of Śāntanu (Bhīṣma).

युधिष्ठिर उवाच –
किमेकं दैवतं लोके किं वाप्येकं परायणम् ।
स्तुवन्तः कं कमर्चन्तः प्राप्नुयुर्मानवाः शुभम् ॥८॥

śrī yudhiṣṭhira uvāca – kim ekaṃ daivataṃ loke kiṃ vāpy ekaṃ parāyaṇam,
stuvantaḥ kaṃ kam arcantaḥ prāpnuyur mānavāḥ śubham. (8)

Yudhiṣṭhira asked – Who is the one God in this world? Who is the one supreme refuge? By praising and worshipping whom do human beings attain good?

को धर्मः सर्वधर्माणां भवतः परमो मतः ।
किं जपन्मुच्यते जन्तुर्जन्मसंसारबन्धनात् ॥९॥

ko dharmaḥ sarvadharmāṇāṃ bhavataḥ paramo mataḥ,
kiṃ japan mucyate jantur janmasaṃsārabandhanāt. (9)

Which Dharma do you consider to be the supreme of all Dharmas? By chanting what is a creature freed from the bondage of birth and the cycle of worldly existence?

भीष्म उवाच –
जगत्प्रभुं देवदेवमनन्तं पुरुषोत्तमम् ।
स्तुवन्नामसहस्रेण पुरुषः सततोत्थितः ॥१०॥

śrī bhīṣma uvāca – jagatprabhuṃ devadevamanantaṃ puruṣottamam,
stuvan nāmasahasreṇa puruṣaḥ satatotthitaḥ. (10)

Bhīṣma replied – Praising the Lord of the universe, the God of gods, the infinite Puruṣottama, with a thousand names, a person ever rises to greatness.

तमेव चार्चयन्नित्यं भक्त्या पुरुषमव्ययम् ।
ध्यायन् स्तुवन्नमस्यंश्च यजमानस्तमेव च ॥ ११॥

tam eva cārcayan nityaṃ bhaktyā puruṣam avyayam,
dhyāyan stuvan namasyaṃś ca yajamānas tam eva ca. (11)

Worshipping Him alone daily with devotion, meditating on, praising, and bowing to the inexhaustible Puruṣa, and sacrificing to Him alone – [such a person, as said in v.10, ever rises].

अनादिनिधनं विष्णुं सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ।
लोकाध्यक्षं स्तुवन्नित्यं सर्वदुःखातिगो भवेत् ॥१२॥

anādinidhanaṃ viṣṇuṃ sarvalokamaheśvaram,
lokādhyakṣaṃ stuvan nityaṃ sarvaduḥkhātigo bhavet. (12)

By praising Viṣṇu – who is without beginning or end, the great Lord of all the worlds, the presiding deity of the worlds – one passes beyond all sorrows.

ब्रह्मण्यं सर्वधर्मज्ञं लोकानां कीर्तिवर्धनम् ।
लोकनाथं महद्भूतं सर्वभूतभवोद्भवम् ॥१३॥

brahmaṇyaṃ sarvadharmajñaṃ lokānāṃ kīrtivardhanam,
lokanāthaṃ mahadbhūtaṃ sarvabhūtabhavodbhavam. (13)

He is the support of Brahman, the knower of all dharmas, the enhancer of the glory of the worlds, the Lord of the worlds, the great Being, the source of origin of all beings.

एष मे सर्वधर्माणां धर्मोऽधिकतमो मतः ।
यद्भक्त्या पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्तवैरर्चेन्नरः सदा ॥१४॥

eṣa me sarvadharmāṇāṃ dharmo dhikatamo mataḥ,
yad bhaktyā puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ stavair arcen naraḥ sadā. (14)

This is the Dharma I consider highest of all – that one should always worship the lotus-eyed Lord with devotion and hymns.

परमं यो महत्तेजः परमं यो महत्तपः ।
परमं यो महद्ब्रह्म परमं यः परायणम् ॥१५॥

paramaṃ yo mahattejāḥ paramaṃ yo mahattapaḥ,
paramaṃ yo mahadbrahma paramaṃ yaḥ parāyaṇam. (15)

He is the supreme great light; He is the supreme great austerity; He is the supreme great Brahman (Absolute); He is the supreme highest goal.

पवित्राणां पवित्रं यो मङ्गलानां च मङ्गलम् ।
दैवतं दैवतानां च भूतानां योऽव्ययः पिता ॥१६॥

pavitrāṇāṃ pavitraṃ yo maṅgalānāṃ ca maṅgalam,
daivataṃ daivatānāṃ ca bhūtānāṃ yo 'vyayaḥ pitā. (16)

He who is the most holy among the holy and the most auspicious among the auspicious, who is the God of gods and the inexhaustible Father of all beings.

यतः सर्वाणि भूतानि भवन्त्यादियुगागमे ।
यस्मिंश्च प्रलयं यान्ति पुनरेव युगक्षये ॥१७॥

yataḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni bhavanty ādiyugāgame,
yasmiṃś ca pralayaṃ yānti punar eva yugakṣaye. (17)

From Him all creatures proceed at the beginning of an age, and in Him they are absorbed again at the end of the age.

तस्य लोकप्रधानस्य जगन्नाथस्य भूपते ।
विष्णोर्नामसहस्रं मे श्रृणु पापभयापहम् ॥१८॥

tasya lokapradhānasya jagannāthasya bhūpate,
viṣṇor nāmasahasraṃ me śṛṇu pāpabhayāpaham. (18)

Of that Chief of the world, of the Lord of the universe, O King – hear from me the thousand names of Viṣṇu, which remove all sin and fear.

