Vishnu Sahasranamam · विष्णु सहस्रनाम

The thousand names of Vishnu as taught by Bhishma to Yudhishthira in the Mahabharata, with the dialogue that introduces them and the verses on the fruits of reciting them.

Part 1 / 4: Purva bhaga: Yudhishthira's questions and Bhishma's answer

  1. श्रुत्वा धर्मानशेषेण पावनानि च सर्वशः ।shrutva dharmanasheshena pavanani cha sarvashah |युधिष्ठिरः शान्तनवं पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत ॥yudhishthirah shantanavam punarevabhyabhashata ||

    śrutvā dharmānaśeṣeṇa pāvanāni ca sarvaśaḥ । yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śāntanavaṃ punarevābhyabhāṣata ॥

    सब प्रकार से पवित्र करने वाले सभी धर्मों को सुनकर युधिष्ठिर ने शांतनु-पुत्र भीष्म से फिर पूछा।

    Having heard all the dharmas that purify in every way, Yudhishthira spoke again to Bhishma, the son of Shantanu.

  2. युधिष्ठिर उवाच किमेकं दैवतं लोके किं वाप्येकं परायणम् ।युधिष्ठिर उवाच किमेकं दैवतं लोके किं वाप्येकं परायणम् ।yudhishthira uvacha kimekam daivatam loke kim vapyekam parayanam |स्तुवन्तः कं कमर्चन्तः प्राप्नुयुर्मानवाः शुभम् ॥स्तुवन्तः कं कमर्चन्तः प्राप्नुयुर् मानवाः शुभम् ॥stuvantah kam kamarchantah prapnuyur manavah shubham ||

    yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kimekaṃ daivataṃ loke kiṃ vāpyekaṃ parāyaṇam । stuvantaḥ kaṃ kamarcantaḥ prāpnuyurmānavāḥ śubham ॥

    युधिष्ठिर ने कहा: संसार में एक देवता कौन है, और एक परम आश्रय क्या है? किसकी स्तुति और किसकी पूजा करके मनुष्य कल्याण पाते हैं?

    Yudhishthira said: Who is the one God in the world, and what is the one highest refuge? Praising whom and worshipping whom may people attain what is good?

  3. को धर्मः सर्वधर्माणां भवतः परमो मतः ।को धर्मः सर्व धर्माणां भवतः परमो मतः ।ko dharmah sarva dharmanam bhavatah paramo matah |किं जपन्मुच्यते जन्तुर्जन्मसंसारबन्धनात् ॥किं जपन् मुच्यते जन्तुर् जन्म संसार बन्धनात् ॥kim japan muchyate jantur janma sansara bandhanat ||

    ko dharmaḥ sarvadharmāṇāṃ bhavataḥ paramo mataḥ । kiṃ japanmucyate janturjanmasaṃsārabandhanāt ॥

    सब धर्मों में आप किस धर्म को सबसे श्रेष्ठ मानते हैं? किसका जप करके प्राणी जन्म और संसार के बंधन से मुक्त होता है?

    Which dharma, of all dharmas, do you hold to be the highest? By reciting what is a living being freed from the bondage of birth and worldly existence?

  4. भीष्म उवाच जगत्प्रभुं देवदेवमनन्तं पुरुषोत्तमम् ।भीष्म उवाच जगत् प्रभुं देवदेवमनन्तं पुरुषोत्तमम् ।bhishma uvacha jagat prabhum devadevamanantam purushottamam |स्तुवन्नाम सहस्रेण पुरुषः सततोत्थितः ॥स्तुवन् नाम सहस्रेण पुरुषः सततोत्थितः ॥stuvan nama sahasrena purushah satatotthitah ||

    bhīṣma uvāca jagatprabhuṃ devadevamanantaṃ puruṣottamam । stuvannāma sahasreṇa puruṣaḥ satatotthitaḥ ॥

    भीष्म ने कहा: जो मनुष्य सदा तत्पर होकर जगत के स्वामी, देवों के देव, अनंत पुरुषोत्तम की सहस्र नामों से स्तुति करता है,

    Bhishma said: One who is ever ready, praising with the thousand names the lord of the world, the god of gods, the infinite, the supreme person,

