This chapter continues the phala-shruti — the verses describing the fruits of the Vishnu Sahasranama. The phala-shruti here expands into something wider: Vasudeva as the source and sustainer of everything — the cosmos, the elements, the senses, all forms of knowledge. The Sahasranama is not just a list of names. It is an orientation toward the ground of all being.
📖 Mahabharata, Anushasan Parva — Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra
81
वासुदेवाश्रयो मर्त्यो वासुदेवपरायणः ।
सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा याति ब्रह्म सनातनम् ॥
Vaasudevaashrayo Martyo Vaasudevа-parayanah |
Sarva-paapa-vishuddhaatmaa Yaati Brahma Sanaatanam ||
वासुदेवाश्रयः
one who takes refuge in Vasudeva
मर्त्यः
the mortal human being
वासुदेवपरायणः
wholly devoted to Vasudeva
सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा
one whose soul has been purified of all wrongdoing
याति
attains
ब्रह्म सनातनम्
the eternal Brahman
The mortal who takes shelter in Vasudeva, who is wholly absorbed in him — that person's soul is purified of all past wrongs, and they attain the eternal Brahman. The verse describes the complete arc: take refuge, become absorbed, be purified, arrive at the ultimate.
82
न वासुदेवभक्तानामशुभं विद्यते क्वचित् ।
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिभयं नैवोपजायते ॥
Na Vaasudev-bhaktaanaam-ashubham Vidyate Kvachit |
Janma-mrityu-jaraa-vyaadhi-bhayam Naiv-opajaayate ||
न
not
वासुदेवभक्तानाम्
for the devotees of Vasudeva
अशुभम्
anything inauspicious
विद्यते
exists
क्वचित्
anywhere — ever
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिभयम्
the fear of birth, death, old age, and illness
न उपजायते
does not arise
For those who are devoted to Vasudeva, nothing inauspicious arises — ever. And more than that: the deep fear of birth, death, old age, and illness does not take hold in them. The verse is not saying these experiences disappear. It is saying the fear of them loses its grip.
83
इमं स्तवमधीयानः श्रद्धाभक्तिसमन्वितः ।
युज्येतात्मसुखक्षान्तिश्रीधृतिस्मृतिकीर्तिभिः ॥
Imam Stavam-adheeyaanah Shraddha-bhakti-samanvitah |
Yujyeta-aatma-sukha-kshaanti-shree-dhriti-smriti-keertibhih ||
इमम् स्तवम्
this hymn of praise
अधीयानः
the one who studies and recites
श्रद्धाभक्तिसमन्वितः
endowed with shraddha (faith) and bhakti (devotion)
युज्येत
becomes endowed with — attains
आत्मसुखक्षान्तिश्रीधृतिस्मृतिकीर्तिभिः
inner contentment, patience, prosperity, steadiness, a good memory, and good repute
Six qualities are named here as the fruit of reciting this stotra with shraddha (sincere faith) and bhakti (devotion): inner contentment, patience, prosperity, steadiness of mind, a clear memory, and a good name. They are not external rewards — they are qualities of character.
84
न क्रोधो न च मात्सर्यं न लोभो नाशुभा मतिः ।
भवन्ति कृतपुण्यानां भक्तानां पुरुषोत्तमे ॥
Na Krodho Na cha Maatsaryam Na Lobho Na-ashubhaa Matih |
Bhavanti Krita-punyaanaam Bhaktaanaam Purushottame ||
न क्रोधः
no anger
न मात्सर्यम्
no jealousy
न लोभः
no greed
न अशुभा मतिः
no unwholesome thinking
कृतपुण्यानाम्
of those who have gathered merit
भक्तानाम्
of the devotees
पुरुषोत्तमे
in Purushottama — the Lord
Anger, jealousy, greed, and unwholesome thinking — these four do not take root in the pure-hearted devotees of Purushottama. The verse describes what falls away when devotion runs deep. It is a portrait of what a person becomes, not a list of rules to follow.
85
द्यौः सचन्द्रार्कनक्षत्रा खं दिशो भूर्महोदधिः ।
वासुदेवस्य वीर्येण विधृतानि महात्मनः ॥
Dyauh Sachandra-arka-nakshatraa Kham Disho Bhoor-mahodadhih |
Vaasudevasya Veeryena Vidhritaani Mahaatmanah ||
द्यौः
the sky — the heavens
सचन्द्रार्कनक्षत्रा
together with the moon, sun, and stars
खम्
the expanse of space
दिशः
the directions
भूः
the earth
महोदधिः
the great ocean
वासुदेवस्य
of Vasudeva
वीर्येण
by the power — the might
विधृतानि
are held together — sustained
The sky with sun, moon, and all stars. The open space between. The four directions. The earth. The great ocean. All of it is held together by the power of the great-souled Vasudeva. The cosmos is not self-sustaining — it rests in him.
