विष्णुसहस्रनाम स्तोत्र (महाभारत अनुशासन पर्व - जगद्गुरु आदि शंकराचार्य भाष्य सानुवाद सटीक)

THE
VISHNU SAHASRANAMA
WITH
THE BHASYA OF SANKARACHARYA
TO WHICH IS ADDED
A LATEST VYAKHYA OF A SANYASIN
AND
A KARIKA OF AN UNKNOWN AUTHOR
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY
R. ANANTHAKRISHNA SASTRY

THE
VISHNU SAHASRANAMA
WITH
THE BHASHYA OF SRI SANKARACHARYA
TO WHICH IS ADDED
A LATEST VYAKHYA OF A SANYASIN
AND
A KĀRIKĀ OF AN UNKNOWN AUTHOR
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH
BY
R. ANANTHAKRISHNA SASTRY
The translator of Lalita Sahasranama, Sivasahasranama
and Anandalahari, etc.
(Second Edition—Revised and Enlarged)
THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE
ADYAR, MADRAS, INDIA
1927

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TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE
THE warm reception accorded last year by the devotees of
Lalitā to the revised and enlarged second edition of my
English translation of Lalitā Sahasranāma, with the com-
mentary of Bhāskararāya, has induced me to respond to
the call of the devotees of our Lord Vishnu, by publishing
in a revised and enlarged form my English translation of
Vishnu Sahasranāma with Sri Sankara's commentary
and those of others. The first edition of this translation
was brought out by me, a quarter of a century ago, under
the auspices of that true patriotic Aryan, the late lamented
and venerable Dr. Subramania Iyer.
In preparing this second edition, I have carefully
consulted all the available commentaries now extant. But
while I was touring in Malabar last summer, I came across
an old MSS. of a Vyākhyā by some Sanyāsin and a glos-
sary on it by one Nīlakantha which I secured with the help
of the then President of the Malabar District Board,
Mr. Madhava Raja. I found the author of the Vyākhyā had
consulted all the then available commentaries by our
great Āchāryas, and had composed one verse for each name,
called Nāmakārikā. Being a follower of Sri Sankara, he
gives first Sri Sankara's explanation and then those of
others, wherever there is a difference, which I found to be
verbatim quotations mostly from Sri Parāsara Bhatta's
Vyākhyā. Sri Parāsara Bhatta belongs to the school of
Visishtādvaitins and hence he bases his explanations on the

VI
Râmâyana, Mahâbhârata, Purânas and the Vaishnava
Âgamas. Again while touring in the North, last winter.
I found another MSS. in the Kailâsa Mutt near Hrishî-
kes'a in the Himâlayas. The author of this Vyâkhyâ is one
Mahadeva and he clearly follows Sri Sankara's Bhâshya.
In this edition I have added only the former, the verse
Vyâkhyâ, i.e., the Nâmakârikâ, since it includes all the
different explanations of the names given by the various
commentators.
The Bhashyas. Parâs'ara Bhatta's Bhâshya is spread
among the followers of Visishtâdvaita, chiefly in the South.
A Telugu edition of it was edited, I believe, by the late
Yogi Parthasarathy Avyangar of Triplicane, a real devotee
of our Lord Vishnu, a quarter of a century ago, and contains
all that a critical student wants to know. It completely
traces out all the grammatical forms of the names with their
respective references. It is a very useful book and an
English translation of it may be made with advantage.
According to the "Catalogus Catalogorum," the last of
which appeared in 1903, the following commentaries on
these hymns were known :

1. Brihat Bhashya.
2. Vishnu Vallabha.
3. By Anandatirtha.
4. By Krishnananda.
5. By Gangadhara Yogindra.
6. By Parasara Bhatta or Sriranga Bhatta.
7. By Mahadevavedantin.
8. By Ranganathacharya.
9. By Ramanandatirtha.
10. By Sri Ramanuja.
11. By Vidyaranyatirtha.
12. By Brahmananda Bharati (like No. 9).
13. By Sri Sankaracharya.

