VISHNU SAHASRANAMA - PART 22 (FINAL PART)

Sloka 101

Anadir_bhur-bhuvo lakshmih 
Su-viro rucira'ngadah
Janano jana-janmadir
Bhimo bhima-parakramah

941. anadih - a) He Who is not realized by many because of their ignorance etc. b) He Who has no beginning..

942. bhur-bhuvah - a) He Who is the abode of those who really live (by realizing their relation to the Lord). b) He Who supports that which supports all (namely, the earth). c) He Who exists in Himself (with no other support). d) He Who is the Source of all knowledge.

943. lakshmih - The Wealth.

944. suviro – He who moves through various way.                                                       945. rucira'ngadah - a) He Who bestows His lovely form for His devotees to enjoy. b) He Who gives a beautiful body to those who are devoted (e.g., to the hunch-backed woman). c) He Who is adorned with beautiful shoulder ornaments (angadas). d) He Who has given elegant means for all creatures to move about.

946. jananah - The Creator.

947. jana-janmadih - a) He Who is the root cause of all beings. b) He Who is the ultimate goal of all beings.

948. bhimah - He Who is frightful to those who do not follow dharma.

949. bhima-parakramya -

Sloka 102

Aadhaaranilayo-adhaata
 Pushpahaasah prajaagarah
Oordhvagah satpathaachaarah 
Praanadah prranavah panah.

950. Aadhaaranilayah -"One who is the fundamental sustainer" -the support for all that exists. All things and all beings are supported by the earth which itself rests upon the lord, the self, that each mind projects the entire world of names and forms.

951. Adhaataa -"Above whom there is no other to control or to command" -One who is the supreme controller of all. He is the Law; the eternal truth is that the Law and the Law-Giver are one and the same.

952. Pushpahaasah -"He who shines like an opening flower." The bud opens and manifests into the lord at the time of deluge existed as the total Unmanifest, and there after, at the maturity of the vaasanaas, opens up as the manifest world of things and beings, He came to be indicated by this term.

953. Prajaagarah -"Ever-Awaked" -He who knows no sleep. Sleep means 'non-apprehension.' This 'non-apprehension' of reality is called 'Avidyaa' (nescience) which produces our 'mis-apprehension' of I and mine, and the world of pains and shocks. Since Narayana is the self, He is 'Ever-available" and is never asleep to his Eternal-Divine-Nature.

954. Oordhvagah -"One who walks the path of truth" -a path which other implicitly follow to reach the Truth Inifinite. "Whatever an adored one does, other people will implicitly follow," warns Krishna in Bhagava Geeta. Lord is the standard of perfection" and all devotees place him as the ideal -trying to imitate, in their own lives, His Absolute Goodness, Absolute Love and Absolute Peace.

956. Praanadah -"One who gives 'Praana' to all." The term 'Praana' in our Sastras means the physiological functions, the manifestations of life in man. Therefore, Narayana, the self, is the Vital Source from which all sense organs, mind and intellect barrow their power of perception, capacities of feeling and their faculties of thinking and understanding.

957. Pranavah -"Om-kaara is Pranava." The Infinite reality is indicated by 'OM' in the Vedas. 'OM' is the manifesting sound of the supreme self. Therefore, Sree Narayana is called 'Pranavah': meaning he is of the 'nature of Omkaara."

958. Panah -"The supreme Manager of the universe." The root 'Pana' means "to transact." By giving the exact rewards for all actions, Lord both orders and justly manages all activities of each individuals and things constituting this scientifically precise universe.

Sloka 103

Pramaanam prananilayah 
Praanabhrit praanajeevanah
Tattvam tattvavidekaatmaa 
Janmamrityujaraatigah.

959. Pramaanam -"He whose very form is the Vedas" -which are the only 'proof' for the Eternal Reality. Or, we may read it: He who is pure Infinite Consciousness (Prajnaanam) as we have it in the great Commandment, "Consciousness is the Infinite Reality."

