Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram

Sanskrit, Transliteration and English Translation

Meditation on Vishnu

शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् ।
प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥१॥

śuklāṁbaradharaṁ viṣṇuṁ śaśivarṇaṁ caturbhujam,
prasannavadanaṁ dhyāyet sarvavighnōpaśāṁtaye. (1)

One should meditate on Vishnu, 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 paraḥśatam,
vighnaṁ nighnanti satataṁ viṣvakasenaṁ tamāśraye. (2)

The elephant faced one, along with his innumerable attendants, would always remove obstacles, as we depend on Vishvaksena.

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

vyāsaṁ vasiṣṭhanaptāraṁ śakteḥ pautramakalmaṣam,
parāśarātmajaṁ vaṁde śukatātaṁ tapōnidhim. (3)

I salute Vyasa, the great grandson of Vasishta, the grandson of Shakti, the immaculate son of Parasara, the father of Shukata, the treasure of austerities.

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

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

O Vyasa in the form of Vishnu, O Vishnu in the form of Vyasa, O Vasishta, the treasure of the Brahman, I offer my obeisances unto Thee again and again.

अविकाराय शुद्धाय नित्याय परमात्मने ।
सदैकरूपरूपाय विष्णवे सर्वजिष्णवे ॥ ५॥

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

Bow I before Vishnu, Who is pure, Who is not affected, Who is permanent, Who is the ultimate truth, and He who wins over all the mortals in this world.

यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण जन्मसंसारबन्धनात् ।
विमुच्यते नमस्तस्मै विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे ॥६॥

yasya smaraṇamātreṇa janmasaṁsārabaṁdhanāt,
vimucyate namastasmai viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave. (6)

Obeisance to that Vishnu, the all-powerful Vishnu, whose remembrance alone frees one from the bondage of birth and death.

ॐ नमो विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे ।
श्रीवैशम्पायन उवाच –
श्रुत्वा धर्मानशेषेण पावनानि च सर्वशः ।
युधिष्ठिरः शान्तनवं पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत ॥ ७॥

oṃ namo viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave.
śrī vaiśaṁpāyana uvāca:
śrutvā dharmānaśeṣeṇa pāvanāni ca sarvaśaḥ,
yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śāṁtanavaṁ punarevābhyabhyāṣata. (7)

Sri Vaisampayana said:
Having heard the Dharma in its entirety and the holy ones in all respects, Yudhisthira again addressed Shantanu.

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

śrī yudhiṣṭhira uvāca:
kimekaṁ daivataṁ lōke kiṁ vāpyekaṁ parāyaṇaṁ,
stuvaṁtaḥ kaṁ kamarcaṁtaḥ prāpnuyurmānavāḥ śubham. (8)

Yudhishthira asked:
Is there one god in this world, or is there one devotee? Whom do men attain to good by praising and worshiping?

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

kō dharmaḥ sarvadharmāṇāṁ bhavataḥ paramō mataḥ,
kiṁ japanmucyate jaṁturjanmasaṁsārabaṁdhanāt. (9)

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

भीष्म उवाच –
जगत्प्रभुं देवदेवमनन्तं पुरुषोत्तमम् ।
स्तुवन् नामसहस्रेण पुरुषः सततोत्थितः ॥ १०॥

śrī bhīṣma uvāca:
jagatprabhuṁ devadevamanaṁtaṁ puruṣōttamam,
stuvannāmasahasreṇa puruṣaḥ satatōtthitaḥ. (10)

Bhishma replied:
Praising the Lord of the universe, the God of gods, the infinite Supreme Personality of Godhead, with a thousand names, the man ever rises.

तमेव चार्चयन्नित्यं भक्त्या पुरुषमव्ययम् ।
ध्यायन् स्तुवन् नमस्यंश्च यजमानस्तमेव च ॥ ११॥

tameva cārcayannityaṁ bhaktyā puruṣamavyayam,
dhyāyan stuvannamasyaṁśca yajamānastameva ca. (11)

And worshiping Him alone with devotion, meditating on the inexhaustible Purusha, praising and bowing down to Him alone, and offering sacrifices to Him alone, the worshipper, the aspirant (is freed).

अनादिनिधनं विष्णुं सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ।
लोकाध्यक्षं स्तुवन्नित्यं सर्वदुःखातिगो भवेत् ॥ १२॥

anādinidhanaṃ viṣṇuṃ sarvalokamaheśvaram,
lokādhyakṣaṃ stuvannityaṃ sarvaduḥkhātigo bhavet. (12)

By praising Vishnu, the eternally immortal, the great Lord of all the worlds, the presiding deity of the worlds, one can pass beyond all sorrows.

ब्रह्मण्यं सर्वधर्मज्ञं लोकानां कीर्तिवर्धनम् ।
लोकनाथं महद्भूतं सर्वभूतभवोद्भवम् ॥ १३॥

brahmaṇyaṁ sarvadharmajñaṁ lōkānāṁ kīrtivardhanam,
lōkanāthaṁ mahadbhūtaṁ sarvabhūtabhavōdhbhavam. (13)

He is the Brahman, the knower of all religions, the enhancer of the fame of the worlds, the Lord of the worlds, the great being, the origin of all beings.

