Vishnu Sahasranāma | Verses 11-20

Text 11

Although Lord Kṛṣṇa does not take birth in a material body forced by the laws of karma as an ordinary living entity, He nevertheless appears within this material world in the abode of Vṛndāvana, just to give transcendental bliss to His devotees (ajā).

Lord Kṛṣṇa is the master of Brahma, all devas, and all living entities (sarveśvara), and He knows everything in the past, present and future (siddha).

He is full of unlimited powers (siddhi), and He is the origin of everything (sarvādi). He protects His devotees from falling down (Acyuta). He fulfils the desires of the devotees and strikes fear into the hearts of the demons (vṛṣākapi).

His form and intelligence are unlimited and immeasurable, and he is supremely dear to the devotees (ameyātmā). He is always free from material contact (sarva-yoga-viniḥsṛta).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes the following description of the word sarvādi, which is found in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.81.19)

svargāpavargayoḥ puṁsāṁ
rasāyāṁ bhuvi sampadām
sarvāsām api siddhīnāṁ
mūlaṁ tac-caraṇārcanam

"By worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, one attains both liberation and heavenly happiness within this world. That worship is the cause of attaining all mystic powers, and all the opulences of the earthly and paṭala planets."

The meaning of the name Acyuta is explained by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Bhāgavad-gītā (6.30):

tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi
sa ca me na praṇaśyati ||

"For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me,
I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me."

Text 12

Lord Kṛṣṇa always resides in the hearts of the devotees that relish hearing and chanting His glories (Vāsu). He meditates on how to increase the transcendental opulences of the devotees that consider Him their only wealth (vasu-manāḥ).

He never speaks a lie, and He is very dear to the truthful devotees (satya).

He accepts the role of being equal to the devotees who approach Him in sakhya-rasa, or friendship (samātmā). He magnanimously presents Himself as equal to His devotee (sammita).

In order to glorify the devotees related to Him in friendship and the other rasas, He presents Himself as their equal (sama).

He grants His own supremely valuable devotional service to they who become attached to Him (amogha), and He is always manifest in the lotus-like hearts of the pure devotees (Puṇḍarīkākṣa).

He fulfils the desires of the pure devotees (vṛṣakarmā), and His transcendental form is supremely handsome (vṛṣākṛti).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains the word Vāsu by quoting the following statement of Lord Kṛṣṇa found in the Smṛti-śāstra:

mad-bhaktā yatra gāyanti
tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada

"O Nārada, I remain where My devotees engage in glorifying My activities."

Queen Kuntī Devī explains the meaning of the word Vāsu-manāḥ in the following words:

namo 'kiñcana-vittāya

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

The name amogha is explained by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Smṛti-śāstra:

amoghā bhagavad-bhaktir
netareti matir mama

"I am not inclined to give my pure devotional service to anyone and everyone, but I give it to only a few rare souls."

The name vṛṣākṛti is explained in the Smṛti-śāstra:

bibhrad vapuḥ sakala-sundara sanniveśam
karmācaran bhuvi sumaṅgalam ápta-kāmaḥ

"Lord Kṛṣṇa's transcendental form
is supremely handsome and auspicious.
All His desires are automatically fulfilled.
He appeared on this earth planet
and performed His transcendental pastimes."

Text 13

Lord Kṛṣṇa cures the disease of material existence afflicting the conditioned souls (Rudrā), and He appears as the thousand-headed Lord Ananta-deva (bahu-śirā).

He is the maintainer (babhru) and creator (Viśva-yoni) of millions of universes.

He is supremely pure, and He cleanses whatever impurity may contaminate the hearts of His genuine devotees (śuci-śravāḥ). His handsomeness is as sweet as nectar, and He rescues the devotees from the cycle of repeated birth, old-age and death (amṛta).

He is eternal (śāśvata), and He eternally appears before the pure devotees and grants them transcendental bliss (sthāṇu).

He always remains in His eternal abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, and he rescues His devotees from the cycle of birth and death (varārohā). He is Himself the original cause of the multiple distresses of material existence (mahā-tapaḥ).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes the following description of the name Rudrā found in the Smṛti-śāstra:

rujam drāvayate yasmād rudras tasmāj janārdanaḥ

"Because Lord Janārdana cures
the sickness that is material life,
He is known as Rudra."

The name bahu-śirā is described in the Puruṣa-sūkta prayers:

sahasra-śirṣā puruṣaḥ

"The Supreme Person appears as the thousand-headed Lord Ananta-deva."

Lord Kṛṣṇa explains the meaning of the name śuci-śravāḥ in the following verse from the Smṛti-śāstra:

śucīni sravaṇīyāni
śṛṇomīha dhanañjaya
na ca pāpāni gṛhṇāmi
tato 'ham vai śuci-śravāḥ

"O Dhananjaya,
I am never contaminated by any sinful action,
and therefore I am known as śuci-śravāḥ."