  5. तमेव चार्चयन्नित्यं भक्त्या पुरुषमव्ययम् ।तमेव चार्चयन् नित्यं भक्त्या पुरुषमव्ययम् ।tameva charchayan nityam bhaktya purushamavyayam |ध्यायन् स्तुवन्नमस्यंश्च यजमानस्तमेव च ॥ध्यायन् स्तुवन् नमस्यंश्च यजमानस् तमेव च ॥dhyayan stuvan namasyanshcha yajamanas tameva cha ||

    tameva cārcayannityaṃ bhaktyā puruṣamavyayam । dhyāyan stuvannamasyaṃśca yajamānastameva ca ॥

    और जो भक्ति से उस अविनाशी पुरुष की नित्य पूजा करता है, उनका ध्यान, स्तुति और नमस्कार करता है और उन्हीं का यजन करता है,

    and who always worships that imperishable person with devotion, meditating, praising and bowing to him, and offering worship to him alone,

  6. अनादिनिधनं विष्णुं सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ।अनादि निधनं विष्णुं सर्वलोक महेश्वरम् ।anadi nidhanam vishnum sarvaloka maheshwaram |लोकाध्यक्षं स्तुवन्नित्यं सर्वदुःखातिगो भवेत् ॥लोकाध्यक्षं स्तुवन् नित्यं सर्व दुःखातिगो भवेत् ॥lokadhyaksham stuvan nityam sarva duhkhatigo bhavet ||

    anādinidhanaṃ viṣṇuṃ sarvalokamaheśvaram । lokādhyakṣaṃ stuvannityaṃ sarvaduḥkhātigo bhavet ॥

    आदि-अंत रहित, सब लोकों के महेश्वर, लोकों के अध्यक्ष विष्णु की नित्य स्तुति करने वाला सब दुखों से पार हो जाता है।

    praising always Vishnu, without beginning or end, the great lord of all the worlds, the overseer of the world, goes beyond all sorrow.

  7. ब्रह्मण्यं सर्वधर्मज्ञं लोकानां कीर्तिवर्धनम् ।ब्रह्मण्यं सर्व धर्मज्ञं लोकानां कीर्ति वर्धनम् ।brahmanyam sarva dharmagyam lokanam kirti vardhanam |लोकनाथं महद्भूतं सर्वभूतभवोद्भवम् ॥लोकनाथं महद् भूतं सर्वभूत भवोद्भवम् ॥lokanatham mahad bhutam sarvabhuta bhavodbhavam ||

    brahmaṇyaṃ sarvadharmajñaṃ lokānāṃ kīrtivardhanam । lokanāthaṃ mahadbhūtaṃ sarvabhūtabhavodbhavam ॥

    (उनकी स्तुति करते हुए जो) ब्रह्मण्य हैं, सब धर्मों के ज्ञाता, लोकों की कीर्ति बढ़ाने वाले, लोकनाथ, महान सत्ता और सब प्राणियों के उद्भव के स्रोत हैं।

    (Praising him who is) devoted to the Veda, the knower of all dharma, who increases the fame of the worlds, lord of the world, the great being, the source of all beings.

  8. एष मे सर्वधर्माणां धर्मोऽधिकतमो मतः ।एष मे सर्व धर्माणां धर्मोऽधिकतमो मतः ।esha me sarva dharmanam dharmo'dhikatamo matah |यद्भक्त्या पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्तवैरर्चेन्नरः सदा ॥यद् भक्त्या पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्तवैरर्चेन् नरः सदा ॥yad bhaktya pundarikaksham stavairarchen narah sada ||

    eṣa me sarvadharmāṇāṃ dharmo'dhikatamo mataḥ । yadbhaktyā puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ stavairarcennaraḥ sadā ॥

    मेरे मत में सब धर्मों में यही सबसे बड़ा धर्म है कि मनुष्य भक्ति से और स्तुतियों से सदा कमलनयन (भगवान) की पूजा करे।

    In my view this is the greatest of all dharmas: that a person should always worship the lotus-eyed one with devotion and hymns.