यानि नामानि गौणानि विख्यातानि महात्मनः ।
ऋषिभिः परिगीतानि तानि वक्ष्यामि भूतये ॥१९॥

yāni nāmāni gauṇāni vikhyātāni mahātmanaḥ,
ṛṣibhiḥ parigītāni tāni vakṣyāmi bhūtaye. (19)

Those famous names of the Great Soul which reveal His manifold qualities, celebrated by rishis (seers), I shall declare for the good of all.

ऋषिर्नाम्नां सहस्रस्य वेदव्यासो महामुनिः ।
छन्दोऽनुष्टुप् तथा देवो भगवान् देवकीसुतः ॥२०॥

ṛṣirnāmnāṃ sahasrasya vedavyāsō mahāmuniḥ,
chandōnuṣṭup tathā devō bhagavān devakīsutaḥ. (20)

The rishi of the thousand names is Vedavyāsa, the great contemplative sage. The metre is Anuṣṭup, and the deity is the blessed son of Devakī (Kṛṣṇa).

अमृतांशूद्भवो बीजं शक्तिर्देवकिनन्दनः ।
त्रिसामा हृदयं तस्य शान्त्यर्थे विनियुज्यते ॥२१॥

amṛtāṃśūdbhavo bījaṃ śaktir devakinandanaḥ,
trisāmā hṛdayaṃ tasya śāntyarthe viniyujyate. (21)

The bīja (seed-syllable) is He born of the nectar-rayed one (Moon); the śakti (power) is the son of Devakī; Trisāmā is assigned to the heart; the purpose is the attainment of peace.

विष्णुं जिष्णुं महाविष्णुं प्रभविष्णुं महेश्वरम् ।
अनेकरूप दैत्यान्तं नमामि पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥२२॥

viṣṇuṃ jiṣṇuṃ mahāviṣṇuṃ prabhaviṣṇuṃ maheśvaram,
anekarūpa daityāntaṃ namāmi puruṣottamam. (22)

I bow to Viṣṇu, the Conqueror, the Great Viṣṇu, the Creator, the Great Lord – He of many forms, the Destroyer of demons, the Supreme Person.

ॐ अस्य श्रीविष्णोर्दिव्यसहस्रनामस्तोत्रमहामन्त्रस्य ।
श्रीवेदव्यासो भगवान् ऋषिः ।
अनुष्टुप् छन्दः ।
श्रीमहाविष्णुः परमात्मा श्रीमन्नारायणो देवता ।
अमृतांशूद्भवो भानुरिति बीजम् ।
देवकीनन्दनः स्रष्टेति शक्तिः ।
उद्भवः क्षोभणो देव इति परमो मन्त्रः ।
शङ्खभृन्नन्दकी चक्रीति कीलकम् ।
शार्ङ्गधन्वा गदाधर इत्यस्त्रम् ।
रथाङ्गपाणिरक्षोभ्य इति नेत्रम् ।
त्रिसामा सामगः सामेति कवचम् ।
आनन्दं परब्रह्मेति योनिः ।
ऋतुः सुदर्शनः काल इति दिग्बन्धः ।
श्रीविश्वरूप इति ध्यानम् ।
श्रीमहाविष्णुप्रीत्यर्थे सहस्रनामपारायणे विनियोगः ॥

oṃ asya śrīviṣṇordivyasahasranāmastotramahāmantrasya,
śrīvedavyāso bhagavān ṛṣiḥ,
anuṣṭup chandaḥ,
śrīmahāviṣṇuḥ paramātmā śrīmannārāyaṇo devatā,
amṛtāṃśūdbhavo bhānuriti bījam,
devakīnandanaḥ sraṣṭeti śaktiḥ,
udbhavaḥ kṣobhaṇo deva iti paramo mantraḥ,
śaṅkhabhṛnnandakī cakrīti kīlakam,
śārṅgadhanvā gadādhara ityastram,
rathāṅgapāṇirakṣobhya iti netram,
trisāmā sāmagaḥ sāmeti kavacam,
ānandaṃ parabrahmeti yoniḥ,
ṛtuḥ sudarśanaḥ kāla iti digbandhaḥ,
śrīviśvarūpa iti dhyānam,
śrīmahāviṣṇuprītyarthe sahasranāmapārāyaṇe viniyogaḥ.

Of this great mantra-hymn of the divine thousand names of Śrī Viṣṇu – the venerable Vedavyāsa is the seer (ṛṣi); the metre is Anuṣṭup; Śrī Mahāviṣṇu, the Supreme Self, Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, is the deity (devatā); Amṛtāṃśūdbhava Bhānu ("the Sun, born of the nectar-rayed one") is the seed (bīja); Devakīnandanaḥ Sraṣṭā ("the son of Devakī, the Creator") is the power (śakti); Udbhava, Kṣobhaṇa, Deva is the supreme mantra; Śaṅkhabhṛt, Nandakī, Cakrī ("Bearer of the conch, Wielder of Nandaka, Bearer of the discus") is the pin (kīlaka); Śārṅgadhanvā, Gadādhara ("He of the Śārṅga bow, the Mace-bearer") is the weapon (astra); Rathāṅgapāṇi, Akṣobhya ("He who holds the wheel, the Imperturbable") is the eye (netra); Trisāmā, Sāmagaḥ, Sāma is the armour (kavaca); Ānanda, Parabrahma is the womb/source (yoni); Ṛtu, Sudarśana, Kāla is the directional binding (digbandha); Śrī Viśvarūpa is the meditation (dhyāna). This recitation of the thousand names is undertaken for the gratification of Śrī Mahāviṣṇu (viniyoga).

Continued