Viṣṇu Sahasranāma

The war is over. Bhīṣma, the grand-sire of the Kurus, lies on a bed of arrows, waiting for the sun’s northern course before he leaves his body. Yudhiṣṭhira, troubled by the slaughter, comes with Kṛṣṇa and his brothers to learn dharma from him. In the Anuśāsana-parva of the Mahābhārata, after many teachings, he asks six questions — and Bhīṣma answers with the thousand names.

• Pūrva-bhāga (introduction) — the questions and answer above; then the ṛṣi, metre and deity of the hymn (Vyāsa; anuṣṭubh; Viṣṇu), the nyāsa (placing the names on the hands and body) and the dhyāna verses for meditation.
• The stotra — 107 ślokas carrying the 1,000 names, and a 108th verse asking for protection. Beginning viśvam viṣṇur vaṣaṭkāraḥ, ending sarvapraharaṇāyudhaḥ.
• Uttara-bhāga (conclusion) — the fruits of recitation (phalaśruti), Arjuna’s and Kṛṣṇa’s verses, and Śiva’s verse to Pārvatī: one name of Rāma equals the thousand.

The metre is anuṣṭubh: each śloka has four quarters (pāda) of eight syllables. The chant page shows the syllables and their weights.

Names run into one another by sandhi, so where one ends and the next begins is a matter of interpretation. Śaṅkara’s commentary — one of the oldest — divides them into exactly a thousand; some names count two words (muktānāṃ paramā gatiḥ), and some words appear more than once with different meanings. This page follows his division and numbering.

Parāśara Bhaṭṭar’s Bhagavad-guṇa-darpaṇa (“mirror of the Lord’s qualities”) reads the same names as qualities and deeds of Viṣṇu, drawing on the Purāṇas and Rāmāyaṇa; it sometimes divides them differently. Śaṅkara reads many of them as pointers to the one Brahman.

A name used twice is never redundant: Śaṅkara gives each occurrence its own meaning, from its place in the hymn.