  9. परमं यो महत्तेजः परमं यो महत्तपः ।परमं यो महत् तेजः परमं यो महत् तपः ।paramam yo mahat tejah paramam yo mahat tapah |परमं यो महद्ब्रह्म परमं यः परायणम् ॥परमं यो महद् ब्रह्म परमं यः परायणम् ॥paramam yo mahad brahma paramam yah parayanam ||

    paramaṃ yo mahattejaḥ paramaṃ yo mahattapaḥ । paramaṃ yo mahadbrahma paramaṃ yaḥ parāyaṇam ॥

    जो परम महान तेज हैं, परम महान तप हैं, परम महान ब्रह्म हैं, परम आश्रय हैं;

    He who is the supreme great radiance, the supreme great austerity, the supreme great Brahman, the supreme refuge;

  10. पवित्राणां पवित्रं यो मङ्गलानां च मङ्गलम् ।pavitranam pavitram yo mangalanam cha mangalam |दैवतं देवतानां च भूतानां योऽव्ययः पिता ॥daivatam devatanam cha bhutanam yo'vyayah pita ||

    pavitrāṇāṃ pavitraṃ yo maṅgalānāṃ ca maṅgalam । daivataṃ devatānāṃ ca bhūtānāṃ yo'vyayaḥ pitā ॥

    जो पवित्रों में पवित्र, मंगलों में मंगल, देवताओं के देवता और सब प्राणियों के अविनाशी पिता हैं;

    the purest of the pure, the most auspicious of the auspicious, the god of gods, the imperishable father of all beings;

  11. यतः सर्वाणि भूतानि भवन्त्यादियुगागमे ।यतः सर्वाणि भूतानि भवन्त्यादि युगागमे ।yatah sarvani bhutani bhavantyadi yugagame |यस्मिंश्च प्रलयं यान्ति पुनरेव युगक्षये ॥यस्मिंश्च प्रलयं यान्ति पुनरेव युगक्षये ॥yasminshcha pralayam yanti punareva yugakshaye ||

    yataḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni bhavantyādiyugāgame । yasmiṃśca pralayaṃ yānti punareva yugakṣaye ॥

    जिनसे युग के आरंभ में सब प्राणी उत्पन्न होते हैं, और युग के अंत में जिनमें फिर लीन हो जाते हैं:

    from whom all beings come into being at the beginning of an age, and into whom they dissolve again at the end of the age:

  12. तस्य लोकप्रधानस्य जगन्नाथस्य भूपते ।तस्य लोक प्रधानस्य जगन्नाथस्य भूपते ।tasya loka pradhanasya jagannathasya bhupate |विष्णोर्नामसहस्रं मे शृणु पापभयापहम् ॥विष्णोर् नाम सहस्रं मे शृणु पाप भयापहम् ॥vishnor nama sahasram me shrinu papa bhayapaham ||

    tasya lokapradhānasya jagannāthasya bhūpate । viṣṇornāmasahasraṃ me śṛṇu pāpabhayāpaham ॥

    हे राजन, लोकों में प्रधान, जगन्नाथ विष्णु के सहस्र नाम मुझसे सुनो, जो पाप और भय को हरते हैं।

    O king, hear from me the thousand names of Vishnu, the foremost in the world, the lord of the universe, which remove sin and fear.

  13. यानि नामानि गौणानि विख्यातानि महात्मनः ।yani namani gaunani vikhyatani mahatmanah |ऋषिभिः परिगीतानि तानि वक्ष्यामि भूतये ॥rishibhih parigitani tani vakshyami bhutaye ||

    yāni nāmāni gauṇāni vikhyātāni mahātmanaḥ । ṛṣibhiḥ parigītāni tāni vakṣyāmi bhūtaye ॥

    उन महात्मा के गुणों पर आधारित, प्रसिद्ध नाम, जिन्हें ऋषियों ने गाया है, मैं कल्याण के लिए कहूँगा।

    Those names of the great one, describing his qualities and renowned, which the sages have sung, I shall now declare for the good of all.

About this text

The Vishnu Sahasranamam is found in the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata. Lying on his bed of arrows, Bhishma answers Yudhishthira's questions about the one God and the highest dharma by teaching the thousand names of Vishnu. The text has three parts: the opening dialogue (purva bhaga), the 108 verses of names, which most traditions count as a thousand names, and the closing verses (uttara bhaga) on the benefits of recitation and the vision of Vishnu as the source and support of all. The names describe Vishnu's cosmic nature (the universe, the inner self, time), his qualities, and his avatars such as Narasimha, Vamana, Rama and Krishna. Adi Shankaracharya's commentary is the best-known explanation of the names; the short glosses here give only the plain sense, and many names have more than one traditional meaning. The invocation verses, nyasa and dhyana that many editions print before the names, and the additional verses after the Mahabharata text, vary between editions and are not included.

How it is recited

It is recited daily by many, especially on Thursdays, Ekadashi and in Vishnu worship, often in a group. A full recitation takes about half an hour. Customs vary, including the opening and closing verses that are added.

When it is recited

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