Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam
The complete 108 shlokas — original Sanskrit with IAST transliteration, word-by-word English translation, and detailed philosophical meaning for each of the 1000 names of Vishnu.
Source: Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva · Composed by Veda Vyasa · 108 Shlokas · 1000 Names
Contents
Part I: Invocatory Mantras, Guruvandana & Vyasa Vandana
Introductory Channel Opening
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
हमारी सस्ं कृ त हमारे सस्ं कार सदा रहे हमारे साथ। सब्सक्राइब करें तलक।
Hamārī saṁskr̥ti hamāre saṁskāra sadā rahe hamāre sātha. Sabaskrāiba kareṁ Tilaka.
English Translation:
May our culture and our values always remain with us. Subscribe to Tilak.
Meaning:
Opening statement and traditional cultural invocation by the channel 'Tilak', inviting viewers to stay rooted in eternal cultural values and
spiritual heritage.
Mangalacharanam / Invocation to Lord Ganesha / All-Pervading Divine
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
शक्ु लाम्बरधरं वष्णंु श शवण चतभु जु म्। प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत्सव वघ्नोपशान्तये ॥
śuklāmbaradharaṁ viṣṇuṁ śaśivarṇaṁ caturbhujam | prasannavadanaṁ dhyāyet sarvavighnopaśāntaye ||
English Translation:
One should meditate upon Lord Vishnu (or Lord Ganesha/the All-Pervading Lord), who wears pure white garments, who is lustrous like
the full moon, who has four arms, and who possesses a tranquil, radiant, and serene countenance, for the pacification and total removal of
all obstacles.
Meaning:
This opening mangala-shloka invokes the supreme protective presence before undertaking any sacred recitation. White robes symbolize
immaculate purity (shuddha-sattva); the radiant moon-like hue represents soothing inner peace; the four arms symbolize omnipotent
sovereignty over the four cardinal directions and mastery over dharma, artha, kama, and moksha; the smiling, gracious face
(prasanna-vadana) bestows supreme grace to dispel all material, mental, and spiritual impediments.
Vyasa Vandana (Salutation to Sage Veda Vyasa)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
व्यासं व सष्ठनप्तारं शक्तःे पौत्रमकल्मषम्। पराशरात्मजं वन्दे शकु तातं तपो न धम्॥
vyāsaṁ vasiṣṭhanaptāraṁ śakteḥ pautramakalmaṣam | parāśarātmajaṁ vande śukatātaṁ taponidhim ||
English Translation:
I bow down to Sage Vyasa—the great-grandson of Sage Vashistha, the grandson of Shakti, the taintless son of Sage Parashara, the father
of Sri Shuka, and the supreme treasure-house of spiritual austerities (tapas).
Meaning:
This verse pays reverence to the illustrious lineage of Sage Krishna Dvaipayana Veda Vyasa, the compiler of the Vedas, the author of the
Mahabharata, the Puranas, and the Brahma Sutras. Honoring the guru-parampara (spiritual lineage) before chanting ensures receptivity
to divine wisdom.
Vyasa-Vishnu Abheda (Non-difference of Vyasa and Vishnu)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
व्यासाय वष्णरूु पाय व्यासरूपाय वष्णवे । नमो वै ब्रह्म नधये वा सष्ठाय नमो नमः ॥
vyāsāya viṣṇurūpāya vyāsarūpāya viṣṇave | namo vai brahmanidhaye vāsiṣṭhāya namo namaḥ ||
English Translation:
Salutations to Vyasa, who is an embodiment of Lord Vishnu; salutations to Vishnu, who manifests in the form of Vyasa! Salutations again
and again to that scion of Vashistha, who is a veritable repository of Supreme Brahman.
Meaning:
According to the tradition, Sage Vyasa is a direct jnana-shaktyavesha avatara (empowered incarnation) of Lord Vishnu Himself, who
appeared to classify and preserve the sacred knowledge for humanity. Chanting this verse acknowledges that the divine truth flowing
through Vyasa originates from the Supreme Lord Vishnu.
