Vishnu Sahasranamam  Prolog simple word for word meanings

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Prologue	Hari Om 

shukla ambara dharaM  vishhNuM         shashi     varNaM   chatur bhujam |   
white  cloth  wearing Vishnu  (who is) moon (the) color of (with) four hands 

prasanna vadanaM                  dhyaayet            sarva    vighnopa.             shaantaye || (1)  
(with) placid expression on face  We meditate on you  all (my) obstructions (please) eradicate 

yasya dvirada vaktrAdyAh pArisadyAh parassatam | 
vighnam nighnanti satatam visvaksEnam tamAsrayE || (2)  

One should resort to Visvaksena, whose assemblage of gajAnan and other nitya sUris ever ward off
the innumerable obstacles.

vyaasaM vasishhTha naptaaraM shakteH pautram akalmashham | 
paraasharaatmajaM vande shukataataM taponidhim || (3)  

vyAsa is the great grandson of Vasistha and the grandson of Sakti, son of ParAsara, and the father
of Suka. He is untainted by defects (akaimasa) of any kind and is a mine of austerities (tapO nidhi)
I offer my obeisance to Him.

vyaasaaya vishhNu-roopaaya vyaasa roopaaya vishhNave | 
namo vai brahma nidhaye vaasishhThaaya namo namaH || (4)  

Salutations, again and again, to VyAsa, a visible aspect of Lord Vishnu and to Lord Vishnu who, in
turn, is also a visible aspect of VyAsa, the sage descended from Vasistha and a veritable treasure of
vedik knowledge of Beahman.

avikaaraaya shuddhaaya nityaaya paramaatmane | 
sadaika roopa roopaaya vishhNave sarva jishhNave || (5)  

Salutation to Lord Vishnu who is immutable (unchangeable, not subject to any variation), who is inherently
pure and eternal, the Supreme soul who has a consistent undiversified form in all times and ages and is
the conqueror of one and all.

yasya smaraNa maatreNa janmasaM saara bandhanaat | 
vimuchyate namastasmai vishhNave prabhavishhNave || (6) 

My salutation to that all powerful deity, Visnu the mere contemplation of whose name frees all persons
from the bonds of samsara, the terrific cycle of birth and death.

|| oM namo vishhNave prabhavishhNave ||  

Salutation to that all powerful Visnu denoted by Om

shrii vaishampaayana uvaacha -  
shrutvaa dharmaan asheshheNa paavanaani cha sarvashaH | 
yudhishhThiraH shaantanavaM punarevaa-bhyabhaashhata || (1) 

Sri Vaisampayana said: Having heard all the dharmas, in their entirety, and all other purificatory acts; 
Yudhishthira addressed again Santanu's son (Bhisma) as follows:

yudhishhThira uvaacha - 

kim      ekaM    daivataM     loke        kiM va api   yekaM   paraayaNam | 
Who (is) the one God (of the) world ?(q1) Who (is) the one     refuge for all ?(q2)

stuvantaH       kaM        kam       archantaH    praapnuyur-maanavaaH shubham || (2)  
(by) glorifying whom (and) whom (by) worshipping  obtaineth  man       peace and prosperity ?(q3&4)

ko   dharmaH     sarva dharmaaNaaM bhavataH paramo  mataH | 
What dharma (of) all   dharmas              greatest       ?(q5)

kin        japan       muchyate  jantur-janma             saM-saara- bandhanaat || (3) 
(by) Which japa (do) , go beyond living creatures ,(from) samasara's bonds  ?(q6)

shrii bhiishhma uvaacha - 

jagatprabhuM       devedevam    anantaM purushhottamam | 
King of the world  God of Gods  The end The supreme Man (a6)
stuvan naama sahasreNa purushhaH satatotthitaH || (4) 
tameva cha archayannityaM bhaktyaa purushham avyayam | 
dhyaayan stuvan namasyaM shcha yajamaanastameva cha || (5) (a4) 

A person who is for ever engaged, through (the hymn of) the thousand names, in praising the Lord
of the Universe. the god of gods and the Highest Being whose glory is not curtailed or limited
in any manner and (engaged) in worshipping always with bhakti the supreme being, the eternal,
meditating on him singing his glory, prostrating before him and adorning him (will be released)

anaadi             nidhanaM    vishhNuM sarvaloka       maheshvaram | 
Without beginning  without end Vishnu   all the  worlds The Supreme Lord

lokaa dhyakshaM             stuvan nityaM         sarva duHkha  atigo bhavet || (6) 
world knower    (those who) chant  daily   (their) all  sorrows go beyond .(a3)

brahmaNyaM sarvadharmaGYaM lokaanaaM kiirtivardhanam | 
lokanaathaM mahadbhuutaM sarvabhuutabhavodbhavam || (7) 