960. Praananilayah -"He in whom all 'praanas' stand established." He who is very substratum -vital foundation -for all 'activities' manifested in a living organism.

961. Praana-brit -"He who rules over all 'Praanas' -Sree Hari is the one who causes everyone to eat, digest, feel energized, act, achieve the fruits thereof, grow old and die. In all 'activities,' the great One-commanding, Factor-Divine, Sree Narayana, the self, presides in silent detachment, and by His Presence He initiates and maintains all these activities in all living creatures upon the earth's surface.

962. Praana-jeevanah -"He who maintains the life-birth in all living creatures." This interpretation is not a happy one as this meaning has just come in the preceding, endearing term. In love, of course, there is no rule that the lover should not repeat the same loving words to address his beloved. But, we can find yet a new depth of suggestion if we understand this term to mean "One who is the very life-giving divine-touch in every breath."

963. Tattvam-"the Reality" -that which is eternal, the essence. "That which one gains in subjective realization is the self," Sree Narayana.

964. Tattvavit -"One who has realized fully the reality" -meaning the original essential nature of the self. On realizing the self, the individual become the self  and, therefore, Sree Narayana, that very self, is One who has realized fully the Reality which is His Own Nature Divine.

965. Ekaatmaa -"The Advaita Reality" -Narayana is the One self, the Oversoul, Who expresses himself as the individualities of the infinite entities in the universe.

966. Janma-mrityu-jaraa-atigah -"One who knows no change or modifications in Himself." Ever finite object in the world undergoes constant 'change' and each of them is extremely painful. They are birth, growth, decay, and the Eternal, the changeless Self, Sree Narayana, Ever- the-same Supreme. Geeta thunders the nature of the self to be "ever-birthless and never dying," and once It has existed, Self never becomes non-existent.

Sloka 104

Bhoorbhuvah svastarustaarah 
Savitaaa prapitaamahah
Yajno yajnapatiryajvaa
 Yajnaango yajnavaahmah.

967. Bhoor-bhuvas-svas-taruh -"One who is snap in the tree-of-life existing in all the universe of the higher world, our-world and the lower world." The famous Vedic terms bhooh Bhuvah and Svah connote the three worlds (lokas). The world 'Loka' in Sanskrit means "a field of experience." Therefore, in fact, these three terms, called Vyaahritees, subjectively represents all our experiences in the walking, dream and deep-sleep states of consciousness. His constant Yajna to nurture and nourish the Universe. So, this epithet has been given to Sree Narayana, the infinite Self, the glorious Essence (Sap) that pervades the entire Tree-of-Life-flowering out to even embrace all experiences in all planes of Consciousness. Everywhere, in the everything at all times.

968. Tarrah -"One who helps all to cross -over" -the Eternal Boat-man, to whom, if the devotees can surrender in unswerving faith and true devotion, he will surely row them across the "Ocean of samsara:" that one is Taarah. Through exclusive, devoted meditation, alert with understanding, the individuality in each of us wakes up to the higher plane - and there is Be-attitude to experience the Self, the eternal Brahman - Sree Hari.

969. Savitaa -"He who is the father of All" -Who is the eternal father of the entire Universe.

970. Pra-pitaamahah -"He who is the father of even the 'Father of all Beings,' the creator, Brahmaaji, of the trinity." The creator Himself rose from the Absolute self. Creator is known in our scriptural language as Pitaamaha -the Father.

971. Yajnah -"One whose very nature is yajna." The term yajna means "work undertaken with a pure spirit of total dedication in complete co-operative endeavor with total selflessness, there is Sree Narayana in action through His creatures.

972. Yajna-patih -"The lord of all yajnas." I am the 'Enjoyer' in all self -dedicated, co-operative endeavors (Yajna). These are the joyous words of the lord who Himself declares; "The 'Enjoyer' and the 'lord' in all yajnas am I."