Salutation to the Changeless Supreme Reality
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
अ वकाराय शद्ु धाय नत्याय परमात्मने । सदैकरूपरूपाय वष्णवे सवि जष्णवे ॥
avikārāya śuddhāya nityāya paramātmane | sadaikarūparūpāya viṣṇave sarvajiṣṇave ||
English Translation:
Salutations to Lord Vishnu, who is beyond all modifications (changeless), inherently pure, eternal, the Supreme Self of all beings, ever
established in His singular transcendent nature, all-pervading, and victorious over all limitations.
Meaning:
Here, Lord Vishnu is described in His ultimate Nirguna and Saguna aspects: He undergoes none of the six natural modifications
(shat-bhava-vikara: birth, existence, growth, alteration, decay, death); He is free from ignorance and impurities (shuddha); He exists
eternally across all time (nitya); He is the innermost indweller (Paramatman); and He is 'Sarvajishnu'—ever triumphant over cosmic
cycles and ignorance.
Deliverance through Divine Remembrance
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
यस्य स्मरणमात्रणे जन्मससं ारबन्धनात्। वमच्ु यते नमस्तस्मै वष्णवे प्रभ वष्णवे ॥ ॐ नमो वष्णवे प्रभ वष्णवे ॥
yasya smaraṇamātreṇa janmasaṁsārabandhanāt | vimucyate namastasmai viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave || oṁ namo viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave ||
English Translation:
Salutations to that all-pervading Lord Vishnu, the supreme sovereign ruler, by the mere remembrance of Whom a mortal is liberated from
the bondage of continuous cycles of birth and mundane transmigration. Om, salutations to Vishnu, the Supreme Almighty Lord.
Meaning:
This verse proclaims the profound potency of Divine Remembrance (Smarana). Even a single sincere moment of meditating upon the
Supreme Lord Vishnu cuts through the accumulated karmic fetters of samsara (worldly bondage) and grants spiritual emancipation
(moksha).
Part II: Purva Peethika — The Prelude & Dialogue of Yudhishthira and Bhishma
Purva Peethika - Vaishampayana's Narration (Shloka 1)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
-
श्रीवशै म्पायन उवाच श्रत्ु वा धमा नशषे णे पावना न च सवश ः । य ु धिष्ठरः शान्तनवं पनु रेवाभ्यभाषत ॥
śrīvaiśampāyana uvāca - śrutvā dharmānaśeṣeṇa pāvanāni ca sarvaśaḥ | yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śāntanavaṁ punarevābhyabhāṣata ||
English Translation:
Sri Vaishampayana said: Having heard in exhaustive detail all the sacred, purifying dharmas (duties of life, society, and kingship) from
Bhishma, King Yudhishthira once again addressed the revered son of Shantanu (Bhishma Pitamaha).
Meaning:
In the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata, lying on his bed of arrows awaiting the auspicious Uttarayana, Bhishma Pitamaha
discourses on all dimensions of ethics and righteous living. Having absorbed this comprehensive discourse, King Yudhishthira seeks the
highest, simplest, and most supreme path to ultimate spiritual liberation.
Purva Peethika - Yudhishthira's Six Fundamental Questions (Shlokas 2-3)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
य ु धिष्ठर उवाच - कमेकं दैवत ं लोके कं वाप्येकं परायणम ्। स्तवु न्तः कं कमचन् तः प्राप्नयु मु ा नवाः शभु म ्॥ को धमः
सवध मा णा ं भवतः परमो मतः । कं जपन्मच्ु यत े जन्तजु न् मससं ारबन्धनात ्॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca - kimekaṁ daivataṁ loke kiṁ vāpyekaṁ parāyaṇam | stuvantaḥ kaṁ kamarcantaḥ prāpnuyurmānavāḥ śubham || ko
dharmaḥ sarvadharmāṇāṁ bhavataḥ paramo mataḥ | kiṁ japanmucyate janturjanmasaṁsārabandhanāt ||
English Translation:
King Yudhishthira asked: 1. Who is the one Supreme Divinity in this world? 2. What is the one ultimate refuge and supreme goal of life? 3.
