This section describes the Lord through names such as Aja, Achyuta, Rudra, Janardana, Vamana, and Govinda. These names reveal his all-pervading nature, his omniscience, and his boundless compassion.
📖 Mahabharata, Anushasan Parva — Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra
11
अजः सर्वेश्वरः सिद्धः सिद्धिः सर्वादिरच्युतः ।
वृषाकपिरमेयात्मा सर्वयोगविनिःसृतः ॥
Ajah Sarveshvarah Siddhah Siddhih Sarvadir-Achyutah |
Vrishakapir-Ameyaatmaa Sarvayogavinihsritah ||
अजः
unborn — beyond birth
सर्वेश्वरः
lord of all
सिद्धः
eternally accomplished — always complete
सिद्धिः
accomplishment itself — the fruit of all spiritual endeavor
सर्वादिः
the primal cause of everything
अच्युतः
the one who never falls from his own nature
वृषाकपिः
the one bearing the form of dharma and the boar
अमेयात्मा
of immeasurable Self
सर्वयोगविनिःसृतः
transcending all yogas — free from all bondage
The Lord is unborn and lord of all. He is Achyuta — the one who never slips from his own nature, never wavers, never falls. His Self is beyond measure, and he stands free of every form of yoga even while being the very source of yoga. He is both the seeker's effort and its fruit.
12
वसुर्वसुमनाः सत्यः समात्मा सम्मितः समः ।
अमोघः पुण्डरीकाक्षो वृषकर्मा वृषाकृतिः ॥
Vasur-Vasumanah Satyah Samaatmaa Sammitah Samah |
Amoghah Pundareekaaksho Vrishakarma Vrishaakritih ||
वसुः
the one who dwells in all — wealth itself
वसुमनाः
of generous heart
सत्यः
truth itself
समात्मा
of equal vision toward all
सम्मितः
accepted by all
समः
even-handed toward all
अमोघः
whose every act bears fruit — nothing he does is in vain
पुण्डरीकाक्षः
lotus-eyed
वृषकर्मा
whose every action is dharmic
वृषाकृतिः
whose very form is dharma
The Lord dwells in all, is generous of heart, and looks upon every being with perfect evenness. He is truth itself. Not a single act of his goes to waste — every movement he makes is purposeful. He is lotus-eyed and his very form is dharma.
13
रुद्रो बहुशिरा बभ्रुर्विश्वयोनिः शुचिश्रवाः ।
अमृतः शाश्वतस्थाणुर्वरारोहो महातपाः ॥
Rudro Bahushiraa Babhru-r-Vishvayonih Shuchishravah |
Amritah Shaashvata-sthaanur-Varaaro-ho Mahaaatapah ||
रुद्रः
the one who removes the sorrows of worldly existence
बहुशिराः
of many heads — the cosmic form
बभ्रुः
the one who bears all
विश्वयोनिः
the womb from which the universe is born
शुचिश्रवाः
of pure and unblemished fame
अमृतः
immortal — beyond death
शाश्वतस्थाणुः
eternally steady and immovable
वरारोहः
of the highest station
महातपाः
of great austerity — immense radiance
As Rudra, the Lord removes the pain of the world. In his cosmic form he wears many heads. He is the womb from which the universe emerges, of unblemished fame, immortal, and eternally still. His radiance and austerity are beyond compare.
14
सर्वगः सर्वविद्भानुर्विष्वक्सेनो जनार्दनः ।
वेदो वेदविदव्यङ्गो वेदाङ्गो वेदवित् कविः ॥
Sarvagah Sarvavid-Bhaanur-Vishvakseno Janardanah |
Vedo Vedavid-Avyango Vedaango Vedavit Kavih ||
सर्वगः
all-pervading
सर्ववित्
omniscient
भानुः
radiant like the sun
विष्वक्सेनः
whose army extends in every direction
जनार्दनः
the one who punishes the wicked
वेदः
the Veda itself
वेदवित्
the knower of the Vedas
अव्यङ्गः
wholly complete — lacking nothing
वेदाङ्गः
he whose limbs are the Vedas
कविः
the all-seeing seer
The Lord is all-pervading and omniscient, radiant as the sun. As Janardana, he metes out justice to those who harm others. He is the Veda itself, the knower of all Vedas, the one whose body is the Vedas — and the supreme seer who perceives all.
15
लोकाध्यक्षः सुराध्यक्षो धर्माध्यक्षः कृताकृतः ।
चतुरात्मा चतुर्व्यूहश्चतुर्दंष्ट्रश्चतुर्भुजः ॥
Lokaadhyakshah Suraadhyaksho Dharmadhyakshah Kritaakritah |
Chaturaatmaa Chaturvyoohas-Chaturdamshtras-Chaturbhujah ||
लोकाध्यक्षः
presiding lord of all worlds
सुराध्यक्षः
presiding lord of the devas (gods)
धर्माध्यक्षः
presiding lord of dharma
कृताकृतः
both cause and effect — both action and its result
चतुरात्मा
the fourfold Self
चतुर्व्यूहः
manifest in four cosmic forms (vyuhas)
चतुर्दंष्ट्रः
of four fangs — the Narasimha form
चतुर्भुजः
four-armed
The Lord presides over all worlds, all the gods, and dharma itself. He is both the cause and the effect of all things. He manifests in four cosmic forms, and in the fierce Narasimha form he bears four fangs. In his familiar divine form he carries his four arms bearing the conch, disc, mace, and lotus.