Text 14

Lord Kṛṣṇa is present everywhere in the material manifestation composed of 24 elements, and He reciprocates the loving service rendered by His devotees (sarvaga).

He knows everything auspicious and inauspicious and He knows all the spiritual and material worlds (sarva-vit). He is like a brilliant sun shining in this world (bhānu). His associates are like a host of armies stationed in every corner of the universe for its protection (Viṣvaksena).

He crushes the demons that seek to destroy the world and He protects the saintly devotees, removing all their sufferings (Janārdana).

He is manifested as the Vedic hymns (Veda), and He is the knower of the Vedas (veda-vit).

He is not directly described in the six Vedāngas, which describe grammar, astronomy, and similar subjects (avyaṅga). The Vedic literatures comprise His instructions (Vedāṅga).

He is the most expert theologian, philosopher and poet (kavi).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes the description of the word Veda, found in the Smṛti-śāstra:

vedo Nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt

"The Vedas are a direct manifestation of Lord Nārāyaṇa."

The name veda-vit is described by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Bhāgavad-gītā (15.15):

vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham

"I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas."

Text 15

Lord Kṛṣṇa is the master of the Vaiṣṇavas, who engage in His devotional service and He is also the master of the vaidika-brāhmaṇas, who worship Him by the performance of agnihotra-yajñas (lokādhyakṣa).

He is the master of all devas (surādhyakṣa), the superintendent of religious principles, and the judge of all living entities (dharmādhyakṣaḥ).

He is completely free from material contact (kṛtākṛta) and He has expanded Himself as Lord Vāsudeva, Śaṇkarśaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha (catur-ātma and catur-vyūha).

He has all the 14 characteristics of an exalted personality (catur-damṣṭra), and He is manifested as four-armed Lord Viṣṇu, who holds a conch, disk, club, and lotus (catur-bhuja).

Text 16

Lord Kṛṣṇa is effulgent (bhrājiṣṇu), and He supplies the necessities of life to all living entities (bhojana). He relishes foodstuffs and other things offered to Him with devotion, and He is the protector of the gentle devotees (bhoktā).

He is intolerant of the demons (asahiṣṇu) and tolerant of the offenses accidentally committed by His devotees (sahiṣṇu).

He is the father of Lord Brahma, the first living being to appear in the universe (jagad-ādija).

Even though He appears in this material world, He remains always pure and full of transcendental bliss, free form this world's contamination (anaghā).

He is always victorious (vijaya) and He is the Supreme Person because He can defeat any deva or living entity (jetā).

He is the original creator of all universes (viśva-yoni), and He appears within this material world again and again to protect the devotees (punar-vasu).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes Lord Brahma's explanation of the word jagad-ādija found in the Smṛti-śāstra:

yasya prasādād aham acyutasya
bhūtaḥ prajā-sṛṣṭi-karo 'ṇta-kārī
krodhāc ca rudraḥ sthiti-hetu-bhūto
yasmāc ca madhye puruṣaḥ purastāt

"Born from the mercy of infallible Lord Kṛṣṇa,
I appear in this world to generate the living entities.
Śiva is born from Lord Kṛṣṇa's anger in order to destroy the universes,
and Lord Kṛṣṇa appears as Lord Viṣṇu, the primeval person,
in order to maintain the universe."

Text 17

Lord Kṛṣṇa is Indra's younger brother (upendra), who appeared as a young brahmacārī to help Indra and cheat Bali Mahārāja (vāmana). In this incarnation the Lord became so tall He could immediately step over the entire universe (prāṁśu).

His activities are always successful (amogha), and He is supremely pure (śuci). He is so powerful (ūrjita) that He easily defeated Bali's army, and He surpasses the strength of Indra (atīndra).

He accepts them who become devoted to Him (saṅgraha).

He created devas and everything else (sarga). He enchants and delights the hearts and minds of Indra and the other devotees (dhṛtātmā).

He controls the devotees (niyama) and He resides in their hearts and minds (yama).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa observes that the names in this verse all describe the Lord's incarnation as Vāmana deva.

The Smṛti-śāstra describes Lord Vāmana in the following way:

dvādaśaivāditeḥ putrāḥ
śakra-mukhyā narādhipa
teṣām avarajo viṣṇur
yatra lokāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ

"O King, Āditi gave birth to twelve sons.
The eldest son was Indra,
and the youngest of Her sons was Vāmana,
who was actually Lord Viṣṇu,
in whom all planetary systems rest."

