Vishnu Sahasranāma | Verses 71-80

Text 71

Lord Kṛṣṇa is the benefactor and well-wisher of Gargamuni and the entire community of brāhmaṇas, and He devotedly engages in their service (brahmaṇya).

He personally engages in the austerities and spiritual practices enjoined for the brāhmaṇas (brahma-kṛt), and He is also the origin of those spiritual duties (brahma).

Lord Kṛṣṇa is the unlimited Supreme Brahman, full of all transcendental qualities, the maintainer of all living entities, and the Absolute Truth knowable by the study of Vedanta philosophy and hidden from the view of the atheists (brahma).

He encourages the brāhmaṇas in their practice of austerity for the attainment of spiritual perfection (brahma-vivardhana),

and he Himself was initiated by Gargamuni, and thus set the example of how to understand the Supreme Brahman by chanting the Gāyatrī-mantra (brahma-vit).

He appeared many times, as Lord Dattātreya, and in many other forms, to preach the spiritual philosophy of the Vedas (brāhmaṇa), and He is the supreme controller of the entire cosmic manifestation (brahmī).

He learned the nature of the Absolute Truth by studying under His spiritual master Śandīpani Muni (brahmajña). He greatly pleased His guru and became very dear to him by returning his dead sons (brāhmaṇa-priyā).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes the following definition of the name brahma, found in the Vedic dictionary, the Nirukti:

yato brahma samaṣṭi-vyaṣṭi-bhūtān puruṣān bṛṁhayati svayam ca
niḥśimātiśaya-svarūpa-guṇa-vibhūtibhir bṛṁhati ca

"The word brahma means He who nourishes and maintains (bṛṁhayati) the living entities, and who Himself possesses unlimited (bṛṁhati) and ever-increasing transcendental forms, qualities, opulences and potencies."

The same explanation is given by Lord Śiva in the Smṛti-śāstra:

bṛṁhatvād bṛṁhanatvāc ca
tasmād brahmeti-śabditaḥ

"Because Śrīman Nārāyaṇa is unlimited (bṛṁha),
and because He maintains and nourishes all living entities (bṛṁhana),
therefore, He is known as 'brahma'".

The name brahma-vit is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: (10.45.29):

gargād yadu-kulācāryād
gāyatraṁ vratam āsthitau

"Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma accepted Gargamuni,
the ācārya of the Yadu dynasty, as their spiritual master,
and He initiated them in the chanting of the Gāyatrī mantra."

The name brahma-vivardhana describes The Lord as increasing the austerities of the brāhmaṇas. In this connection Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thākura quotes the Vedic explanation of the actual nature of austerity:

tapaḥ śrī-hari-kīrtanam

"Austerity means to glorify Lord Hari."

Text 72

By kicking the sleeping King Mucukunda, Lord Kṛṣṇa cleverly killed the demon Kālayavana (mahā-krama).

Kṛṣṇa's transcendental activities, such as the killing of Kālayavana, are glorious, praiseworthy, worshipable and wonderful (mahā-karmā), and His transcendental strength remains always undefeated (mahā-tejaḥ).

He remains always situated within the hearts of His pure devotees, such as King Mucukunda, although He sometimes also blesses those devotees by stepping out of the heart and appearing before them (mahoraga).

If one offers a tulasī leaf with sincere devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, that activity is the greatest worship, far better than performing numberless Vedic rituals, for Kṛṣṇa becomes controlled by the devotees who worship Him in this way (mahākratu).

Lord Kṛṣṇa's devotees are the best of all performers of sacrifice (mahā-yajvā), He personally prefers the chanting of His holy names as the best of sacrifices (mahā-yajña),

and as far as oblations to be offered in sacrifice, He considers the offering of obeisances by bowing down with devotion to be the best of all oblations (mahā-havi).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes King Mucukunda's prayers to explain the name mahā-tejaḥ (Bhāg. 10.51.28)

kiṁ svit tejasvināṁ tejo
bhagavān vā vibhāvasuḥ

"My dear Lord,
are You not therefore, Śrīman Nārāyaṇa,
who is the most powerful amongst the powerful?
Are You not the original source of all illumination and fire?"

