This section describes the Lord through names such as Brahman, Vasudeva, Yadu-shreshtha, Vishvamoorti, and Anekamoorti. These names reveal his all-pervading nature, his identity as the cosmic sacrifice, and his capacity to manifest in countless forms.
📖 Mahabharata, Anushasan Parva — Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra
31
अमृतांशूद्भवो भानुः शशबिन्दुः सुरेश्वरः ।
औषधं जगतः सेतुः सत्यधर्मपराक्रमः ॥
Amritaamshoodbhavo Bhaanuh Shasha-binduh Sureishvarah |
Aushadham Jagatah Setuh Satya-dharma-paraakramah ||
अमृतांशूद्भवः
the one who gave rise to the amrita-rayed moon
भानुः
radiant — the sun-form
शशबिन्दुः
the one with the rabbit-mark — the moon-form
सुरेश्वरः
lord of the devas
औषधम्
the medicine for the disease of worldly existence
जगतः सेतुः
the bridge across the ocean of existence
सत्यधर्मपराक्रमः
whose heroism is grounded in truth and dharma
The Lord is both sun and moon — he gave rise to the moon and radiates with solar brilliance. He is the medicine that cures the illness of endless worldly existence. He is the bridge that carries souls across the vast ocean of samsara. His every heroic act is rooted in truth and dharma.
32
भूतभव्यभवन्नाथः पवनः पावनो नलः ।
कामदेवः कामपालः कामी कान्तः कृतागमः ॥
Bhoota-bhavya-bhavannaathah Pavanah Paavano Nalah |
Kaamadevah Kaamapaalah Kaamee Kaantah Kritaagamah ||
भूतभव्यभवन्नाथः
lord of the past, future, and present
पवनः
the purifying one — wind itself
पावनः
the one who purifies
अनलः
fire — of endless energy
कामदेवः
the deity of all desires
कामपालः
the one who fulfills the desires of his devotees
कामी
he who fulfills the wishes of those who seek him
कान्तः
supremely beautiful
कृतागमः
the author of the shastras (sacred texts)
The Lord is lord of all three spans of time — past, present, and future — and he purifies all. He is the deity of all desires, yet also the fulfiller of the desires of those who turn to him. He is of supreme beauty and is himself the source of the sacred shastras.
33
अनिर्देश्यवपुर्विष्णुर्वीरोऽनन्तो धनञ्जयः ।
ब्रह्मण्यो ब्रह्मकृद् ब्रह्मा ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविवर्धनः ॥
Anirdeshya-vapur-Vishnur-Veero-ananto Dhananjayah |
BrahmaNyo Brahmakrid Brahmaa Brahma Brahmavivardhana ||
अनिर्देश्यवपुः
of a form impossible to describe
विष्णुः
the all-pervading
वीरः
heroic — the great warrior
अनन्तः
infinite — without limit
धनञ्जयः
winner of all wealth — he who gave victory to Arjuna
ब्रह्मण्यः
protector of brahmanas (the learned) and the Vedas
ब्रह्मकृत्
creator of the Vedas
ब्रह्मा
the creator
ब्रह्म
the supreme Brahman — the highest reality
ब्रह्मविवर्धनः
the increaser of Brahman — of Vedic knowledge and austerity
The Lord's form cannot be put into words — all description falls short. He is the infinite, all-pervading Vishnu, the great hero, the protector and creator of the Vedas. He is the creator Brahma, the supreme Brahman itself, and the one who keeps Vedic knowledge growing in the world.
34
ब्रह्मवित् ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मी ब्रह्मज्ञो ब्राह्मणप्रियः ।
महाक्रमो महाकर्मा महातेजा महोरगः ॥
Brahmavit Braahman-o Brahmee Brahmagyo Braahmana-priyah |
Mahaakramo Mahaakarma Mahaatejaa Mahoragah ||
ब्रह्मवित्
the knower of Brahman
ब्राह्मणः
Brahman itself — the knower of the Vedas
ब्रह्मी
established in Brahman
ब्रह्मज्ञः
master of Brahman-knowledge
ब्राह्मणप्रियः
dear to the learned — beloved of the wise
महाक्रमः
of vast strides — encompassing the universe
महाकर्मा
performer of great deeds
महातेजाः
of immense radiance
महोरगः
the great serpent — Shesha Naga himself
The Lord is the knower of Brahman and Brahman itself — the knower and the known are one in him. He is beloved by the wise and learned. He strides the universe in great steps, performs great deeds, blazes with immense radiance, and in another form rests as the great Shesha Naga.
35
महाक्रतुर्महायज्वा महायज्ञो महाहविः ।
स्तव्यः स्तवप्रियः स्तोत्रं स्तुतिः स्तोता रणप्रियः ॥
Mahaakratur-Mahaayajvaa Mahaayagyo Mahaahavih |
Stavyah Stavapriyah Stotram Stutih Stotaa Ranapriyah ||
महाक्रतुः
the great yajna (ritual sacrifice) itself
महायज्वा
the great performer of yajna
महायज्ञः
the great yajna itself
महाहविः
the great offering
स्तव्यः
worthy of praise
स्तवप्रियः
pleased by praise
स्तोत्रम्
the stotra (hymn) itself
स्तुतिः
praise itself
स्तोता
the one who praises
रणप्रियः
delighting in righteous battle
The Lord is the great yajna (sacred fire ritual) — he is the ceremony, the performer, and the offering all at once. He is worthy of all praise, delights in praise, is the stotra (hymn of praise), is praise itself, and is also the praiser. And he rejoices in righteous battle where dharma is defended.