• श्रीमान् śrīmān — 22 ever united with Śrī; 178 full of every glory; 220 the radiant; 613 possessing all glory
• प्राणदः prāṇadaḥ — 66 giver and mover of life-breath; 321 the giver of life; 408 who withdraws breath at the end; 956 who revives the dead (Parīkṣit)
• विष्णुः viṣṇuḥ — 2 the all-pervading; 258 who pervades all; 657 whose radiance pervades heaven and earth
• अव्ययः avyayaḥ — 13 the imperishable; 31 the inexhaustible; 900 where all comes to rest at dissolution
• पद्मनाभः padmanābhaḥ — 49 from whose navel the lotus of creation rises; 196 lotus-navelled; 346 seated in the lotus of the heart
• प्राणः prāṇaḥ — 67 life itself; 320 the life of all, as Hiraṇyagarbha; 407 the knower of the field, who lives as breath
• माधवः mādhavaḥ — 72 consort of Mā (Lakṣmī); 167 lord of knowledge (mā); 735 born in the line of Madhu
• अजः ajaḥ — 95 the unborn; 204 who moves in the hearts of devotees; unborn; 521 the unborn
• वसुः vasuḥ — 104 the dweller in all, and the wealth of all; 270 wealth itself; 696 in whom all dwell
• सत्यः satyaḥ — 106 truth; 212 the true; 869 true — kind to the good
• भोक्ता bhoktā — 143 the enjoyer; 500 the protector and enjoyer; 888 the enjoyer of nature
• वीरहा vīrahā — 166 slayer of mighty foes of dharma; 741 slayer of the strong foes of dharma; 927 who cuts the paths of bondage
• वासुदेवः vāsudevaḥ — 332 who dwells in all and in whom all dwell; 695 son of Vasudeva; 709 who covers the world with māyā
• वीरः vīraḥ — 401 the valiant; 643 the brave; 658 the moving, the valiant
• पुरुषः puruṣaḥ — 14 the indweller of the body-city; 406 the first, who was before all
• केशवः keśavaḥ — 23 of beautiful hair; lord of Brahmā (ka) and Śiva (īśa); 648 whose rays are the light of sun and others; slayer of Keśin
• शिवः śivaḥ — 27 the pure, the auspicious; 600 who purifies by the mere memory of his name
• प्रभुः prabhuḥ — 36 the able, the powerful; 299 the lord
• ईश्वरः īśvaraḥ — 37 the ruler, with power unconditioned; 74 the all-powerful
• आदित्यः ādityaḥ — 40 the golden person in the sun; 563 son of Aditi, as Vāmana
• पुष्कराक्षः puṣkarākṣaḥ — 41 lotus-eyed; 556 lotus-eyed; who pervades the lotus of the heart
• विधाता vidhātā — 45 the dispenser of actions and fruits; 484 the supporter of the supporters
• स्थविष्ठः sthaviṣṭhaḥ — 54 the vastest — the cosmic form; 436 the vast cosmic form
• कृष्णः kṛṣṇaḥ — 58 existence and bliss; dark-hued; 550 Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana; the dark one
• प्रजापतिः prajāpatiḥ — 69 lord of creatures; 197 father of all creatures
• हिरण्यगर्भः hiraṇyagarbhaḥ — 70 the golden womb, Brahmā’s inner self; 411 source of Brahmā, the golden egg
• विक्रमी vikramī — 75 the valiant; 909 of great valour
• कृतज्ञः kṛtajñaḥ — 82 who knows all deeds and rewards even a little; 532 the made (world) and its knower
• संवत्सरः saṃvatsaraḥ — 91 the year; 422 in whom all beings dwell
• सिद्धः siddhaḥ — 97 the ever-accomplished; 819 the ever-perfect
• अच्युतः acyutaḥ — 100 who never falls from his nature; 318 who never swerves
• अमेयात्मा ameyātmā — 102 of immeasurable nature; 179 whose intelligence none can measure
• वसुमनाः vasumanāḥ — 105 of noble mind; 697 whose mind dwells equally in all
• अमोघः amoghaḥ — 110 whose worship never fails; 154 whose acts are never in vain
• विश्वयोनिः viśvayoniḥ — 117 the womb of the universe; 149 the source of the universe
• वेदवित् vedavit — 128 the knower of the Veda; 131 who imparts the meaning of the Veda
• चतुरात्मा caturātmā — 137 fourfold in creation, preservation and dissolution; 769 clear in mind, free of attachment and hatred
• चतुर्व्यूहः caturvyūhaḥ — 138 of four emanations — Vāsudeva and the others; 767 of four emanations
• सहिष्णुः sahiṣṇuḥ — 144 who overcomes and forbears; 565 who bears the pairs of opposites
• अनघः anaghaḥ — 146 sinless; 831 sinless
• शुचिः śuciḥ — 155 the pure; 251 the stainless
• अनिर्देश्यवपुः anirdeśyavapuḥ — 177 whose form cannot be pointed out; 656 whose form cannot be described
• श्रीनिवासः śrīnivāsaḥ — 183 in whom Śrī ever dwells; 607 who dwells in the glorious, the good
• सतां गतिः satāṃ gatiḥ — 184 the refuge of the good; 450 the goal of the good