vii
14. By Sudarsana Bhatta.
15. By Govinda Bhatta.
Since then some more have been discovered.
The MSS. of Srī Sankarāchārya's Bhāshya are spread
throughout the length and breadth of India—an indication
of its great popularity—and many old copies of the same,
belonging to the 14th and 15th centuries, have been secured
by me and deposited in many of the libraries in which I
have worked during the last 40 years. Many doubted the
authenticity of the work, and I was myself one of them
until I commenced to prepare the first edition. I carefully
went through the work and was strongly impressed with
the remarkable coincidences between it and the other
writings of Srī Sankara. The peculiarities of style,
diction and expression, characterising it throughout, are
peculiarly those of Srī Sankara ; the treatment of the whole
is very systematic and authoritative, explaining every
name mostly in the light of the Vedas, the Mahābhārata,
Manusmriti, Vishnu Purāna and the Bhagavad-Gītā, which
are the standard classics of Hindu religious literature.
That Srī Sankara has chosen to comment upon these
hymns may be due to the fact that he thought it would be
more conducive to the spiritual progress of all classes of
people in the Kaliyuga. It requires, unlike any other
system of religious devotion, no ceremonies, no stated
times or places, no preparations and no unattainable quali-
fications in the devotee, as a means to reach the feet of the
Lord. A close study of his discussion on this point in the
introductory chapter, where he supports his arguments
with references to authoritative texts, will convince
any reader.
The Text. The Sahasranāma Stotras. These are prayers
addressed to some particular Deity of the Hindu pantheon
and invoke Him by the thousand names. They are found

VIII
scattered throughout the Paurānic literature. The most
important of these stotras are the Sahasranāmas of Devī,
Vishnu and Siva.
When we speak generally of the Sahasranāmas, they
refer only to the Sahasranāmas of the above mentioned
Deities which are found in the Mahābhārata and in the
eighteen principal Purānas of Vyāsa. There are also
hymns of this sort found in some of the Āgamas ; but
these are not recognised as authoritative by sects other than
those to whom the particular Āgama especially belongs.
The Vishnu Sahasranāma, containing 142 verses, is
extracted from the Ānuśāsanika Parva in the 149th
Chapter ¹ of the Mahābhārata, in the dialogue between
Bhīshma and Yudhishthira.
It is held in great veneration all over India, from Cape
Comorin to the Himālayas and is recited by persons of all
stations in life, by the prince and the peasant, by the
ignorant devotee and the fortunate Yogin, on every occasion
of joy or sorrow, fear or hope. Miraculous virtues
are attributed to it and are assured by the author Vyāsa
himself.
THE METHOD OF REPEATING THIS HYMN
The ancient custom, still observed in the village parts,
especially of the South, is to repeat each name of the
Sahasranāma, offering Tulasi petals or any available flowers
of the season before the idol of Vishnu in his various
incarnations of Rāma, Krishna, etc. This is done for the
fulfilment of one's desires, or to ward off the evil influence
of planets. Many merely repeat the whole book sitting
before the idol with Bhasma (sacred ashes) in a plate by
¹ The number of the Chapter is differently given in some
commentaries and in some manuscripts, e.g., Parāśara Bhatta.

their side, which is afterwards distributed among the
village people. Sometimes some wealthy householder, in
celebrating the thread or initiation ceremony of his son,
feeds one thousand virtuous Brahmins repeating each
nama before a Brahmin. According to Nilakantha, the
author of the glossary, if one wants to perform Puras-
charana in order to attain perfection, one should repeat it
a lakh of times within a fixed period during his lifetime
and perform Homa in fire with ghee or pāyasa (milk-rice).
PRĀNĀYĀMA
The utility and importance of this fundamental Yoga
practice have not been fully realised by us. Vyāsa says in
a hymn " The Lord Vishnu himself is Yoga and the leader
of all the Yogins (Slo. 16), the Yogi and the Lord of the
Yogins (Slo. 104) ". The ancients have perfected it to a
science, but it is lost to us to a considerable extent through
our own folly. It is the sacred duty of every true Aryan
to revive it. The desire for material advancement has
supplanted the yearning for spiritual progress. At present,
the yearning for Swaraj has well nigh become universal ; but
the people have not yet realised that unless and until they
are healthy—physically, mentally and morally—they can
never hope to become a Nation and attain Swaraj. In
ancient times the Aryans were a very strong and powerful
race, imbued with the highest of virtues, so that the word
Arya came to connote strength, and Anarya, weakness.
(Vide Bhagavad-Gita, II, 2.) The Aryans attained and
retained unto death their bodily and mental perfection by
the simple but effective method of Prânâyâma. To them
death had no horrors. Just as one throws off one's worn out
garments, even so they cast off their body by their own free
will by the power of Yoga. I have written about the
B