36
पूर्णः पूरयिता पुण्यः पुण्यकीर्तिरनामयः ।
मनोजवस्तीर्थकरो वसुरेता वसुप्रदः ॥
Poornah Poorayitaa Punyah Punya-keertir-Anaamayah |
Manojavah Teertha-karo Vasure-taa Vasupradah ||
पूर्णः
completely full — lacking nothing
पूरयिता
the one who fulfills all desires
पुण्यः
supremely meritorious — the source of all punya
पुण्यकीर्तिः
of pure and meritorious fame
अनामयः
free from all affliction — beyond disease
मनोजवः
swift as thought
तीर्थकरः
creator of the tirthas (sacred pilgrimage sites) — maker of the paths of liberation
वसुरेताः
of a golden seed — the root of all wealth
वसुप्रदः
the giver of wealth
The Lord is entirely complete — nothing is lacking in him, and he fills the lack in all who turn to him. He is swifter than thought, creator of the sacred tirthas (pilgrimage sites) that open paths to liberation, and the giver of all wealth.
37
वसुप्रदो वासुदेवो वसुर्वसुमना हविः ।
सद्गतिः सत्कृतिः सत्ता सद्भूतिः सत्परायणः ॥
Vasuprado Vaasudevo Vasur-Vasumanaa Havih |
Sadgatih Satkriti Sattaa Sadbhootih Satparaayan ||
वसुप्रदः
giver of the highest wealth
वासुदेवः
son of Vasudeva — the god who dwells in all
वसुः
wealth itself — the one who dwells in all
वसुमनाः
of generous heart
हविः
the oblation in the yajna fire
सद्गतिः
the excellent destination for the good
सत्कृतिः
righteous action itself
सत्ता
pure existence — being itself
सद्भूतिः
true glory — existence as prosperity
सत्परायणः
the supreme refuge of the righteous
The Lord is Vasudeva — son of Vasudeva and the god who pervades all. He is the oblation in the fire of yajna. He is pure existence, the highest destination for those who live rightly, and the supreme refuge of all who seek him.
38
शूरसेनो यदुश्रेष्ठः सन्निवासः सुयामुनः ।
भूतावासो वासुदेवः सर्वासुनिलयोऽनलः ॥
Shoorasenah Yadu-shresthah Sannivaasah Suyaamunah |
Bhootaavaaso Vaasudeva Sarvaasunilayo-analah ||
शूरसेनः
of a heroic army
यदुश्रेष्ठः
foremost in the Yadu dynasty
सन्निवासः
the dwelling place of all
सुयामुनः
associated with the Yamuna — linked to Mathura
भूतावासः
the abode of all living beings
वासुदेवः
the god who dwells in all
सर्वासुनिलयः
the refuge of all vital breaths
अनलः
fire — boundless energy
The Lord appeared as foremost in the Yadu dynasty, associated with the sacred Yamuna river. He is the dwelling place of all beings, the refuge of every vital breath. He is both the home in which beings live and the fire of energy that sustains them.
39
दर्पहा दर्पदो दृप्तो दुर्धरोऽथापराजितः ।
विश्वमूर्तिर्महामूर्तिर्दीप्तमूर्तिरमूर्तिमान् ॥
Darpahaa Darpado Dripto Durdha-ro-Aparaajitah |
Vishvamoortir-Mahaamoortir-Deeptamoortir-Amoortimaan ||
दर्पहा
destroyer of arrogance
दर्पदः
giver of fitting honor to his devotees
दृप्तः
immersed in bliss — joyful
दुर्धरः
difficult to hold — impossible to fully contain in the mind
अपराजितः
never defeated
विश्वमूर्तिः
the cosmic form — the entire universe is his body
महामूर्तिः
of a great and vast form
दीप्तमूर्तिः
of a blazing, luminous form
अमूर्तिमान्
also formless — beyond form
The Lord destroys arrogance yet honors his devotees with fitting dignity. He is always joyful, never defeated, impossible to fully grasp with the mind. He wears the universe as his body — a blazing cosmic form — and yet he is also entirely formless. He holds both at once.
40
अनेकमूर्तिरव्यक्तः शतमूर्तिः शताननः ।
एको नैकः सवः कः किं यत् तत् पदमनुत्तमम् ॥
Aneka-moortir-Avyaktah Shata-moortih Shataananah |
Eko Naikah Savah Kah Kim Yat Tat Padam-anuttamam ||
अनेकमूर्तिः
of countless forms
अव्यक्तः
unmanifest — invisible
शतमूर्तिः
of a hundred forms
शताननः
of a hundred faces
एकः
one — uniquely singular
नैकः
many — of multiple forms
सवः
the Soma yajna form
कः
happiness — or Brahma
किम्
what? — the object of all inquiry
यत्
that which — the ultimate reality
तत्
that — the supreme Brahman
पदम् अनुत्तमम्
the highest station — the ultimate place
The Lord appears in countless forms and yet remains unmanifest. He is one, and he is many. He is the Soma yajna, happiness, the object of all spiritual inquiry — the 'what?' that every seeker is truly asking. He is both 'that which' and 'that' — the highest reality, the ultimate station.
References
Vishnu Sahasranama · 4 / 11