Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra 44 with Audio
from Anushasana Parva of Mahabharatha
Based on Poojya Bannanje Govidacharya's Discourse in Kannada

406) Vaikuṇṭhaḥ - ವೈಕುಂಠಃ

The Lord who grants bliss to the liberated souls is Vaikuṇṭha, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. As we know, ‘kuṇṭha’ - ಕುಂಠ means incapacity or obstruction, while ‘vikuṇṭha’ - ವಿಕುಂಠ means those who never falter in the path of life — that is, the liberated souls who have realized the Lord directly. Even those with direct knowledge (aparokṣa jñāna), who are free from future (āgāmī - ಆಗಾಮಿ) and accumulated (sañcita - ಸಂಚಿತ) karmas, are not free from prārabdha karma - ಪ್ರರಾಬ್ಧ ಕರ್ಮ (the portion of karma already begun); it is like an arrow already released. But those who attain liberation are untouched by any form of karma. The Lord who presides over such a realm of liberation — Vaikuṇṭha — is Vaikuṇṭhaḥ.

Just as “the earth is the support for those who walk and also for those who slip and fall,” similarly, the Lord who supports even the faltering is also the refuge of the ever-steady vikuṇṭhas - ವಿಕುಂಠ. This universe, composed of the five great elements, is also referred to as vikuṇṭha - ವಿಕುಂಠ. The Lord who created various substances from the primary elements — earth, water, fire, etc. — is Vaikuṇṭhaḥ.

407) Puruṣaḥ - ಪುರುಷಃ

The one who dwells in the pura (the body or city) is called Puruṣaḥ. The "Puruṣa Sūkta," which is the essence of all the Vedas and considered the king of hymns, refers to the Lord as "Sahasraśīrṣā Puruṣaḥ - ಸಹಸ್ರ ಶೀರ್ಷಾ ಪುರುಷಃ " — the Puruṣa with a thousand heads. The Lord alone is the true Puruṣa.

At the time of creation, when nothing else existed, the Lord who alone existed and brought this universe into being is Purā+ṣaḥ - ಪುರಾ+ಷಃ. During dissolution (pralaya), the Lord who burned and destroyed everything is Pura-uṣa - ಪುರ-ಉಷ. In the manifest world, the Lord who is infinite, who possesses infinite time, infinite power, and infinite qualities is Pura-saha - ಪುರ-ಸಹ.

At the time of cosmic dissolution, when nothing remained, the Lord alone existed. Then, at the time of creation, He manifested one by one from His navel. First, He created mahat-tattva - ಮಹತತ್ವ, which is the cosmic intelligence or the universal awareness of all existence. He endowed Brahmā and Vāyu, who identify with consciousness, with the memory of all past creation, and then constructed the subtle form of the universe.

After that, He created the deities and the five great elements (pañcabhūtas). Thus, in the gross Brahmāṇḍa (cosmic egg) thus formed, the Lord pervaded it all, and within each individual egg (piṇḍāṇḍa), He manifested in different forms, and through those forms, carried out specific tasks meant for those worlds, ultimately granting liberation (mokṣa).

Thus, before creation, during creation, within all created things, in the process of creation, and from the beginning of spiritual practice to liberation, the Lord resides in the heart-lotus (hṛt-kamala) and is full of the six divine qualities (ṣaḍguṇas) — a form of pure knowledge and bliss.

Pu+ru+ṣaḥ = Puruṣaḥ; ಪು+ರು+ಷಃ=ಪುರುಷಃ

·         Pu means the supremely pure one who sanctifies us.

·         Ru means “ruvanti - ರುವಂತಿ” — the one who can be described by all the words and sounds in the world.

·         Ṣaḥ or saha means the indwelling essence present in all beings and things — the all-pervading, inner self (sarvāntaryāmi - ಸರ್ವಾಂತರ್ಯಾಮಿ).

In this way, the divine name Puruṣaḥ - ಪುರುಷಃ can be interpreted in many profound ways.

408) Prāṇaḥ - ಪ್ರಾಣಃ

The one who resides within all beings and enables all actions is Prāṇaḥ. All these activities are merely expressions of His bliss — not for gaining anything else. Thus, the Lord, who is the reservoir of complete and absolute bliss, is called Prāṇaḥ.