The name prāṁśu is described in the Smṛti-śāstra:

toye tu patite haste
vāmano 'bhūd avāmanaṇ
sarva-devamayam rūpam
darśayām āsa vai bhuvi

"Although Lord Vāmana was a very short small boy,
He quickly expanded His form to include all devas."

Text 18

Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared as Kūrma-avatāra to deliver nectar to devas and remove their poverty (vedya).

He appeared as Lord Dhanvantari, the original physician, who cures the people's diseases simply by the expansion of His fame. As Lord Dhanvantari, He gave nectar to devas (vaidya).

He always acts for the welfare of devas (sadā-yogī).

He kills the powerful demons such as Kamsa and the demons eager to fight devas to attain the nectar churned from the ocean of milk (vīrahā).

He is the husband of Lakṣmī-devī, who appeared from the ocean of milk (Mādhava). With His handsomeness and charm He enchanted Lakṣmī-devī and all the pious devas (madhu).

Removing the nectar from the possession of devas, He disappeared, because He always remains invisible to they who have no devotion to Him (atīndriya).

He then appeared in the attractive female form of Mohinī-mūrti to bewilder the demons and also Lord Śiva (mahā-māyā).

In this way He earnestly endeavoured to make devas' plans successful (mahotsāha), and He displayed His great prowess, which can thwart or bewilder anyone (mahā-bālā).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa observes that the names in this verse describe the Lord's incarnations (Kūrma, Dhanvantari and Mohinī-mūrti) that appeared when devas and demons jointly churned the ocean of milk.

The Smṛti-śāstra describes the name vīrahā:

suparṇa-pakṣābhihatā nipetur dānavarśabhāḥ

"When Lord Viṣṇu fought the demons, He rode on Garuḍa.
Simply by the blows from Garuḍa's wings, the demons fell in the battle."

The name Mādhava may also mean "the master of all transcendental knowledge".
This is confirmed by the following statement of Lord Śiva:

māvidyā ca hareḥ proktā
tasyām īśo yato bhavān
tasmān mādhava-nāmāsi
pūrvam asīti śabditaḥ

"O Lord Hari,
knowledge of transcendence is known as mā,
and because you are the master
of all such transcendental knowledge,
You are known as 'Mādhava'".

Text 19

Lord Kṛṣṇa is supremely intelligent (mahā-buddhi), supremely powerful (mahā-vīrya), and the master of all transcendental potencies (mahā-śakti).

He is supremely splendid (mahā-dyuti) and His transcendental form cannot be seen by material eyes (anirdeśya-vapuḥ). He is supremely handsome (śrīmān), and His unlimited nature cannot be measured by any living entity or deva (ameyātmā).

Appearing as Lord Kūrma, He held up the Mandāra Mountain (mahādri-dhṛk).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa comments that Lord Kṛṣṇa used His great prowess (mahā-vīrya) to take the nectar on behalf of devas, and He used His great potency (mahā-śakti) to bewilder the demons and bring them under His control.

A further explanation of the name mahā-dyuti is found in the following description by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī:

megha-śyāmaḥ kanaka-paridhiḥ karṇa-vidyoti-vidyun-
mūrdhi-bhrājad-vilulita-kacaḥ srag-dharo rakta-netraḥ
jaitrair dorbhir jagad-ubhayadair daṇḍaśūkam gṛhītvā
mantha-manthan prati girir ivāśobhatātho dhṛtādriḥ

"The Lord appeared like a blackish cloud.
He was dressed with yellow garments,
earrings shone on His ears like lightning,
and His hair was spread over His shoulders.
He wore a garland of flowers and His eyes were pinkish.
With His strong glorious arms,
which award fearlessness throughout the universe,
He took hold of Vāsuki, and began churning the ocean,
using Mandāra Mountain as a churning rod.
When engaged in this way,
the Lord appeared like a splendid sapphire mountain."

Text 20

Lord Kṛṣṇa is the celebrated archer Lord Rāmacandra (maheṣvāsa) and He is the husband of the goddess of fortune (Śrīnivāsa). He is the maintainer of the earth (mahī-bhartā).

He is the destination and master of the devotees (satāṁ gatiḥ) and He cannot be controlled by anything except pure devotional service (Aniruddha).

He gives transcendental bliss to the devotees and devas (surānanda) and He gives pleasure to the cows, land and senses (Govinda). With His spiritual effulgence He removes all obstacles from the path of His devotees (govindāṁ patiḥ).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa observes that the first four names in this verse describe the Lord's expansions that are worshiped in different parts of the universe:

- Lord Maheṣvāsa is worshiped in Kimpuruṣa-varṣā,
- Lord Śrīnivāsa is worshiped in Ketumāla-varṣā.
- Lord Satāṁ Gatiḥ is worshipped by devotees throughout the entire universe.

The remaining names in this verse describe the Lord as He appears in the abode of Śvetadvīpa.