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

eṣa me sarvadharmāṇāṁ dharmōdhikatamō mataḥ,
yadbhaktyā puṁḍarīkākṣaṁ stavairarcennaraḥ sadā. (14)

This is the Dharma which I consider to be the highest of all Dharma, 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॥

paramaṁ yō mahattejaḥ paramaṁ yō mahattapaḥ,
paramaṁ yō mahadbrahma paramaṁ yaḥ parāyaṇam. (15)

He is the supreme great light, He is the supreme great ruler. 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॥

pavitrāṇāṁ pavitraṁ yō maṁgalānāṁ ca maṁgalam,
daivataṃ daivatānāṃ ca bhūtānāṃ yo’vyayaḥ pita.  (16)

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

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

yataḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni bhavaṁtyādiyugāgame,
yasmiṁśca pralayaṁ yāṁti punareva yugakṣaye. (17)

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

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

tasya lōkapradhānasya jagannāthasya bhūpate,
viṣṇōrnāmasahasraṁ me śruṇu pāpabhayāpaham. (18)

Of that Chief of the world, of the Lord of the universe, O King (Yudhishthira),
Of Vishnu, hear from me the thousand names, 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 bring out His manifold qualities celebrated by rishs (seers) I shall declare for the good (of all).

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

r̥ṣirnāmnāṁ sahasrasya vedavyāsō mahāmuniḥ,
chaṁdōnuṣṭup tathā devō bhagavān devakīsutaḥ. (20)

The rishi of the thousand names is Vedavyasa, the great contemplative sage;
The metre is Anushtup, and the deity is the blessed son of Devaki.

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

amr̥tāṁśūdbhavō bījaṁ śaktirdevakinaṁdana:
trisāmā hr̥dayaṁ tasya śāṁtyarthe viniyojyate. (21)

The seed is He-who-was-born-in-the-lunar-race;
Its power is The Name, The-son-of-Devakī.
The heart is the One-who-is-lauded-by-the-three-Sama-hymns,
The purpose of its use is the attainment of peace.

विष्णुं जिष्णुं महाविष्णुं प्रभविष्णुं महेश्वरम् ॥
अनेकरूप दैत्यान्तं नमामि पुरुषोत्तमं ॥ २२ ॥

viṣṇuṁ jiṣṇuṁ mahāviṣṇuṁ prabhaviṣṇuṁ maheśvaram,
anekarūpa daityāṁtaṁ namāmi puruṣōttamam. (22)

Om; Vishnu, Conqueror, Great Vishnu, Creator, the Great Lord,
To Him of many forms, the Destroyer of demons, to the Supreme Person, I bow.

पूर्वन्यासः ।
श्रीवेदव्यास उवाच—
ॐ अस्य श्रीविष्णोर्दिव्यसहस्रनामस्तोत्रमहामन्त्रस्य ।
श्री वेदव्यासो 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 ॥

pūrvanyāsaḥ
śrīvedavyāsa uvāca:
oṃ asya śrī viṣṇōrdivyasahasranāmastōtramahāmaṁtrasya,
śrī vēdavyāsō bhagavān r̥ṣiḥ, anuṣṭup chaṁdaḥ,
śrīmahāviṣṇuḥ paramātmā śrīmannārāyaṇō dēvatā,
amr̥tāṁśūdbhavō bhānuriti bījam,
dēvakīnaṁdanaḥ sraṣṭēti śaktiḥ,
udhbhavaḥ, kṣōbhaṇō dēva iti paramō maṁtraḥ,
śaṁkhabhr̥nnaṁdakī cakrīti kīlakam,
śārṅgadhanvā gadādhara ityastram,
rathāṁgapāṇirakṣōbhya iti nētram,
trisāmā sāmagaḥ sāmēti kavacam,
ānaṁdaṁ parabrahmēti yōniḥ,
r̥tussudarśana: kāla iti digbhaṁdhaḥ,
śrī viśvarūpa iti dhyānam,
śrīmahāviṣṇuprītyarthē sahasranāma pārāyaṇē viniyōgaḥ.

Vedavyasa said:
Of this garland of mantras (constituting) the praise-song of the divine thousand names of Vishnu,
The blessed Vedavyasa is the seer,
Krishna, the Supreme Self, is the deity,
The metre is Anushtup,
"Having His source in the Self, Self-begotten" is the seed,
"The son of Devaka, the Creator and Sustainer," is the Power,
"He whose glory is sung in the three types of Sama songs; the theme of such songs
He who manifests Himself as the Sama Veda" is the heart,
"The Bearer of the conch, He of the word, He of the discus" is the nail,
"He of the Sharnga bow, the Wielder of the mace" is the weapon,
"The One holding the reins of a chariot in His hands (Krishna),
who is imperturbable" is the armour,
"The source, the vibration, God" is the supreme mantra
Let us engage ourselves in the japa of the divine thousand names of Vishnu for the purpose of pleasing Great Vishnu.

Continued