By praising whom do human beings attain all auspiciousness? 4. By worshipping whom do mortals achieve ultimate good? 5. Which
among all dharmas (spiritual practices and duties) is, in your considered opinion, the supreme and highest? 6. By chanting (japam) what
name or mantra is an embodied living being liberated from the bondage of birth and rebirth?
Meaning:
These six timeless, profound questions framed by Yudhishthira establish the entire foundational context for the revelation of Sri Vishnu
Sahasranamam. Yudhishthira seeks a universal, accessible, all-encompassing path that requires no complicated sacrificial rituals, but
solely pure devotion and recitation.
Purva Peethika - Bhishma's Answer: The Supreme Deity and Praise (Shloka 4)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
-
श्रीभीष्म उवाच जगत्प्रभंु देवदेवमनन्तं परुु षोत्तमम्। स्तवु न्नामसहस्रेण परुु षः सततोित्थतः ॥
śrībhīṣma uvāca - jagatprabhuṁ devadevamanantaṁ puruṣottamam | stuvannāmasahasreṇa puruṣaḥ satatotthitaḥ ||
English Translation:
Sri Bhishma said: A person becomes free from all sorrows and transcends worldly bondage by constantly and zealously praising with His
Thousand Names the Lord of the Universe (Jagatprabhu), the God of all gods (Devadeva), the Infinite (Ananta), the Supreme Being
(Purushottama).
Meaning:
Bhishma begins his answer to Yudhishthira's questions by identifying the single Supreme Divinity: Lord Narayana / Vishnu. He states that
constant, dedicated chanting of the Thousand Names with an alert and devout mind (satatotthitah) brings complete spiritual fulfillment.
Purva Peethika - Daily Worship and Devotion (Shloka 5)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
तमेव चाचय िन्नत्यं भक्त्या परुु षमव्ययम्। ध्यायन्स्तवु न्नमस्यश्ं च यजमानस्तमेव च ॥
tameva cārcayannityaṁ bhaktyā puruṣamavyayam | dhyāyan stuvannamasyaṁśca yajamānastameva ca ||
English Translation:
And by ever worshipping with unwavering devotion that Imperishable Being (Avyaya Purusha)—meditating upon Him, praising Him,
prostrating before Him, and offering oneself entirely in loving adoration unto Him alone.
Meaning:
Bhishma explains the holistic spiritual discipline of Navadha Bhakti: integrating internal contemplation (Dhyana), verbal praise (Stuti),
physical prostration and humility (Namaskara), and loving sacrificial worship (Archana/Yajna) directed entirely toward the eternal Lord.
Purva Peethika - The Master of All Worlds (Shloka 6)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
अना द नधनं वष्णंु सवल ोकमहेश्वरम्। लोकाध्यक्षं स्तवु िन्नत्यं सवद ःु खा तगो भवेत्॥
anādinidhanaṁ viṣṇuṁ sarvalokamaheśvaram | lokādhyakṣaṁ stuvannityaṁ sarvaduḥkhātigo bhavet ||
English Translation:
By constantly praising Lord Vishnu—who has neither beginning nor end (Anadi-nidhanam), who is the Supreme Sovereign of all cosmic
realms (Sarvaloka-maheshvaram), and the eternal Presiding Witness of all worlds (Lokadhyaksham)—one transcends all sorrow and
grief.
Meaning:
The Lord is beyond time, uncreated and imperishable. Being the master and witness of every realm and living entity, praising Him
dissolves all existential suffering (Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika, Adhidaivika) and lifts the soul above all temporal distress.
Purva Peethika - The Well-Wisher and Source of All Beings (Shloka 7)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
ब्रह्मण्यं सवध मज्ञ ं लोकानां की तव धन म्। लोकनाथं महद्भतू ं सवभ तू भवोद्भवम्॥
brahmaṇyaṁ sarvadharmajñaṁ lokānāṁ kīrtivardhanam | lokanāthaṁ mahadbhūtaṁ sarvabhūtabhavodbhavam ||
English Translation:
He who is the protector and benefactor of spiritual wisdom and seekers (Brahmanya), the knower of all righteous dharmas
(Sarvadharmajnam), the enhancer of fame and glory of all the worlds, the Master and Protector of the universe (Lokanatham), the Great
Being (Mahadbhutam), and the source of the origin and evolution of all existing beings.