• अनिरुद्धः aniruddhaḥ — 185 the unobstructed; one of the four emanations; 638 unobstructed by foes; the fourth emanation
• गोविन्दः govindaḥ — 187 found through the words of the Veda; who rescued the earth; 539 who found the earth again
• सुपर्णः suparṇaḥ — 192 of beautiful wings — dharma and adharma; Garuḍa; 855 the tree of saṃsāra whose leaves are the Vedas
• सिंहः siṃhaḥ — 200 the lion that destroys; 488 the lion
• निवृत्तात्मा nivṛttātmā — 229 whose nature is free of the world; 597 whose mind is withdrawn from the senses
• अनिलः anilaḥ — 234 wind; without a home; 812 who needs no urging to bless
• विभुः vibhuḥ — 240 the many-formed, all-pervading; 880 pervading all
• दुर्धरः durdharaḥ — 266 whom none can bear down; held only in meditation; 715 hard to hold in the mind
• ऋद्धः ṛddhaḥ — 278 full of dharma, knowledge and dispassion; 351 expanded as the universe
• पावनः pāvanaḥ — 292 who makes the wind blow; 811 who purifies by remembrance
• अनलः analaḥ — 293 fire; the life that never says “enough”; 711 of unlimited power and glory
• कान्तः kāntaḥ — 296 the beautiful; 654 of exceeding beauty
• महीधरः mahīdharaḥ — 317 holder of the earth; 369 bearer of the earth, as the mountains
• वायुवाहनः vāyuvāhanaḥ — 331 who moves the winds; 856 who makes the wind move
• आदिदेवः ādidevaḥ — 334 the first god; 490 the first god
• तारः tāraḥ — 338 the saviour; 968 who carries across
• शौरिः śauriḥ — 340 the descendant of Śūra (Kṛṣṇa); 644 born in the line of Śūra
• भीमः bhīmaḥ — 357 the awesome, whom all fear; 948 the formidable
• मार्गः mārgaḥ — 365 the path itself; 397 the way to freedom
• उद्भवः udbhavaḥ — 373 the source of all becoming; 790 who takes noble births by his own will
• गहनः gahanaḥ — 382 the deep, hard to fathom; 544 the impenetrable
• प्रणवः praṇavaḥ — 409 Om, to which all bow; 957 Om
• दक्षः dakṣaḥ — 423 the able, who acts swiftly; 917 the able
• प्रमाणम् pramāṇam — 428 the very means of knowing, pure awareness; 959 knowledge itself, the self-evident
• अनिर्विण्णः anirviṇṇaḥ — 435 never weary or dejected; 892 never wearied
• क्षामः kṣāmaḥ — 443 what remains when all has waned; 854 who wastes away all at the end
• यज्ञः yajñaḥ — 445 sacrifice itself; 971 sacrifice itself
• सर्वज्ञः sarvajñaḥ — 453 the all-knowing; 815 all-knowing
• सुव्रतः suvrataḥ — 455 of firm vows — to protect all who seek refuge; 818 of excellent vows
• सुखदः sukhadaḥ — 459 the giver of happiness; 889 the giver of the joy of liberation
• गोपतिः gopatiḥ — 495 lord of the cows; protector of the earth; 592 lord of the earth
• गोप्ता goptā — 496 the protector; 593 protector of the world
• अमितविक्रमः amitavikramaḥ — 516 of boundless strides; 641 of boundless valour
• शुभाङ्गः śubhāṅgaḥ — 586 of beautiful limbs; 782 of auspicious limbs, to be meditated on
• स्रष्टा sraṣṭā — 588 the creator; 990 creator of all
• कुमुदः kumudaḥ — 589 who delights in the earth; 807 who gladdens the earth by relieving its burden
• कृतागमः kṛtāgamaḥ — 655 author of the scriptures; 789 who made the Veda
• अनन्तः anantaḥ — 659 the infinite; 886 endless
• महाकर्मा mahākarmā — 672 of great works; 787 of great acts
• पुण्यः puṇyaḥ — 687 holy; 925 the holy, who purifies those who remember him
• वसुप्रदः vasupradaḥ — 693 the giver of wealth; 694 the giver of the highest wealth, liberation
• अपराजितः aparājitaḥ — 716 the unconquered; 862 never defeated
• अक्षोभ्यः akṣobhyaḥ — 801 never disturbed; 999 whom none can disturb
• हुतभुक् hutabhuk — 879 who enjoys the oblation; 887 the eater of the offering
• सविता savitā — 884 who brings forth the world; 969 father of all
• चक्री cakrī — 908 who bears the discus Sudarśana; 995 bearer of the discus Sudarśana

The hymn praises a personal Lord with form and qualities — yet its very first names (viśvam, bhūtātmā, sākṣī) and many later ones (nirguṇa, acintya, tat, ekātmā) point beyond form. Śaṅkara’s reading joins devotion and knowledge: chanting the names purifies the mind, and a pure mind recognises the Self that the names describe. Bhīṣma calls it the highest dharma; the Gītā (10.25) calls japa the best of sacrifices.