The name mahoraga describes the Lord's love for His devotees, and His personal association with them face-to-face. This is described in the following quote from the Smṛti-śāstra:

yato rāmatvenāvatāre niṣāda-rājaṁ guham āliṅgya jaṭāyuśa ūrdhva-daihikam karma cakāra. śabari-gṛhe tad-dattāni phalāny ati-prītyā bubhuje.

"When the Lord appeared as Rāmacandra
there was a great exchange of love between the Lord and His devotees.
The Lord personally embraced His devotee Guha, the king of the Niṣādas,
and He personally performed the funeral ceremony of the great devotee Jaṭāyu.
When He visited the house of Śabarī He ate with great relish
the simple offering of forest-fruits presented before Him.

In these ways the Lord
appeared before His devotees, and showed His love for them."

The name mahā-kratu is explained in the Viṣṇu-dharma:

tulasī-dala-mātreṇa
jalasya culukena ca
vikrīṇite svam ātmānam
bhaktebhyo bhakta-vatsalaḥ

"Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is very affectionate to His devotees,
sells Himself to a devotee
who offers merely a tulasī leaf and a handful of water."

The name mahā-yajña is explained in the following way in the Mokṣa-dharma:

yāḥ kriyāḥ saṁprayuktāḥ syur
ekānta-gata-buddhibhiḥ
tāḥ sarvāḥ śirasā devaḥ
pratigrhnati vai svayam

"If, with undeviating concentration,
one chants the holy names of the Lord
and performs similar devotional activities,
then Lord Kṛṣṇa becomes greatly pleased.
He respectfully accepts such services
and places them upon His head."

japyenaiva ca saṁśuddhyed
brāhmaṇo nātra saṁśayaḥ
kuryād anyān na vā kuryān
maitro brāhmaṇa ucyate

"A brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava should chant the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa,
and in this way become purified of all material contamination.

One who enthusiastically accepts
this process of chanting Lord Kṛṣṇa's names,
and rejects the fruitive rituals enjoined in the Vedas,
is the best of all brāhmaṇas."

This is also explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.3.51):

kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet

"Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra,
one can become so pure that one becomes free
from all the contamination of the material world,
and goes back home, back to Godhead."

The name mahā-havi is explained in the Vedic literatures:

Kṛṣṇa-praṇāmī na punar-bhavāya

"One who offers obeisances by bowing down before Lord Kṛṣṇa
becomes free from the entanglement of repeated birth and death."

Text 73

Because Lord Kṛṣṇa possesses unlimited auspicious transcendental qualities, He should be continually glorified with eloquent prayers (stavya). He becomes greatly pleased when devotees sincerely describe His glories and chant His holy names (stava-priyā).

He personally empowers His devotees, such as Dhruva and others, to speak eloquent prayers (stotram), and they continually glorify His transcendental pastimes and qualities (stuti).

He is inclined to praise the good qualities of His devotees (stotā).

He relishes fighting that gives Him an opportunity to kill a demon (raṇa-priyā), and because He possesses all strength He can kill an unlimited number of demons single-handedly (puma).

His devotees also sometimes kill the demons in this world (pūrayitā), and Lord Kṛṣṇa also purifies the universe by killing the atheists (punya).

The chanting of His glories purifies all living entities (puṇya-kīrti), and that glorification of Him acts as a medicine to cure the disease of repeated birth and death (anāmayam).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes the Vedic literature to explain the name stotā:

vandito hi sa vandeta
mānito mānayīta ca

"The devotees are eager to worship and glorify Lord Kṛṣṇa,
and the Lord is inclined to worship and glorify them."

Text 74

Lord Kṛṣṇa quickly rescues the surrendered devotees from the distresses of repeated birth and death (manojava), and He speaks the Bhāgavad-gītā and other Vedic literatures to teach the living entities how to attain Him (tīrthakara).