x
Prānāyāma in my Lalitā Sahasranāma (see page 8 in the
Preface). I repeat it here, in some detail, for the benefit
of the readers. The Sāstraic method is to get up at
the Brāhma Muhūrta, i.e., before the breaking of the
dawn, and finish the morning ablutions. After Āchamana
—sipping water—perform the breathing exercises, the
Prānāyāma, in a well-ventilated place. Sit cross-legged
facing east or north, with the back straight, chest well
expanded and thrust forward and the head erect. First
exhale (Rechaka) all the air slowly through one or both
the nostrils, and then inhale (Pūraka) slowly and deeply,
and exhale as before. While exhaling and inhaling produce
a low humming sound in the throat. Repeat the Rechaka
and Pūraka alternately for about ten minutes. Next,
restraint of breath or Kumbhaka must be practised.
Inhale slowly, with the production of a humming sound
in the throat as before, but retain the breath as long as
possible without straining yourself and exhale completely
all the air out. Again inhale slowly and deeply, restrain
and exhale as before. Repeat this process for about five
to ten minutes and gradually increase the duration of
Kumbhaka.
While performing Rechaka, Pūraka and Kumbhaka,
it will be easy for beginners if they use one or more
fingers to close up one or both the nostrils. When one
has made some progress in Prānāyāma, then by merely
willing, the air can be made to flow in or out through any
nostril or it may be kept in Kumbhaka.
The third practice is Bhasra (bellow) and it is done
for the next five or six minutes. Sitting erect as before
and with the lips closed, blow out the air, with the
hissing sound of a starting locomotive engine, rapidly..
While blowing in this way the trunk of the body is
steady, but the abdomen becomes concave and flat in

xi
quick succession, due to the alternate contraction and
relaxation of the abdominal muscles. The naval region
swings inward and out with the maximum amplitude. The
Bhasra can be practised also in the evening provided the
stomach is empty. By this practice, the intestines get
exercised, the digestive powers are greatly improved, the
free circulation of blood is facilitated and the lungs are
strengthened. The bowels also are kept in order by
removing constipation. (See Tai. Aranyaka, I, 7-21.)
Success in Prānāyāma can be attained only if the
diet is a well regulated one (Bh.-Gita, 17. 8 to 10).
Any non-stimulating, simple and nutritious diet will do.
It is well to remember and practise the Vedic ordinance
"Ekavāram Dvivāram Vā," which enjoins only one meal
a day or at the most two. Seven hours at least must
elapse between any two meals.
It is very depressing to note that generally Indians,
and especially South Indians, have become physically
degenerated; the more educated they are the more
physically depressed they have become. The golden
precept enjoining Brahmacharya (restraint) on a Grihasta,
by our Sāstras, has been totally ignored. Excessive
indulgence in stimulants, coffee, tea, etc., and in matters
pertaining to sex, irregular and hurried meals—meals
noted for their flavour alone but not for their sustaining
qualities—and want of regular exercise for the body,
have brought about this present condition. Systematic
practice of Prānāyāma by our young men with a well
regulated diet and observance of the principles laid down
for the conduct of the Brahmachārins and of the Grihastas
will in a generation or two regenerate them into a virile
people.
These practices do not require any special instructions
from a teacher, and are quite harmless. They are taught