Meaning:
Vishnu is the ultimate fountainhead from whom all creation springs and expands. Praising Him connects the individual soul directly with
the cosmic protector who nurtures righteousness and upholds the moral architecture of the cosmos.
Purva Peethika - The Supreme Dharma (Shloka 8)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
एष मे सवध मा णां धम ऽ धकतमो मतः । यद भक्त्या पण्ु डरीकाक्षं स्तवरै च न्नरः सदा ॥
eṣa me sarvadharmāṇāṁ dharmo'dhikatamo mataḥ | yad bhaktyā puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ stavairarcennaraḥ sadā ||
English Translation:
This, in my considered judgment, is the supreme-most dharma above all other dharmas: that a human being should with intense
devotion ever worship the Lotus-Eyed Lord (Pundarikaksha) through hymns of praise (Stavas).
Meaning:
Answering Yudhishthira's question about the highest dharma ('Ko dharmah sarvadharmānām...'), Bhishma unequivocally declares that
pure, loving praise of the Lotus-Eyed Lord (Bhakti-yoga expressed through Stotra) is superior to all ritualistic sacrifices, penances, and
scriptural rites, because it is open to all, harmless, universally purifying, and instantly brings divine grace.
Purva Peethika - The Supreme Radiance, Penance and Reality (Shlokas 9-10)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
परमं यो महत्तेजः परमं यो महत्तपः । परमं यो महद्ब्रह्म परमं यः परायणम्॥ प वत्राणां प वत्रं यो मङ्गलानां च मङ्गलम्।
दैवतं देवतानां च भतू ानां योऽव्ययः पता ॥
paramaṁ yo mahattejaḥ paramaṁ yo mahattapaḥ | paramaṁ yo mahadbrahma paramaṁ yaḥ parāyaṇam || pavitrāṇāṁ pavitraṁ yo
maṅgalānāṁ ca maṅgalam | daivataṁ devatānāṁ ca bhūtānāṁ yo'vyayaḥ pitā ||
English Translation:
He who is the Supreme Light of all lights (Paramam Tejah), the Supreme Austerity (Paramam Tapah), the Supreme Great Absolute Reality
(Mahad-Brahma), and the Ultimate Supreme Haven/Goal (Parayanam); He who is the Sanctifier of all sanctifying entities (Pavitranam
Pavitram), the Supreme Auspiciousness among all auspicious things (Mangalanam Mangalam), the God of all deities (Daivatam
Devatanam), and the Imperishable Father/Originator of all living beings (Avyayah Pita).
Meaning:
Lord Vishnu is not merely one among many gods; He is the ultimate reality described in the Upanishads: the Light illuminating the Sun
and intellect, the purifying power purifying Ganga and holy waters, the auspiciousness bestowing goodness, and the eternal cosmic
parent caring for every soul.
Purva Peethika - Source and Dissolution of Creation (Shloka 11)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
यततः सवा ण भतू ा न भवन्त्या दयगु ागमे । यिस्मश्ं च प्रलयं यािन्त पनु रेव यगु क्षये ॥
yatataḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni bhavantyādiyugāgame | yasmiṁśca pralayaṁ yānti punareva yugakṣaye ||
English Translation:
From Whom alone all living beings and cosmic elements manifest at the beginning of a cosmic cycle (Yugagama), and into Whom alone
they dissolve and merge again when the cycle draws to a close (Yugakshaya).
Meaning:
Echoing the famous Taittiriya Upanishad mahavakya ('Yato va imani bhutani jayante...'), Bhishma highlights that Lord Vishnu is both the
efficient and material cause (Nimitta and Upadana Karana) of the entire cosmos, who creates, sustains, and dissolves all realms within
His infinite body.