He is the father of the cosmic manifestation (vasuretā), He protects the 8 Vāsus, and He gives all opulences to His devotees (vasuprada).

He is personally present when there is discussion of the actual truth of spiritual life (Vāsudeva), and He always remains in His eternal spiritual abode (Vāsu).

Very satisfied with His devotee Bhīṣma, He always remembers him (vasumanā), and when Bhīṣma called out for Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared (havi).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes Lord Śiva's explanation of the name Vāsudeva:

vasanād eva vāde ca
vāsudeveti-śabditaḥ

"The name Vāsudeva means:
He who resides in the proper discussion of spiritual truth."

The name vasumanā is described in the following quote:

śara-talpo gato bhīṣmaḥ
śāmyan nibahutāsanaḥ
māṁ dhyāyati puruṣa-vyāghra
tato me tad-gataṁ manaḥ

"Greatly afflicted, and lying on the bed of arrows,
Bhīṣma dēva remembered Me at the last stage of his life.
Because of his remembrance of Me, O best of men,
I now always remember him."

Text 75

Lord Kṛṣṇa is attained only by Bhīśma dēva and other pure devotees (sadgati).

Out of friendship for His devotees, He helps them at the time of death (satkṛti), and He is very eager to visit His devotees, such as the Pāṇḍavas and the residents of Vrājabhūmi (sattā).

Full of love for his devotees (sat-parāyaṇa), He is willing to become their messenger or gate-keeper, as He did for Yudhiṣṭhira, Ugrasena and Maharaja Bali (sadbhūti).

He is the leader of the powerful Yādava army (Śūrasena), and He is the most exalted person in the Yadu dynasty (Yadu-śreṣṭha).

He resides in the splendid city of Dvārakā and other spiritual abodes (san-nivāsa). He is splendidly handsome as He enjoys pastimes in the forest of Bṛhadvana near the bank of the Yamuna (suyāmuna).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes the Varaha Pūraṇa to explain the name satkṛti:

yadi vātādi-dośeṇa
mad-bhakto māṁ na ca smaret
aham smarāmi mad-bhaktaṁ
nayāmi paramāṁ gatim

"If My devotee is not able to remember Me at the time of death
because of the great disturbances felt within the body at that time,
then I shall remember My devotee and take him back to the spiritual world."

The name sattā may be described by quoting the words of the residents of Dvārakā in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.11.9):

yarhy ambujākṣāpasasāra bho bhavān
kurūn madhūn vātha suhṛd-didṛkṣayā

"O lotus-eyed Lord,
You are very eager to go away to Mathura,
Vṛndāvana or Hastināpura to meet Your friends and relatives."

The name sat-parāyaṇa may be described by quoting the following verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.4.68), where the Lord says:

sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyaṁ
sādhūnāṁ hṛdayaṁ tv aham
mad-anyat te na jānanti
nāhaṁ tebhyo manāg api

"The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart,
and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee.
My devotees do not know anything else but me
and I do not know anything else but them."

Text 76

All material elements and the entire cosmic manifestation rest within Lord Kṛṣṇa, who appears before His devotees' eyes and upon their lotus-hearts (bhūtavāsā).

Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoys pastimes with the members of the Yadu dynasty (Vāsudeva), and He is their life-breath (sarvāsu-nilayā). Kṛṣṇa fulfils all the desires of the Pāṇḍavas and Yadus (anala).

Kṛṣṇa crushes to powder the false pride of the conditioned souls, as He strikingly did to Duryodhana during the Rājasūya-yajña (darpaha).

Kṛṣṇa gives all honour to His devotees, as He strikingly did to Yudhiṣṭhira during the Rājasūya-yajña (darpada). Although Kṛṣṇa's powers and activities are extraordinary and unprecedented, He remains very humble and free from pride (adṛpta).