And engaged in praising him, the beginingless and the endless, the all-pervading, the sovereign
master of all the worlds, the great cognisor, bearing testimony to all that is going on in all
the worlds, nay, the very thought crossing the minds of everyone, the one to be cognized
through the vedas, the knower of all dharmas, the one who enhances the fame of the worlds,
the great one, the cause of all existence, such a worshipper tides over all the sorrows of the world.

eshha me sarva dharmaaNaaM dharmo adhikatamo mataH | 
yadbhaktyaa puNDarii-kaakshaM stavairarchennaraH sadaa || (8)  

(a5)This worship of the lotus eyed lord, by a person singing his praise, is hence regarded by me
as the greatest dharma.

paramaM     yo      mahat tejaH      paramaM yo           mahattapaH | 
The Highest He (of) great effulgence The Highest He (the) great controller

paramaM     yo       mahad brahma              paramaM     yaH         paraayaNam || (9) 
The Highest He (the) great all-pervading truth The Highest He (who is) The Highest goal. 

pavitraaNaaM        pavitraM  yo  maNgaLaanaaM    cha      maNgalam | 
sacred things (the) sactifier He  most auspicious (of the) auspicious (a2)

daivataM devataanaaM cha  bhuutaanaaM   yo.             avyayaH pitaa || (10) 
of Gods  The God     (of) all creatures He (who is the) eternal father.(a1)

yataH sarvaaNi bhuutaani bhavantyaadi yugaagame | 
yasmiM shcha pralayaM yaanti punareva yugakshaye || (11) 

The god of gods and the eternal indestructible father of beings (unlike the evanescent type of
earthly fathers) from whom all beings originate at the commencement of the first yuga, and in
whom they all converge ultimately, that is, at the end of the yuga. (a1)

tasya loka pradhaanasya jagannaathasya bhuupate | 
vishhNornaamasahasraM me shRuNu paapa bhayaapaham || (12) 

Hear from me, O king ! the thousand names of Lord Vishnu, the dispeller of the fear of sin, the
sovereign master of the universe, lokkapradhAnasya - the pivot on which the entire universe,
with all its contents (things and beings) rests.

yaani naamaani gauNaani vikhyaataani mahaatmanaH | 
RishhibhiH parigiitaani taani vakshyaami bhuutaye || (13)  

For the good of all, I shall tell you the names of the supreme being, well-known and well-sung by the rishis

RishhirnaamnaaM sahasrasya vedavyaaso mahaamuniH | 
chhando.anushhTup tathaa devo bhagavaan devakiisutaH || (14)  
amRitaaM shoodbhavo biijaM shaktirdevakii nandanaH | 
trisaamaa hrudayaM tasya shaantyarthe viniyujyate || (15)  

The great veda vyasa is the rishi of these thousand names of vishnu, 'Anustup' is its meter, the presiding
deity is devaki's son, the seed (bijam) is "the one born in the lunar race", its power is "the darling of
devaki" it's heart (hrdayam) is the name "one who is lauded by the three sAma hymns", and its purpose is
the attainment of peace.

vishhNuM jishhNuM mahaa vishhNuM prabhavishhNuM maheshvaram | 
anekaruupa daityaantaM namaami purushhottamam || (16)  

I bow to visnu, the victorious, the all-pervading, the mighty, the lord of all, the enemy of daityas
(demons), posessed of many forms and the best of purusas.

above angas repeated in prose below.

asya     shrii vishhNor  divya sahasra   naama stotra mahaamantrasya | 
For this Shri  Vishnu's  sacred thousand name  stotra great mantra
shrii vedavyaaso          bhagavaanRishhiH | 
Shri  Veda Vyasa (is the) divine rishi
anushhThup chhandaH | 
anushtup    meter
shrii mahaavishhnuH paramaatmaa shriimannaaraayaNo devataa | 
its Diety is sriman nArAyanA, the supreme soul, the All-pervader. 
amrutaaM shuudbhavo bhaanur iti biijam | 
Its seed is "amritAmSUdbhavo bhAnu". 
devakii nandanaH srashhTeti shaktiH | 
Its power is devakI's son. 
udbhavaH kshobhaNo deva iti paramo mantraH | 
The essential part of the mantra is "udbhavah: kshobhano devaH". 
shaNkhabhRin.nandakii chakriiti kiilakam | 
Its pin is "Sankha-bHrin nandakI cakrI". 
shaarNga dhanvaa gadaadhara ityastrama | 
Its weapon is "SArnga-dhanvA gadhA-dharaH".  
rathaaNga paaNir akshobhya iti netrama | 
Its eye is "rathAnga-pANiH: 
trisaamaa saamagaH saameti kavacham | 