16
भ्राजिष्णुर्भोजनं भोक्ता सहिष्णुर्जगदादिजः ।
अनघो विजयो जेता विश्वयोनिः पुनर्वसुः ॥
Bhraajishnur-Bhojanam Bhoktaa Sahishnur-Jagadaadijah |
Anagho Vijayo Jetaa Vishvayonih Punarvasuh ||
भ्राजिष्णुः
self-luminous
भोजनम्
the object of all enjoyment
भोक्ता
the enjoyer of all
सहिष्णुः
the supremely patient — bearing all
जगदादिजः
existing before the universe itself
अनघः
sinless — utterly blameless
विजयः
ever victorious
जेता
the conqueror of all
विश्वयोनिः
the cause from which the universe was born
पुनर्वसुः
he who returns again and again through avatars
The Lord is self-luminous — his light needs no other source. He is both the object of enjoyment and its enjoyer. He preceded the universe itself, bears all things with infinite patience, is sinless, ever victorious, and comes back again and again in avatar after avatar to restore what is right.
17
उपेन्द्रो वामनः प्रांशुरमोघः शुचिरूर्जितः ।
अतीन्द्रः सङ्ग्रहः सर्गो धृतात्मा नियमो यमः ॥
Upendro Vaamanah Praamshu-r-Amoghah Shuchir-Oorjitah |
Ateendrah Sangrahah Sargo Dhritaatmaa Niyamo Yamah ||
उपेन्द्रः
younger brother of Indra — the Vamana form
वामनः
the dwarf avatar
प्रांशुः
immensely tall — the cosmic form
अमोघः
whose resolve is never in vain
शुचिः
supremely pure
ऊर्जितः
of immense strength
अतीन्द्रः
beyond the senses
सङ्ग्रहः
the one who draws all into himself
सर्गः
creation itself
धृतात्मा
established in his own Self
नियमः
the law itself
यमः
the regulator of all
In the Vamana avatar, the Lord appeared as a small brahmin boy and then strode across all three worlds in three steps. He is pure, immensely powerful, and beyond the senses. He is creation itself, the law that governs all, and the regulator of the cosmic order.
18
वेद्यो वैद्यः सदायोगी वीरहा माधवो मधुः ।
अतीन्द्रियो महामायो महोत्साहो महाबलः ॥
Vedyo Vaidyah Sadaayogee Veerahaa Maadhavo Madhuh |
Ateendriy Mahaamaayo Mahotsaaho Mahaabalah ||
वेद्यः
the one worth knowing — the ultimate object of knowledge
वैद्यः
the supreme physician of the disease of worldly existence
सदायोगी
ever established in yoga
वीरहा
destroyer of heroic demons
माधवः
consort of Lakshmi
मधुः
sweet as honey
अतीन्द्रियः
beyond the senses
महामायः
master of the great Maya (divine illusion)
महोत्साहः
of immense enthusiasm
महाबलः
of immense strength
The Lord is worth knowing — he is the ultimate goal of all knowledge. He is the physician who cures the illness of endless worldly existence. He is ever in yoga, sweet as honey, destroyer of demons, master of Maya, and of immeasurable strength and enthusiasm.
19
महाबुद्धिर्महावीर्यो महाशक्तिर्महाद्युतिः ।
अनिर्देश्यवपुः श्रीमानमेयात्मा महाद्रिधृक् ॥
Mahaabuddhi-r-Mahaaviiryo Mahaa-shakti-r-Mahaadyutih |
Anirdeshyavapuh Shreemaan-Ameyaatmaa Mahaadridhrik ||
महाबुद्धिः
of immense intelligence
महावीर्यः
of immense heroic power
महाशक्तिः
of immense energy
महाद्युतिः
of immense radiance
अनिर्देश्यवपुः
of a form that cannot be described in words
श्रीमान्
ever graced by Lakshmi — resplendent
अमेयात्मा
of immeasurable Self
महाद्रिधृक्
the bearer of the great mountain (Govardhana)
The Lord's intelligence, heroic power, energy, and radiance are all immeasurable — each is of the greatest magnitude. His form itself cannot be put into words. He is ever accompanied by Lakshmi and, as the young Krishna, he lifted the great Govardhana hill on one finger to shelter all of Vrindavan.
20
महेष्वासो महीभर्ता श्रीनिवासः सतां गतिः ।
अनिरुद्धः सुरानन्दो गोविन्दो गोविदां पतिः ॥
Maheshvaaso Mahee-bhartaa Shrinivaaasah Sataam gatih |
Aniruddhah Suraanando Govindo Govidaam patih ||
महेष्वासः
the great archer
महीभर्ता
the one who sustains the earth
श्रीनिवासः
in whom Lakshmi (Shri) eternally dwells
सतां गतिः
the highest destination of the righteous
अनिरुद्धः
the unstoppable — whom none can restrain
सुरानन्दः
the one who brings joy to the devas
गोविन्दः
lord of cows, earth, and speech
गोविदां पतिः
lord of those who know the Vedas
The Lord is the great archer and the sustainer of the earth. Lakshmi makes her eternal home in him. He is the highest destination for good people, the unstoppable one, and Govinda — the beloved lord of cows and the earth. He is also the lord of all who have knowledge of the Vedas.
References
Vishnu Sahasranama · 2 / 11