973. Yajvaa -"The one who performs Yajna according to the strict prescriptions laid down in Vedas" -the one who maintains in ll his divine actions the true Yajna spirit.

974. Yajnaangah -"One whose limbs are the 'things' employed in Yajna." In Harivamsa we told that 'things' are the very aspects of Lord Sree Narayana.

975. Yajna-vaahanah -"One who fulfils Yajnas in complete and exact accord with the Vedic instructions."

Sloka 105

Yajnabhridyajnakridyajnee
 Yajnabhugyajnasaadhah
Yajnaantakridyajnaguh
Yamannamannaada eva cha.

976. Yajna-bhrit -"the ruler of the Yajnas" -the One who helps us to conclude successfully all our 'good, dedicated. Selfless acts of service to others' -Yajnas.

977. Yajna-Krit -"One who performs Yajna." The same term also mean One who destroys the yajnas. The term Yajna connotes all noble and divine actions of service and love undertaken in a pure sense of God dedication, selflessness and joy. Lord issued forth the creation as an act of yajna, and in the end He must also undertake the total dissolution of this very yajna. Sometimes this is interpreted as "One who 'performs' the yajnas of the good people and one who 'destroys' the Yajnas of the evil minded folk."

978. Yajnee -"One who is constant 'Enjoyer' of the perpetual Yajnas." In all Yajnas, because every act is Narayana -centered-god-dedicated-to him alone is the attribute of being the only single 'Enjoyer.'

979. Yajnee -"All that is offered into the scared Fire during a Yajna, though with an invocation to any of the deities, in tender devotion and joy. Goes to Him alone, the "One receiver of all that is offered," for all deities are but Narayana in different forms.

980. Yajna-saadhanah -"One who fulfills all Yajnas." It is by his grace alone all noble endeavours, undertaken in an honest and true sincerity, gain spectacular success.

981. Yajnaantakrit -"One who performs the last, concluding act in all Yajnas." The final item in a yajna is the "total -offerings" (Poorna-Aahuti) when Sree Narayana is reverently and earnestly invoked. Without this prayer-ritual. Yajna is never complete. Sree Hari, therefore, is of the form of Poorna-Aahuti -in the sense that when 'total' surrender of all vehicles and their actions is accomplished, the transcendental experience of the Self, Narayana alone, comes to manifest in all His divine Splendour.

Some commentators have, however, taken the meaning of the Yajna-anta-not as "the last item in yajna" but as 'anta,' the 'fruit' of the yajna by which they bestow the meaning that Narayana is the "One who gives away the 'fruits' for all Hari-dedicated, selfless acts of love and service."

982. yagna-guhyam -"Sree Narayana is the most profound truth to be realised  in all yajnas." The self is the most noble truth to be sought through 'offerings' all the 'Dravya' (objects) into the "consciousness" (Fire) in the "body" (kunda). This kind of subjective-Yajna is called in the Geeta as "Knowledge-Yajna." This is also called in the Vedas as Brahma-Yajna. 

983. Annam -"One who has himself become the 'food' " -sense -objects which are the 'food' consumed by the sense -organs. As a verb it can be used as One who "Eats" the whole universe at the time of the great dissolution. At that time, he is the one in whom the world remains absorbed in the pralaya, just as our individual world each day gets dissolved in our sleep. The one in whom alone the world of names and forms can remain in their 'seed-form,' is Sree Narayana, the self.

984. Annaadah -"One who eats the 'food.' " not only the objective world is the projection on Narayana, but the subjective-enjoyer -the individuality, the ego, that experiences-is also Narayana. The self, functioning through the "equipment" is the jeevaatman, the individuality in each of us who "experiences." Thus the self is the both 'food' (Annam) and 'eater-of-food' (Annaadah) just as our own waking-mind becomes the "experiencer" and the "experienced" in our dream-world.

