मनन Manana · ReflectStep 6 of /18
Viṣṇu Sahasranāma · Ślokas 21–30
Names 189–282
Listen to the chant, and read the meaning under each verse. A narrated version is on its way.
Śloka 21 · Swan, serpent and lotus-navel
Śloka 21
मरीचिर्दमनो हंसः सुपर्णो भुजगोत्तमः ।
हिरण्यनाभः सुतपाः पद्मनाभः प्रजापतिः ॥
marīcir damano haṃsaḥ suparṇo bhujagottamaḥ |
hiraṇyanābhaḥ sutapāḥ padmanābhaḥ prajāpatiḥ ||
Meaning
Marīci: the brilliance in all that shines. Damana: he restrains those who stray from their duty. Haṃsa: the swan; he removes the fear of rebirth from those who meditate on him as their own Self; or he moves in all bodies. Suparṇa: the bird of beautiful wings. Bhujagottama: best of serpents, as Ananta. Hiraṇyanābha: of golden, lovely navel. Sutapāḥ: he still performs tapas at Badarī as Nara and Nārāyaṇa. Padmanābha again: here, the one shining in the lotus of the heart. Prajāpati again: father of all beings.
Word by word
Words joined in recitation are shown split. Where sounds change at the joins, the dictionary form is given under the word.
Śloka 22 · Deathless lion who guards the gods
Śloka 22
अमृत्युः सर्वदृक् सिंहः सन्धाता सन्धिमान् स्थिरः ।
अजो दुर्मर्षणः शास्ता विश्रुतात्मा सुरारिहा ॥
amṛtyuḥ sarvadṛk siṃhaḥ sandhātā sandhimān sthiraḥ |
ajo durmarṣaṇaḥ śāstā viśrutātmā surārihā ||
Meaning
Amṛtyu: free from death and its cause. Sarvadṛk: by his own light he sees every deed of every being. Siṃha: the lion, who strikes down evil. Sandhātā: he joins people to the fruits of their acts. Sandhimān: he himself enjoys those fruits. Sthira: ever the same. Aja again: here, the one who moves. Durmarṣaṇa: unbearable to the demons. Śāstā: he teaches all through scripture. Viśrutātmā: whose Self, truth and knowledge, the scriptures proclaim. Surārihā: slayer of the foes of the gods.
Word by word
Śloka 23 · The supreme teacher and truth
Śloka 23
गुरुर्गुरुतमो धाम सत्यः सत्यपराक्रमः ।
निमिषोऽनिमिषः स्रग्वी वाचस्पतिरुदारधीः ॥
gurur gurutamo dhāma satyaḥ satyaparākramaḥ |
nimiṣo 'nimiṣaḥ sragvī vācaspatir udāradhīḥ ||
Meaning
Guru: the teacher of all knowledge, and the father of all beings. Gurutama: the greatest teacher, who gave the Vedas even to Brahmā. Dhāma: the supreme light, and the abode of all desires. Satya again: here, the truth of truth. Satyaparākrama: whose valour never fails. Nimiṣa: whose eyes are closed in yogic sleep. Animiṣa: ever awake; or the Lord as the Fish. Sragvī: he wears the Vaijayantī garland, woven of the subtle elements. Vācaspatir udāradhīḥ: lord of learning, whose mind sees every meaning.
Word by word
Śloka 24 · The thousand-headed cosmic Person
Śloka 24
अग्रणीर्ग्रामणीः श्रीमान् न्यायो नेता समीरणः ।
सहस्रमूर्धा विश्वात्मा सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् ॥
agraṇīr grāmaṇīḥ śrīmān nyāyo netā samīraṇaḥ |
sahasramūrdhā viśvātmā sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt ||
Meaning
Agraṇī: he leads those who long for freedom to the highest seat. Grāmaṇī: leader of the host of beings. Śrīmān again: here, radiant with a light that excels all. Nyāya: right reasoning, which leads to truth. Netā: he drives the great machine of the cosmos. Samīraṇa: the breath that moves all beings. Sahasramūrdhā: the thousand-headed. Viśvātmā: the Soul of the universe. Sahasrākṣa: the thousand-eyed. Sahasrapāt: the thousand-footed; this is the Cosmic Person of the Puruṣa Sūkta.
Word by word
Śloka 25 · Turner of the wheel
Śloka 25
आवर्तनो निवृत्तात्मा संवृतः सम्प्रमर्दनः ।
अहः संवर्तको वह्निरनिलो धरणीधरः ॥
āvartano nivṛttātmā saṃvṛtaḥ sampramardanaḥ |
ahaḥ saṃvartako vahnir anilo dharaṇīdharaḥ ||
Meaning
Āvartana: he turns the wheel of worldly life. Nivṛttātmā: yet his own Self is free from its bonds. Saṃvṛta: hidden behind the veil of ignorance. Sampramardana: he crushes all, as Rudra and as Death. Ahaḥ saṃvartaka: as the sun, he brings round the days. Vahni: the fire that carries offerings to the gods. Anila: the wind; Śaṅkara also reads it as the one without beginning. Dharaṇīdhara: bearer of the earth, as Ādiśeṣa and as the Boar.