Purva Peethika - The Thousand Names Destroying Fear and Sin (Shlokas 12-13)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
तस्य लोकप्रधानस्य जगन्नाथस्य भपू ते । वष्णोना मसहस्रं मे शणृ ु पापभयापहम्॥ या न नामा न गौणा न वख्याता न
महात्मनः । ऋ ष भः प रगीता न ता न वक्ष्या म भतू ये ॥
tasya lokapradhānasya jagannāthasya bhūpate | viṣṇornāmasahasraṁ me śṛṇu pāpabhayāpaham || yāni nāmāni gauṇāni vikhyātāni
mahātmanaḥ | ṛṣibhiḥ parigītāni tāni vakṣyāmi bhūtaye ||
English Translation:
Therefore, O King (Bhupate), listen from me to the Thousand Names of that Lord of the Universe, the Supreme Master of all
worlds—names that eradicate all sins, anxieties, and fears! Those names which are based on His divine attributes and glorious cosmic
deeds (Gunani/Gaunani), celebrated far and wide, and sung by great seers (Rishis), I shall now declare unto you for the supreme
well-being, spiritual prosperity, and elevation of all beings.
Meaning:
Bhishma formally introduces the Sahasranama (1000 names). These names are not arbitrary labels but 'Gauna-Namani'—meaningful
descriptors of the Lord's infinite divine virtues, transcendental qualities, protective deeds, and metaphysical realities, revealed by ancient
realized sages for humanity's eternal welfare.
Part III: Sankalpam, Maha-Viniyoga & Shadanga Nyasa
Rishi, Chhandas & Devata of the Stotra (Sankalpam 1)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
ऋ षना म्नां सहस्रस्य वेदव्यासो महाम ु नः । छन्दोऽनष्ु टुप्तथा देवो भगवान्देवकीसतु ः ॥
ṛṣirnāmnāṁ sahasrasya vedavyāso mahāmuniḥ | chando'nuṣṭup tathā devo bhagavān devakīsutaḥ ||
English Translation:
The seer (Rishi) of this Thousand Names hymn is the great sage Veda Vyasa; the poetic meter (Chhandas) is Anushtup (eight syllables per
quarter); and the presiding Supreme Deity (Devata) is Bhagavan Himself, the divine son of Devaki (Sri Krishna / Lord Vishnu).
Meaning:
Before reciting a Vedic or Tantric mantra/stotra, acknowledging the Rishi (seer who perceived it), the Chhandas (sacred metrical
vibration), and the Devata (the divine archetype/aspect of God being invoked) establishes mental attunement with the cosmic source of
the hymn.
Bija, Shakti & Viniyoga (Sankalpam 2 & 3)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
अमतृ ांशद्ू भवो बीजं शिक्तद वकीनन्दनः । त्रसामा हृदयं तस्य शान्त्यथ व नयज्ु यते ॥ वष्णंु िजष्णंु महा वष्णंु प्रभ वष्णंु
महेश्वरम्। अनेकरूपं दैत्यान्तं नमा म परुु षोत्तमम्॥
amṛtāṁśūdbhavo bījaṁ śaktirdevakīnandanaḥ | trisāmā hṛdayaṁ tasya śāntyarthe viniyujyate || viṣṇuṁ jiṣṇuṁ mahāviṣṇuṁ prabhaviṣṇuṁ
maheśvaram | anekarūpaṁ daityāntaṁ namāmi puruṣottamam ||
English Translation:
The seed (Bija) is 'Amritamshudbhava' (He who is the origin of the nectar-rayed Moon); the power (Shakti) is 'Devakinandana' (the joy of
Devaki); the heart (Hridaya) is 'Trisama' (the singer of the threefold Sama Veda). It is dedicated (viniyoga) for attaining supreme inner
peace. I bow down to Vishnu, the Ever-Victorious (Jishnu), the Great All-Pervading Lord (Mahavishnu), the Supreme Sovereign
(Prabhavishnu), the Great Master (Maheshvara), He who assumes myriad forms (Anekarupa), the Destroyer of demonic ego and
negativity (Daityanta), and the Supreme Divine Being (Purushottama).
