Key words

Words that come up again and again in the names, and in what Śaṅkara says about them.

nāmanनामन्: A name. The hymn is a sahasranāma, a thousand names; Bhīṣma calls them gauṇa, names born of the Lord's qualities.
sahasraसहस्र: A thousand; often a number for ‘beyond counting’.
viṣṇuविष्णु: The one who pervades and enters everything, unlimited by space, time or substance (name 2, and again 258 and 657).
vāsudevaवासुदेव: The one in whom all beings dwell and who dwells in all; also Kṛṣṇa as the son of Vasudeva.
nārāyaṇaनारायण: The one whose resting place is the waters, or who is the refuge of all beings (nara).
keśavaकेशव: The one with beautiful hair; or the one who holds Ka, A and Īśa (Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva); or the slayer of the demon Keśī.
acyutaअच्युत: The one who never falls, never slips from his own nature, and never lets his devotees fall.
govindaगोविन्द: The one who rescued the earth (go), who is known through the words of the Veda, the protector of cows.
hṛṣīkeśaहृषीकेश: Lord of the senses (hṛṣīka).
padmanābhaपद्मनाभ: The one from whose navel the lotus of creation grows.
puruṣottamaपुरुषोत्तम: The supreme Person, beyond the perishable and the imperishable (Gītā 15.18).
janārdanaजनार्दन: The one people seek for their well-being; or the one who troubles the wicked.
mādhavaमाधव: The husband of Mā, that is Lakṣmī; or the one known through silence, meditation and yoga.
hariहरि: The one who takes away: sorrow, sin, and the cycle of birth and death.
anantaअनन्त: Endless, infinite; also the great serpent on whom Viṣṇu rests.
bhaktiभक्ति: Loving devotion. Bhīṣma asks for worship ‘with devotion’ again and again.
stotraस्तोत्र: A hymn of praise. Stotra is also one of the names: the hymn itself is the Lord (śloka 73).
japaजप: Repeated recitation of a name or mantra, aloud, softly or in the mind.
phalaśrutiफलश्रुति: ‘Hearing of the fruits’: the closing verses that tell what reciting the hymn brings.
dharmaधर्म: What upholds: right living, duty, the moral order. Bhīṣma calls praising these names the highest dharma.
brahmanब्रह्मन्: The absolute reality; for Śaṅkara, what all thousand names finally point to.
śrīश्री: Fortune, beauty, grace; Lakṣmī, consort of Viṣṇu. Śloka 65 is a garland of śrī-names.