86
ससुरासुरगन्धर्वं सयक्षोरगराक्षसम् ।
जगद्वशे वर्ततेदं कृष्णस्य सचराचरम् ॥
Sasura-asura-gandharvan Sayaksho-raga-raakshasam |
Jagad-vashe Vartate-idam Krishnasya Sa-chara-acharam ||
ससुरासुरगन्धर्वम्
together with the devas, asuras, and gandharvas
सयक्षोरगराक्षसम्
together with yakshas, nagas, and rakshasas
जगत्
the entire world
वशे
under the will of — in the power of
वर्तते
abides
इदम्
this
कृष्णस्य
of Krishna
सचराचरम्
both what moves and what does not move
Every being across every realm — devas, asuras, gandharvas, yakshas, nagas, rakshasas — and all of creation, moving and unmoving: all of it abides within the will of Krishna. Nothing falls outside.
87
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिः सत्त्वं तेजो बलं धृतिः ।
वासुदेवात्मकान्याहुः क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञ एव च ॥
Indriyaani Mano Buddhih Sattvam Tejo Balam Dhritih |
Vaasudeva-aatmakaan-yaahuh Kshetram Kshetragya Eva cha ||
इन्द्रियाणि
the senses
मनः
the mind
बुद्धिः
the intellect
सत्त्वम्
the quality of sattva — clarity and goodness
तेजः
radiance — vital energy
बलम्
strength
धृतिः
steadiness
वासुदेवात्मकानि
are of the nature of Vasudeva — are Vasudeva himself
आहुः
the wise say
क्षेत्रम्
the field — the body
क्षेत्रज्ञः
the knower of the field — the soul
The senses, the mind, the intellect, sattva, radiance, strength, steadiness — the wise declare all of these to be of the nature of Vasudeva. And both the field (the body) and the knower of the field (the soul within) — those too are Vasudeva. There is nowhere he is not.
88
सर्वागमानामाचारः प्रथमं परिकल्पते ।
आचारप्रभवो धर्मो धर्मस्य प्रभुरच्युतः ॥
Sarvaagamaanaam-aachaarah Prathamam Parikalpate |
Aachaara-prabhavo Dharmo Dharmasya Prabhur-achyutah ||
सर्वागमानाम्
across all the sacred texts and traditions
आचारः
right conduct — ethical living
प्रथमम्
the first — the foremost
परिकल्पते
is established — is placed
आचारप्रभवः
born from right conduct
धर्मः
dharma
धर्मस्य प्रभुः
the lord and source of dharma
अच्युतः
Achyuta — the one who never falls, never fails
Across all sacred traditions, right conduct comes first. From right conduct, dharma is born. And the lord of dharma — its source and sustainer — is Achyuta (the one who does not fall). The verse traces a line: conduct leads to dharma, and dharma's ground is the Lord himself.
89
ऋषयः पितरो देवा महाभूतानि धातवः ।
जङ्गमाजङ्गमं चेदं जगन्नारायणोद्भवम् ॥
Rishayah Pitaro Devaa Mahaabhootaani Dhaatavah |
Jangama-ajangamam Chedam Jagan-Naaraayanod-bhavam ||
ऋषयः
the rishis — the sages
पितरः
the ancestors
देवाः
the devas
महाभूतानि
the five great elements
धातवः
the essential substances — the elements
जङ्गमाजङ्गमम्
what moves and what does not move
इदम् जगत्
this world
नारायणोद्भवम्
has its origin in Narayana
Sages, ancestors, devas, the five great elements, all essential matter, everything that moves and everything that stands still — this entire world in all its forms has its origin in Narayana alone. Nothing precedes him; nothing exists apart from him.
90
योगो ज्ञानं तथा सांख्यं विद्याः शिल्पादि कर्म च ।
वेदाः शास्त्राणि विज्ञानमेतत्सर्वं जनार्दनात् ॥
Yogo Gyaanam Tathaa Saankhyam Vidyaah Shilpaadi Karma cha |
Vedaah Shaastraani Vigyaanam-etat-Sarvam Janaardanaat ||
योगः
yoga
ज्ञानम्
knowledge — wisdom
सांख्यम्
Sankhya — the philosophical system of analysis
विद्याः
the arts and sciences
शिल्पादि
crafts, arts, and skills
कर्म
karma — action
वेदाः
the Vedas
शास्त्राणि
the shastras — the sacred texts
विज्ञानम्
discernment — applied knowledge
एतत् सर्वम्
all of this
जनार्दनात्
from Janardana — from Vishnu
Yoga, wisdom, Sankhya philosophy, all the arts and sciences, crafts, action, the Vedas, the shastras, and discernment — every form of knowing and doing flows from Janardana (Vishnu). The intellectual and the practical, the sacred and the skilled — all branches of the tree grow from the same root.
References
Vishnu Sahasranama · 9 / 11