xii
to us in our Upanayana ceremony, and ought to be
continued systematically every day in one's life. This
may be practised by all persons irrespective of age or
sex, excepting women in the family way, who should
not attempt the Bhasra. But chronic patients afflicted
with bowel or lung diseases should be carefully guided
by a scientifically trained instructor. For this purpose,
some two years back an Āśrama was started at Lonavla,
a beautiful sanatorium in the Poona District. It is
conducted by His Holiness Kuvalayananda at Kaivalya
Āśrama. Its experiments are radiographed and recorded in
its quarterly journal called "Yogamīmāṁsa". The instruc-
tion is free to all who seek to recoup their lost health by
nature's processes. By the grace of the Divine Physician,
"Daivyaḥ Bhishak," the Lord, all the incurable diseases
are cured. May our degenerate young men take up these
practices and become healthier, is the pious wish of the
author!
After the Prāṇāyāma, one should meditate on the
great Lord Vishnu, repeating the thousand names, loudly
or mentally (the latter is preferable). The meaning of
each name is to be realised. This will exercise the mind
well and improve its power of concentration. I pray with
Śrī Vyāsa, the author of this hymn (Slo. 121-132), to
the Lord, the presiding Deity of this Sahasranāma, to
bestow on the repeater of this hymn physical health and
mental peace.
After the completion of this work, a MSS. copy of
another Kārikā (commentary) was placed in my hands by
a Śāstri, an old classmate of mine, who was a copyist under
me during my activities of earlier days in connection with
libraries. In this work there are 600 verses for all the
1,000 names, generally at the rate of half a verse for each
name. There are also 37 verses at the end for rules, thus

xiii
making 637 Kārikās altogether. The unknown author of
this commentary only recapitulates the explanation given
by our great Āchārya Śrī Śaṅkara. Here and there he
helps with some fine ideas for certain names and I have
added these explanations in their respective places and
marked as Ka. This commentary may be one of the four
referred to by the author of the Nāmakārikā commentaries.
Every tenth name of the 1,000 names has been given in his
37 verses for rules so that the repeater should not make
mistakes in uttering this hymn. There are 1,031 single
names in the Sahasranāma. The extra 31 names are to be
used as Viseshna, i.e., qualifying the names which are
next to them. When one makes Archana to the Deity the
correct dative case is also referred to in this Kārikā. There
are 5 double names in the first hundred (names 12, 16,
30, 46 and 55), 2 in the second (120 and 124), 4 in the third
(217, 232, 275, . . .), 4 in the fourth (333, 359, 390 and 399)
and (400), 5 in the fifth (404, 427, 429, 454 and 493), 6 in the
sixth (514, 531, 552, 564, 572 and 573), 1 in the seventh (627)
and 4 in the eighth (. . ., 732, 794, 799). The 896th name
is an indeclinable one (avyaya). It should be used in the
Archana as Sanāt Namah ; the 929th name, being
plural, as Sadbhyo Namah. The author ends with a
verse, “ Thus the learned should perform Archana, consult-
ing this commentary for correctly uttering the names in
dative case and suffixing ‘ Namah ’ to each name ”.
The MS. contains also at the end, the 25th Chapter,
extracts from the Bhrigu Saṁhitā and called “ Sahasra-
nāmārchana vidhi ”. This Samhitā is one of the four
belonging to the Vaikhānasa sect.¹ This 25th Chapter
¹ Marīchi Saṁhitā containing 96 Paṭalas, with about 5,000 grandhas.
(2) Bhrigu, the largest, containing about 15,000 grandhas dividing into
18 Adhikāras, as Yejnādhikāra, Kriyādhikāra, etc., (3) Atri Saṁhitā
with 32 Chapters, (4) Kāsyapa, 2,000 Grandhas. The MSS. were
secured long ago and deposited in the libraries assisted by me, at
Adyar, Mysore and Baroda.

XIV
deals elaborately with the rules for performing the worship
of Vishnu by these 1,000 names, offering flowers, such as
Thulasī, Bilva, Nandyāvarta, Padma, Mallikā, Jati,
Punnāga and Satapatra, for each name. The worship
should be performed, if not daily, at least on one's own
birthdays, eclipse days, birth constellations, the entering
of the sun from one Zodiac to another, and to ward off
troubles, due to planets, the anger of kings, great diseases
and the troubles of enemies. This Archana may be
performed also when one requires Dharma, sons, wealth
and other desired objects.¹
OM! SANTIH, SANTIH, SANTIH
Ocotber, 1926 R. A. SASTRY
¹ 90 names are repeated in this hymn; of them, 74 are repeated
twice, 14 thrice and 2 four times. I have marked them in their proper
places. In Lalitā Sahasranāma alone we do not find such repetition;
this hymn is treated as "mantras" whereas all the others are
"stotras".