He was unsuccessful when sent as the Pāṇḍavas' messenger to dissuade ill-advised Duryodhana, who was intent on depriving the Pāṇḍavas of their claim to the throne, (durdhara). No one can defeat Him, and the Kurus became crushed when they tried to defeat Him (Aparājita).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes Lord Śiva's explanation of the name bhūtavāsā:

vasanti tvayi bhūtāni
bhūtavāsas tato bhavān

"O Lord, because all material elements
and the entire cosmic manifestation reside within You,
You are therefore known as 'bhūtavāsā'."

The name anala may also be interpreted in the following ways:

1. Kṛṣṇa is very willing to forgive the offenses committed by His devotees
2. Kṛṣṇa is like a fire that destroys those inimical to His devotees
3. Kṛṣṇa places His devotees in positions of authority
4. Kṛṣṇa gives the living entities the facility to become His devotees.

To explain the name durdhara, the following verse may be quoted

imam hi puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
jighṛkṣanty alpa-medhasaḥ
paṭhenāgni-prajvalantaṁ
yathā bālā yathā jaḍāh

"The members of the Kuru dynasty
were defective in the matter of possessing intelligence,
and when they read the letter Pāṇḍava’s letter, they burned with anger.
In this condition
they became so much like little children, and so much like fools,
that they desired to seize the messenger Kṛṣṇa,
and make Him their captive in retaliation."

Text 77

The entire universe, consisting of all devas, Gandharvas, human beings, demons, and all living entities, is one of Lord Kṛṣṇa's forms (viśva-mūrti).

Nothing can compare with Lord Kṛṣṇa's transcendental form (mahā-mūrti). His form is more splendid and effulgent than numberless blazing fires (dīpta-mūrti).

Except for the universal form, all of Lord Kṛṣṇa's forms are spiritual and eternal, and not made of material elements (amūrtimān).

He appears in many forms simultaneously, as He did by expanding into 16,108 forms to please the queens at Dvārakā (aneka-mūrti).

When Nārada saw that Kṛṣṇa had expanded into 16,108 forms and was enjoying many different pastimes simultaneously, the sage became bewildered (avyakta).

Kṛṣṇa appears in hundreds of forms, which are all like auspicious nectar (śata-mūrti). His handsome face is as sweet as nectar (śatānana).

Note:

To explain the name avyakta, Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.69.2):

citraṁ bataitad ekena
vapuṣā yugapat pṛthak
gṛheṣu dvy-aṣṭa-sāhasraṁ
striya eka udāvahat

"It is astounding that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is one without a second,
expanded Himself in 16’000 similar forms
to marry 16’000 queens in their respective homes."

Text 78

Although to enjoy His pastimes Lord Kṛṣṇa appears in many Viṣṇu-tattva forms (naika), He remains one person (eka). He is always different from the individual living entities (sava), and He is splendid and effulgent (ka).

He is the supreme goal of the quest for knowledge (kiṁ) and the supreme shelter of all living entities (yat- tat-pādaṁ anuttamam).

He strongly binds the devotees with the rope of pure love He bears for them (loka-bandhu), and He is the master of all living entities (loka- nātha).

By speaking the Bhāgavad-gītā He removed the conditioned souls' illusions (Mādhava). He always desires His devotees' welfare (bhakta-vatsala).

Note:

To explain the name kiṁ, Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes the Śruti- mantra:

sa vijijnasitavyah

"Śrīman Nārāyaṇa
is the ultimate goal of the quest for knowledge."

To explain the name loka-nātha, the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.7) says:

tam īśvarāṇāṁ paramāṁ maheśvaraṁ
tam devatānāṁ paramam ca daivatam

"The Supreme Lord is the controller of all other controllers,
and He is the greatest of all the diverse planetary leaders."

Text 79

Lord Kṛṣṇa appears as Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and in His early pastimes He appears as a householder with a golden complexion (suvarṇa-varṇa and hemāṅga).

His limbs are beautiful (varāṅga), and His body, smeared with the pulp of sandalwood, seems like molten gold (candanāṅgadī).