Word by word
Śloka 26 · Gracious Nārāyaṇa and Nara
Śloka 26
सुप्रसादः प्रसन्नात्मा विश्वधृग्विश्वभुग्विभुः ।
सत्कर्ता सत्कृतः साधुर्जह्नुर्नारायणो नरः ॥
suprasādaḥ prasannātmā viśvadhṛg viśvabhug vibhuḥ |
satkartā satkṛtaḥ sādhur jahnur nārāyaṇo naraḥ ||
Meaning
Suprasāda: so gracious that he gave liberation even to Śiśupāla. Prasannātmā: clear of heart and ever merciful. Viśvadhṛk: he holds the universe. Viśvabhuk: he enjoys and rules it. Vibhu: he becomes many, as Hiraṇyagarbha and others. Satkartā: he honours the good. Satkṛta: honoured by the honoured. Sādhu: righteous; he achieves everything without any means. Jahnu: he withdraws beings at the end. Nārāyaṇa: all things and souls come from him and rest in him as their home. Nara: the eternal one who leads all.
Word by word
Śloka 27 · Whose every resolve comes true
Śloka 27
असङ्ख्येयोऽप्रमेयात्मा विशिष्टः शिष्टकृच्छुचिः ।
सिद्धार्थः सिद्धसङ्कल्पः सिद्धिदः सिद्धिसाधनः ॥
asaṅkhyeyo 'prameyātmā viśiṣṭaḥ śiṣṭakṛcchuciḥ |
siddhārthaḥ siddhasaṅkalpaḥ siddhidaḥ siddhisādhanaḥ ||
Meaning
Asaṅkhyeya: beyond all number, name and form. Aprameyātmā: whose nature cannot be measured. Viśiṣṭa: he transcends all. Śiṣṭakṛt: he lays down the law; or he protects the virtuous. Śuci again: the stainless one. Siddhārtha: he has every aim fulfilled. Siddhasaṅkalpa: his every resolve comes true, as the Upaniṣad says. Siddhida: he grants success to each as each deserves. Siddhisādhana: he is the very means of success.
Word by word
Śloka 28 · Ocean of dharma and Veda
Śloka 28
वृषाही वृषभो विष्णुर्वृषपर्वा वृषोदरः ।
वर्धनो वर्धमानश्च विविक्तः श्रुतिसागरः ॥
vṛṣāhī vṛṣabho viṣṇur vṛṣaparvā vṛṣodaraḥ |
vardhano vardhamānaś ca viviktaḥ śrutisāgaraḥ ||
Meaning
Vṛṣāhī: he is the great sacrifice of dharma. Vṛṣabha: he showers blessings on his devotees. Viṣṇu again: here, the one who crossed the universe in three steps. Vṛṣaparvā: the way to his abode is a ladder whose steps are dharma. Vṛṣodara: from his womb beings pour forth. Vardhana: he makes all things grow. Vardhamāna: he grows into the universe itself. Vivikta: though he fills the cosmos, he stays apart. Śrutisāgara: the ocean in which all the Vedas rest.
Word by word
Śloka 29 · Of many forms, giver of wealth
Śloka 29
सुभुजो दुर्धरो वाग्मी महेन्द्रो वसुदो वसुः ।
नैकरूपो बृहद्रूपः शिपिविष्टः प्रकाशनः ॥
subhujo durdharo vāgmī mahendro vasudo vasuḥ |
naikarūpo bṛhadrūpaḥ śipiviṣṭaḥ prakāśanaḥ ||
Meaning
Subhuja: whose arms are lovely in guarding the world. Durdhara: none can bear him, who bears all; and yogis find him hard to hold in the heart. Vāgmī: from him flows the sacred word. Mahendra: lord of all lords. Vasuda: the giver of wealth. Vasu again: here, the wealth he gives is himself. Naikarūpa: of many forms through his māyā. Bṛhadrūpa: of vast form, as in the Boar. Śipiviṣṭa: he dwells in the sacrifice; or in the rays of light. Prakāśana: he lights up all.
Word by word
Śloka 30 · Radiant as sun and moon
Śloka 30
ओजस्तेजोद्युतिधरः प्रकाशात्मा प्रतापनः ।
ऋद्धः स्पष्टाक्षरो मन्त्रश्चन्द्रांशुर्भास्करद्युतिः ॥
ojastejodyutidharaḥ prakāśātmā pratāpanaḥ |
ṛddhaḥ spaṣṭākṣaro mantraś candrāṃśur bhāskaradyutiḥ ||
Meaning
Ojastejodyutidhara: holder of vital power, of valour, and of the light of wisdom. Prakāśātmā: whose very nature is radiance. Pratāpana: he warms the world as the sun. Ṛddha: rich in dharma, knowledge and detachment. Spaṣṭākṣara: he is the syllable Om, with its clear, high tone. Mantra: the Ṛg, Yajus and Sāma; or the one known through mantras. Candrāṃśu: the cool moonbeam that soothes minds scorched by the sun of worldly life. Bhāskaradyuti: brilliant as the sun.
Word by word
Reflection
Light runs like a golden thread through these ten ślokas. He is Marīci, the brilliance in all that shines; Dhāma, the supreme light; Śrīmān, radiant beyond all; Prakāśana, who lights up everything; and at the close comes a whole cluster of splendour: vital power, valour, the radiant Self, the warmth of the sun. But this light does not only blaze. Śaṅkara ends the group with Candrāṃśu, the moonbeam, and explains it tenderly: just as moonlight cools someone scorched all day by the sun, the Lord brings delight to minds burnt by the heat of worldly life. Beside the light runs guidance. He is Guru and Gurutama, who taught the Vedas even to Brahmā; Agraṇī, who leads seekers forward to the highest seat; Haṃsa, the swan who frees from fear all who meditate on him. And here stands Nārāyaṇa, the home in which all beings and elements rest. So on a day when life feels harsh, remember Candrāṃśu: the same Lord who is the blazing sun is also the gentle moon, and he knows which one you need.
Your reflection
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