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COMMENTATOR'S BENEDICTORY VERSES
Om Adoration to Krishna whose nature is Sat, Chit
and Ānanda, who performs his functions without effort,
who is cognised by the Vedānta, who is the Guru, and who
is the witness of Buddhi.
2. I adore the sage Krishnadvaipāyana Vyāsa devoted
to the welfare of all beings, who is to the Vedas as the sun
is to the lotus and who is the fountain of self-control, etc.
3. The admirable hymn containing the thousand
names of the Supreme Person, who has thousands of forms,
thousands of eyes, faces, feet and arms, is now being com-
mented upon for the sake of overcoming birth, decay, etc.
Śrī Vaiśampāyana said :

1. Hearing all the Dharmas in their entirety and
   those sacred acts that destroy sins, in various ways,
   Yudhishthira again addressed the son of Śantanu
   (Bhīshma).
   Vaiśampāyana said to Janamejaya.
   Dharmas are those that lead to prosperity and Moksha
   as defined by the Vedas. Addressed : as he was of opinion
   that he had not been taught the means of attaining all the
   desired ends of man, that are easy to follow and mighty in
   their results.
   Yudhishthira said :
2. Who is the One Deity in the world ? What is the
   sole and Supreme Goal ? Whom should - men praise and
   worship to attain good ?

2 VISHNU SAHASRANAMA
In the world : who is declared in the Vidyās that
form the source of our knowledge ? This is the first ques-
tion.
Supreme Goal : He whose orders all obey, realising
whom the fetters of the heart break off, as said in the Śruti
(Mu. Up., 4-8). "The fetters of the heart are broken, all
doubts are solved, all his actions perish when he is seen,
who is the cause and effect," by merely knowing whom one
attains Moksha, which is of the nature of bliss ; knowing
which one fears nothing, entering whom there is no re-
birth, knowing whom only, one becomes himself as said
in the Śruti (Mu. Up., 6-9). "He who knows Brahman
becomes even Brahman," and leaving whom there is no
other path, as said in the Śruti (S've. Up., 3-8). "There
is no other path to go," That is called the sole Supreme
goal. This is the second question. Praise : reciting his
attributes. This is the third question. Worship : external
and internal, in various ways. Men : children of Manu.
Good : Svarga (heaven), Moksha, etc. This is the fourth
question.
3. What is that Dharma which is regarded by you
as the supreme one among all Dharmas ? By reciting
what (hymn) is mankind freed from the bonds of birth
and Samsāra ?
What is that Dharma, etc., is the fifth question.
Reciting : Japa is of threefold nature, viz., loud,
audible and mental (see Manu Smr., 2-85). By using the
word mankind (Jantu) it is hinted that all human beings
are, according to their capabilities, entitled to perform
Japa and worship, and to hymn His praises. Birth : is
the indication of all the effects of Avidya evolved out of
ignorance. Samsāra : Avidya, freed : from all other
effects, also, in order to show the Supreme importance of
moksha. This is the sixth question.

VISHNU SAHASRANAMA 3
Bhishma said :
Bhishma : one who is the cause of terror to all foes,
external and internal, the promulgator of Moksha-dharma
and other Dharmas, and who is omniscient.
Six questions are asked. The sixth and the last refer-
ring to Japa is answered by the following verse :
4. The man who is ever-engaged in praising, with
the thousand names, the Lord of the Universe, the God of
Gods, the Infinite, and Supreme Purusha (gets beyond
all grief).
The Universe : the movable and the immovable. God
of Gods : God even of Brahmâ and other Gods. Infinite :
unlimited by space, time and substance. Supreme Purusha :
superior to the perishable and the imperishable. (See
Bh. G., 15-18.) Praising : his attributes. Purusha : because
of his dwelling, (sayana) in the heart (puri), or because of
his fullness. The phrase gets beyond all grief has to be
supplied in the fourth and fifth verses also.
The fourth question is answered by the following :
5. By always worshipping with devotion that im-
perishable Purusha, by meditating on Him, by praising
Him and by bowing down before Him, the worshipper
(gets beyond all grief).
Worshipping : by performing external worship. Al-
ways : at all times. With devotion : entirely given up to
Him. By meditating : worshipping Him internally.
Hymning His praise and prostrating before Him are acts
that form the last part of the worship. The worshipper :
the enjoyer of the fruit of the worship.
Or by worshipping is meant both external and inter-
nal worship. By meditating, by praising and bowing down
are meant, the mental, the verbal, and the physical
worship.