aanandaM parabrahmeti yoniH | 

RituH sudarshanaH kaala iti digbandhaH | 

shriivishvaruupa iti dhyaanam | 

shriimahaavishhNu priityarthe sahasranaamajape viniyogaH ||  

	
(dhyaanam) 

kshiirodhan.vatpradeshe shuchimaNi.vilasat saikate mauktikanaam 
maalaa kLiptaa sanasthaH phaTika maNi nibhair mauktikair maNDitaaNgaH | 
shubhrai.rabhrairadabhrai.rupari virachitair muktapiiyuushha varshhaiH 
aanandii naH puniiyaadarinalinagadaa shaNkhapaaNir mukundaH ||  (17)

May Mukunda with the discus, mace, conch and lotus in his hands purify us - Mukunda who is seated on a
pedestal of garlands and pearls in the region of milk-ocean with the sands shining by the light of the
pure gems; who is adorned by pearls transparent like crystals and who is enjoying ecstatic bliss on
account of pure, white clouds overhead raining showers of nectar.

bhooH paadaoo yasya naabhirviyadasuranilash chandra sooryau cha netre 
karNaavaashaaH shiro dyaurmukhamapi dahano yasya vaasteyamabdhiH | 
antaHsthaM yasya vishvaM suranara khagago bhogi gandharva daityaiH 
chitraM raMramyate taM tribhuvana vapushhaM vishhNumiishaM  namaami || (18)

I bow to Lord Visnu who has the three worlds as His body, the earth as his feet and the sky as his navel,
the wind as his breath, the Sun and the moon as his eyes, the directions as his ears and the heavens as
his head, fire his face and the ocean his abdomen. In him is embodied the universe, with the diverse
things and beings of different genre, the gods, humans, birds, cattle, serpents (birds and beasts), the
gandharvas and daityas (asuras) - all sporting in a charming way.

AUM namo bhagavate vaasudevaaya | 

shaantaakaaraM   bhujaga-shayanaM         padma        naabhaM           sureshaM
ever peaceful  , lying on a serpent bed , lotus (from) navel (springs) , gods (the) controller of

viswaa dhaaram gagana sadrsam meghavarnam subhangam  
universe form                 cloud hued  good limbs

lakshmee-kaantaM kamala-nayanaM  yogibhir-             dhyaana-   gamyaM 
Lakshmi's Lord , lotus eyed ,   (in) yogi's heart (by) meditation approachable

vande     vishhNuM  bhava-    bhaya-haraM   sarva-  lokaika-naatham || (19)
(we) pray to Vishnu samsara's fear  remover all the world's ruler

Salutations to Lord Visnu, peace personified, residing on the serpent couch (Adisesa). From his navel
sprouts a lotus. He is the overlord of the celestials. The universe is but his form. He resembles the
sky and has the complexion of the clouds, with graceful limbs (of exquisite charm and perfect symmetry)
He is the consort of Laksmi. His eyes are like lotus. He resides in the heart region of the yogis
steeped in loving contemplation. He dispels (destroys) the dread of samsara. He is the peerless Lord
of the universe, the supreme monarch.

meghashyaamam peethakausheya- vaasam  srivata-saangam      kausthubhodh-bhaasithaangam | 
cloud hued    pure milk ocean dweller Laksmi on his chest

punyopeytham pundareekayathaksham vande vishnum sarva-lokaika-naatham || (20)

I prostrate before vishNu, the one Lord of the worlds, blue as the cloud and clothed in yellow robes. His chest 
is marked by the mole known as srivatsa. His body is resplendent with kaustubha gem. He is surrounded by holy 
persons. And he has wide eyes like lotoses.

namaH samasta bhuutaanaamaadibhuutaaya bhuubhR^ite . 
aneka ruupa ruupaaya vishhNave prabhavishhNave 

sashankha chakram sakireeda kundalam sapeetha vastram saraseeruhekshanam | 
sahaaravakshah sthalakausthubhasriyam namaami vishnum shirsachaturbhujam || 

I bow down my head before the four-handed vishNu who sports in His hand the Sankha and the discuss, 
who is adorned with a crown and ear-pendants, who wears a yellow cloth, whose eyes resemble 
a lotus and whose chest is beautified by many necklaces and the kaustubha mark.

chaayaayaam paarijaathasya hemasimhasanopari aasinamambuda shyama maaya thakshamalankritham | 
chandrananam chaturbaahum srivatsangitavakshasam rukmani satyabhaamaabhyam sahitam krishnam asrayei || 

Vishnu Sahasranamam  Namas simple word for word meanings

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