Lord Kṛṣṇa kills lust, greed, and all other enemies of His devotees (viraha). No one is equal to or greater than Lord Kṛṣṇa, who protects the devotees and kills the demons (viṣama).

Lord Kṛṣṇa is free from all material defects, and He made the entire world inauspicious for the demons and atheists (śūnya). He grants all auspiciousness to His devotees (dhṛtāśīḥ).

He was unmoving in His determination to protect the Pāṇḍavas from all dangers (acala).

In order to keep the promise of His devotee Bhīṣma, He broke His own promise not to take up any weapon in the Kurukṣettra war (cala).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa asserts that Lord Caitanya is Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, according to the evidence of the Upaniṣads. He explains that suvarṇa-varṇa means a golden complexion. He also quotes the Vedic injunction:

yadā paśya paśyate rukma-varṇaṁ
kartāram īśam puruṣam brahma-yonim

"Rukma-varṇaṁ kartāram īśam"
refers to Śrīman Nārāyaṇa
as having a complexion the colour of molten gold.
Puruṣam means the Supreme Lord,
and brahma-yonim indicates that He is also the Supreme Brahman.

This evidence proves that Lord Caitanya is Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Another meaning of the description of the Lord as having a golden hue is that Lord Caitanya's personality is as fascinating as gold is attractive. Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has explained that the word varāṅga means "exquisitely beautiful".

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains the name viṣama by quoting from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad:

na tat samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛṣyate

"No one is equal to or greater than Śrīman Nārāyaṇa."

The name śūnya is defined in the following verse from the Smṛti- śāstra:

śamūnām kurute Viṣṇur
adṛṣyah san paraḥ svayam
tasmāc chūnya iti proktas
todanāt tuccha ucyate

"Remaining invisible,
Lord Viṣṇu unperceptively
removes all auspiciousness from the demons,
and therefore He is known as śūnya."

Text 80

Although He is the controller of everything, and although He makes His devotees successful, Lord Kṛṣṇa remains very humble at heart (amānī), and desires to give all credit and honour to His devotees (mānada).

He crushes them who become His devotees' enemies (mānya).

He is the controller of all the universes (loka-Svāmī) and the maintainer and protector of the three planetary systems (triloka-dhṛk).

Although He is the master of everything, and although He is the most intelligent of persons, He becomes controlled by His pure devotees, meditates on their good qualities, and aspires to attain their association (sumedhā).

In order to attain their association, He appears amongst the devotees (medhaja). He considers Himself wealthy when He has attained the association of pure devotees who consider Him their only wealth (dhanya).

Not destroyed when the universe is annihilated, Lord Kṛṣṇa exists externally, although the cowherd people of Vṛndāvana, unaware that He is the Supreme, think of Him as their son, friend, or relative, (satya-medhā).

He lifted Govardhana Hill (dharādhara).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains the name dhanya by quoting from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.8.27):

namo ’kiñcana-vittāya

"O Lord Kṛṣṇa, my obeisances are unto You,
who are the property of the materially impoverished."

Seeing His extraordinary powers, the residents of Vṛndāvana thought Kṛṣṇa might be Śrīman Nārāyaṇa.

Kṛṣṇa then spoke to them the following words, which illustrate the name satya- medhā:

yadi vo 'sti mayi prītiḥ
ślāghyo 'haṁ bhavatām yadi
tad ātma-bandhu-sadṛṣī
buddhir vaḥ kriyatāṁ mayi

nāham evo na gandharvo
na yakṣo na ca rākṣasaḥ
aham vo bāndhavo jāto
nātaś cintyam ato 'nyathā

"My dear friends, if you have any love for me,
or if You think I am glorious or praiseworthy,
then please know it that I am your friend and relative.
I am not a deva or Gandharva descended to this earth,
and neither am I a Yakṣā or a demon with mystic powers.
I am simply your relative, born in your family and community.
Please do not think of Me in any other way."