4 VISHNU SAHASRANAMA
The third question is answered by the (first) three
parts of the following verse :
6. By always praising Vishnu, who is without be-
ginning and end who is the Supreme Lord of all the
worlds and who is the observer of the Universe, one gets
beyond all grief.
Without beginning and end : devoid of modifications
such as birth, etc. Vishnu : all pervading. Worlds :
(Loka) that which is visible, the objective side. The
Supreme Lord : even of Brahmā and others who are the
masters of the visible Universe. Observer : observes the
visible universe directly by His self-knowledge (Bodha).
Gets beyond all grief : transcends the (three) kinds of
sorrows, Adhyātma, etc.
He is again praised :
7. And who is friendly to Brahman, who knows all
the Dharmas, who is the enhancer of the fame of the
worlds, who is the Lord of the Universe, who is the
great Truth and who is the source of the evolution of all
beings.
Who is friendly to Brahman : Brahmā may mean
here the Creator or the Brāhmanas, austerities and Vedas ;
enhancer, etc. : He who enhances the fame of all creatures
by the entering of His Śakti (energy). Who is the Lord of
the Universe (Lokanātha) : He who is desired (nātha) by
the worlds or He who sheds his light (nātha) on the world,
or blesses it or He who is beloved of the world. Great
Truth : Great ; being superior to the Universe. Truth :
He is the true existence : Who is the source, etc. : He from
whom originates the Samsāra of all beings.
The fifth question is answered :
8. The constant worship with hymns of the lotus-
eyed (Vishnu) with devotion is regarded by me as the
greatest of all Dharmas.

VISHNU SAHASRANAMA 5
Dharma : as defined by the Vedas. Lotus eyed :
Vasudeva shining (aksha) in the lotus of the heart. With
hymns : praises describing his attributes. The worship :
with reverence.
Query. What is the reason for giving pre-eminence
to the hymning of this praise ?
Answer. The reason for such pre-eminence consists
in its having no necessity to do harm, etc. (to other
creatures), in its not requiring the help of other persons or
money, and in its not having strict rules as to place, time,
etc. The Vishnu Purâna (6-2-17) says : “ That which one
obtains in Kritayuga by meditation, by performing sacrifice
in the Tretâ, by worship in Dvâpara, he receives in the
Kaliyuga, by reciting (the names) of Kes'ava.” The Manu
Smriti (2-87) says : “ But, undoubtedly, a Brâhmana
reaches the highest goal by Japa only ; never mind if he
performs other rites or neglects them ; he who befriends
(all creatures) is declared to be a (true) Brâhmana.” The
Mahâbhârata says : “ The Japa is said to be the best of all
Dharmas, and also Japa begins with non-injury to beings.”
The Bh. Gita (10-25) says : “ Of sacrifices, I am the Japa
sacrifice.” Hence it is said to be the greatest Dharma.
The second question is answered :
9. (He who is) the Supreme and great Light, who is
the Supreme and great Ruler, who is the Supreme and
great Brahman, is the Supreme and highest Goal.
Light : bare consciousness, illuminating everything.
The S'rutis (Tai. Brâ., 3-12-9) says : “ That light by which
the Sun illuminated, shines” (Br. Up., 6-4-16). “ The Gods
worship him the Light of Lights ” (Mu. Up., 4-10) : “ The
sun does not shine there, nor the moon and stars.” The
Bh. G. also (15-12) says : “ That Light which is in the
Sun.”
Tapas means the Ruler, because He rules by the heat
of his command. The Antaryâmi Brâhmana speaks thus of