Sloka 106

aatnayonih svayamjaato 
Vaikhaanah saamagaayanah
Devakeenandanah srashtaa 
Kshiteesah paapanaasanah.

985. Aatma-yohin -"One who is himself the 'material cause' (Upaadaana Kaarana) for himself;" the self born, the uncaused cause.

986. Svayam-jaatah -"One who, as the lord of the universe, has no other 'Instrumental cause' (Nimitta-Kaarana) in projecting Himself."

Three cause are necessary in all 'creation' in the pluralistic world: the Material cause' (mud), the "Instrumental cause' (wheel), and the 'Efficient cause' (the pot maker). In sree Narayana's self-projection, as in the dream, that all these three causes are He, Himself, is shown in these term.

987. Vai-Khaanah -"The one who dug through the earth" -cutting through the denseness of the gross to reach, apprehend and kill the subtle Hirnyaksha, the terrible and the monstrous who had tried to destroy the spiritual values in the world. The self has to reach us to destroy the ego in us and give us the 'liberation' from our evil adherence to the body-mind-intellect.

988. saama-gaayanah -"One who signs the Saama-songs."

989. Devakeenandhanah -"He who appeared as born to Devakee in his Incarnation as Krishna." And since Devakee could only, from afar, see, watch and enjoy the pranks and play of her blessed child in Gokula, Krishna is called as the "Joy of Devakee" (Devakee-nandhana).

990. Srashtaa -"One who creates." Even the Creator can perform his job only by drawing his abilities and capacities from the infinite self, Sree Narayana.

991. Kshiteesah -"One who is the lord of the earth." Sree Narayana is the husband of mother Earth. He is her protector. Her nurtuer and nourisher. Her, earth may stand for all that is gross -the entire maayaa-and Narayana is the Lakshmee-Pati.

992. Paapa-naasanah -meditating upon whom, all vaasanaas (sins) are liquidated. When the individuals, surrendering in love to Him, acts and fulfils his duties, all his existing vaasanaas are destroyed and no new ones are created -this is the very root in the theory of karma Yoga in the Vedas. Through meditation upon the self, all sins are dissolved and totally removed.

Sloka 107

Samkhabhirnnandakee chakree 

Saarngadhanvaa gadaadharah
Rathaangapaanirakshobhyah 
Sarvapraharanaayudhah.

993. Samkha-bhrit -"One who has the divine conch named "Paanchajanya." The word meaning is this term pancha-janya is "that which is born of the five" (sense organs), so it stands for the mind. Mind being the seat of ego, the sastras declare that the conch in the divine hand of Sree Narayana is the ego-factor (Ahamkaara-Tattva) in our personality.

994. Nandakee -The lord's sword is called Nandaka. Therefore,this term indicates one who holds and wields the Nandaka sword. The word Nanda-kam mean "that which brings bliss." The Sastras sing that the divine sword in the sacred hands of the lord hari represents the knowledge-Spiritual (Vidyaa-Tattva) with which the seeker can destroy all his "ignorance" of the self in him.

995. Chakree -"one who carries the discus called Sudarsana." The term Su-Darsana means "that gives the auspicious vision." The sastras attribute to this discus-Divine the representation of the human mind.

996. Saarnga-dhanvaa -"One who aims his unerring bow called Saarnga." This bow of Narayana is glorified in our texts as representing the Ego, as the 'apex' of all the sense organs, Ahankaara-Tattva. In this concluding Stanza, the instruments of Blessing in sree Narayana's hands are remembered with reverence and devotion.

997. Gadda-dharah -"One who holds his divine club (Mace) celebrated as Kaumodakee -which generates and spreads beauty and joy." This Mace is described as representing the intellect in man (Buddhi-Tattva).

998. Rathanga-paanih -"The traditional meaning is, of course, "One who has the 'wheel of the chariot' as his weapon." This means the discuss which already has been mentioned in this very Stanza as Chakree. But, there are others who would like to interpret this term in other ways. In a glorification-Hymn or devotional-Chant, repetition is no sin; in fact, it should be quite natural.