Meaning:
These verses summarize the mystical energetic structure of the stotra. Chanting it activates spiritual nectar (Amrita), divine loving
protection (Shakti), sublime Vedic harmony (Trisama), and complete triumph over lower negative tendencies (Daityanta) to realize the
Supreme Purusha.
Maha-Viniyoga & Shadanga Nyasa (Comprehensive Invocatory Formula)
Sanskrit / Hindi Line:
, , ,
अस्य श्री वष्ण ु दव्यसहस्रनामस्तोत्रमहामन्त्रस्य श्री वेदव्यासो भगवान्ऋ षः अनष्ु टुप्छन्दः श्रीमहा वष्णःु परमात्मा
, , ,
श्रीमन्नारायणो देवता अमतृ ांशद्ू भवो भान ु र त बीजम् देवकीनन्दनः स्रष्टे त शिक्तः उद्भवः क्षोभणो देव इ त परमो
, , , ,
मन्त्रः शङ्खभन्ृ नन्दकी चक्री त कीलकम् शाङ् गधन्वा गदाधर इत्यस्त्रम् रथाङ्गपा णरक्षोभ्य इ त नेत्रम् त्रसामा सामगः
, , , ,
सामे त कवचं आनन्दं परब्रह्मे त यो नः ऋतःु सदु शन ः काल इ त दग्बन्धः श्री वश्वरूप इ त ध्यानम्
श्रीमहा वष्णप्रु ीत्यथ श्रीसहस्रनामजपे व नयोगः ॥
asya śrīviṣṇudivyasahasranāmastotramahāmantrasya, śrī vedavyāso bhagavān ṛṣiḥ, anuṣṭup chandaḥ, śrīmahāviṣṇuḥ paramātmā
śrīmannārāyaṇo devatā, amṛtāṁśūdbhavo bhānuriti bījam, devakīnandanaḥ sraṣṭeti śaktiḥ, udbhavaḥ kṣobhaṇo deva iti paramo mantraḥ,
śaṅkhabhṛnnandakī cakrīti kīlakam, śārṅgadhanvā gadādhara ityastram, rathāṅgapāṇirakṣobhya iti netram, trisāmā sāmagaḥ sāmeti
kavacam, ānandaṁ parabrahmeti yoniḥ, ṛtuḥ sudarśanaḥ kāla iti digbandhaḥ, śrīviśvarūpa iti dhyānam, śrīmahāviṣṇuprītyarthe
śrīsahasranāmajape viniyogaḥ ||
English Translation:
For this Great Mantra of the Divine Thousand Names of Lord Sri Vishnu: Sri Bhagavan Veda Vyasa is the Rishi (Seer); Anushtup is the
Chhandas (Metre); Sri Mahavishnu, the Supreme Soul Sri Sriman Narayana, is the Devata (Presiding Deity); 'Amritamshudbhavo Bhanu' is
the Bija (Seed); 'Devakinandanah Srashta' is the Shakti (Dynamic Energy); 'Udbhavah Kshobhano Deva' is the Supreme Mantra;
'Shankhabhrin Nandaki Chakri' is the Kilaka (Pin/Key); 'Sharngadhanva Gadadhara' is the Astra (Weapon of spiritual defense);
'Rathangapanir Akshobhya' is the Netra (Eye of spiritual vision); 'Trisama Samagah Sama' is the Kavacha (Protective Shield); 'Anandam
Parabrahma' is the Yoni (Source/Womb of creation); 'Rituh Sudarshanah Kala' is the Digbandha (Locking and sanctifying of all ten
directions); 'Sri Vishvarupa' is the object of Dhyana (Contemplation); This Japa is performed as a Viniyoga (consecrated offering) solely
for the pleasure and grace of Sri Mahavishnu.
Meaning:
This elaborate Maha-Nyasa ritualizes and sanctifies the practitioner's entire subtle anatomy, sealing psychic and physical energy
channels with divine attributes, weapons, and aspects of Lord Narayana before entering into the deep meditative chanting of the
Thousand Names.
The 108 Shlokas — 1000 Names of Lord Vishnu
Each shloka contains Sanskrit names with Sanskrit text, IAST transliteration, English translation, and philosophical meaning.
Shloka 1Names 1–9