409) Prāṇadaḥ - ಪ್ರಾಣದಃ

Prāṇa + daḥ; ಪ್ರಾಣ+ದಃ — here, "da" means "dyati" (to give or take). The Lord who dwells within us and enables all actions is also the one who, one day, withdraws the prāṇa (life force) and causes the body to be left behind. Nothing is in our control; we can live only as long as the Lord allows. The Lord who destroys the false joy and arrogance of the wicked is called Prāṇadaḥ — the giver and taker of life.

410) Praṇavaḥ - ಪ್ರಣವಃ

The Lord who is praised by all and is denoted by the sacred syllable Oṁkāra is Praṇavaḥ. Those who understand His greatness turn toward Him, shedding their ego and approaching Him with humility. The praise of the Lord does not benefit Him — rather, when we truly know Him, our attachments and aversions fade away, and the mind flows naturally toward His glorification. Thus, the Lord who is worshipped by the wise, who is the eternal and indestructible reality existing in all three times (past, present, and future), is called Praṇavaḥ.

411) Pṛthuḥ - ಪೃಥುಃ

Just as the Earth (Pṛthvī) bears and supports everything, the Lord bears and sustains the entire universe. The Lord, who possesses the vastness to hold and carry all creation, is all-pervading. Such an expansive and all-encompassing Lord is called Pṛthuḥ.

412) Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ - ಹಿರಣ್ಯಗರ್ಭಃ

The Lord in whose womb-like form the universe, like gold, resides is Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ. Here, hiraṇya refers to the bliss that arises from within, without any dependence on the external world — the inner joy of pure knowledge. The true gold is this inner knowledge and bliss within us. Those who abandon this and chase external gold will never attain the Lord. The indwelling Lord of four-faced Brahmā, who created this golden-egg-like cosmos (brahmāṇḍa), is called Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ.

413) Śatrughnaḥ - ಶತ್ರುಘ್ನಃ

Śrī Rāma had a younger brother named Śatrughna. In the divine incarnations, the four forms of the Lord — Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha — manifested as Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata, and Śatrughna respectively. The Lord in the form of Aniruddha, associated with the quality of śaṅkha (conch), was present in Śatrughna. The Lord who destroys enemies is known as Śatrughnaḥ.

One might wonder — who are the enemies of the Lord? The Lord detests ignorance, false knowledge, uncontrolled desires, anger, and such internal vices. These are the inner enemies that obstruct a seeker’s spiritual progress. They are more dangerous than external foes. A classic example is Dhṛtarāṣṭra from the Mahābhārata — the internal enemy moha (deluded attachment to his sons) led to his downfall.

If we wish to meditate on the Lord, we must first bring our mind back from these negative tendencies. Often, when we attempt to focus on the Lord, the mind refuses to stay still. Just as a child insistently clings to its mother with longing, if we tenaciously remember the Lord, He will manifest as Śatrughnaḥ, destroy our inner enemies, and guide us on the path of spiritual discipline. Thus, He is the one who removes the obstacles of ignorance in the path of wisdom — Śatrughnaḥ.

414) Vyāptaḥ - ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಃ

The Lord is the supreme Āpta; ಆಪ್ತ — the most trusted and intimate one. He is the dearest friend and source of fearlessness for the wise. As the friend of the enlightened and as the all-pervading presence, the Lord who is present everywhere is called Vyāptaḥ.

415) Vāyuḥ - ವಾಯುಃ

The Lord who pervades both inside and outside every living being, who binds the universe together, who is of the very nature of knowledge, and who has given us the breath of life — He is called Vāyuḥ.

416) Adhokṣajaḥ - ಅಧೋಕ್ಷಜಃ

The one who never falls down from His supreme state; the one who is beyond the reach of the senses. As said in the Bhārata: "Ado nakṣīyate jātu yasmāt, tasmāt Adhokṣajaḥ - ಅದೋ ನಕ್ಷೀಯತೆ ಜಾತು ಯಸ್ಮಾತ್ ತಸ್ಮಃ ಅಧೋಕ್ಷಜಃ " — meaning, the one who never diminishes or descends from His exalted position is called Adhokṣajaḥ. That supreme position is His very nature. Thus, the ever-glorious, ever-superior Lord who remains beyond sensory perception is known as Adhokṣajaḥ.