999. Akshobhyah -"One who cannot be exasperated by anyone, by any act or acts, however blasphemous they may be." One whose peace and calm cannot be stormed out by any happening in his outer world; Ever-peaceful. The term suggests Infinite patience, love and kindness towards man and his frailties.

1000. Sarva-praharanaayudhah -"He who has all implements for all kinds of assault and fight." No enemy can surprise Him. The 'conqueror of all.' One who has weapons to meet any missile. However powerful.

Sloka 108

Vanamalee gadhee sarnghee 

Sanghee Chakree ca nandaki 

Sreemaan NaarayaNo Vishnur
VasuDevOabhirakshathu 

Sree VasuDeVoabhirakshathu  Nama: ithi |

The sudarshan chakra and the flags at the top shikara of Jagannatha Puri temple. 

Jagannath and Balabhadra leading the army of King Purushottama on the expedition to Kanchi

Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, Jaganath Puri, Orrisa.

941	anaadih	One who is the first cause
942	bhoor-bhuvo	The substratum of the earth
943	lakshmeeh	The glory of the universe
944	suveerah	One who moves through various ways
945	ruchiraangadah	One who wears resplendent shoulder caps
946	jananah	He who delivers all living creatures
947	jana-janmaadir	The cause of the birth of all creatures
948	bheemah	Terrible form
949	bheema-paraakramah	One whose prowess is fearful to His enemies
950	aadhaaranilayah	The fundamental sustainer
951	adhaataa	Above whom there is no other to command
952	pushpahaasah	He who shines like an opening flower
953	prajaagarah	Ever-awakened
954	oordhvagah	One who is on top of everything
955	satpathaachaarah	One who walks the path of truth
956	praanadah	Giver of life
957	pranavah	Omkara
958	panah	The supreme universal manager
959	pramaanam	He whose form is the Vedas
960	praananilayah	He in whom all prana is established
961	praanibhrit	He who rules over all pranas
962	praanajeevanah	He who maintains the life-breath in all living creatures
963	tattvam	The reality
964	tattvavit	One who has realised the reality
965	ekaatmaa	The one self
966	janma-mrityu-jaraatigah	One who knows no birth, death or old age in Himself
967	bhoor-bhuvah svas-taruh	The tree of bhur, bhuvah and svah
968	taarah	One who helps all to cross over
969	savitaa	The father of all
970	prapitaamahah	The father of the father of beings (Brahma)
971	yajnah	One whose very nature is yajna
972	yajnapatih	The Lord of all yajnas
973	yajvaa	The one who performs yajna
974	yajnaangah	One whose limbs are the things employed in yajna
975	yajnavaahanah	One who fulfils yajnas in complete
976	yajnabhrid	The ruler of the yajanas
977	yajnakrit	One who performs yajna
978	yajnee	Enjoyer of yajnas
979	yajnabhuk	Receiver of all that is offered
980	yajnasaadhanah	One who fulfils all yajnas
981	yajnaantakrit	One who performs the concluding act of the yajna
982	yajnaguhyam	The person to be realised by yajna
983	annam	One who is food
984	annaadah	One who eats the food
985	aatmayonih	The uncaused cause
986	svayamjaatah	Self-born
987	vaikhaanah	The one who cut through the earth
988	saamagaayanah	One who sings the sama songs; one who loves hearing saama chants;
989	devakee-nandanah	Son of Devaki
990	srashtaa	Creator
991	kshiteeshah	The Lord of the earth
992	paapa-naashanah	Destroyer of sin
993	samkha-bhrit	One who has the divine Pancajanya
994	nandakee	One who holds the Nandaka sword
995	chakree	Carrier of Sudarsana
996	shaarnga-dhanvaa	One who aims His shaarnga bow
997	gadaadharah	Carrier of Kaumodakee club
998	rathaanga-paanih	One who has the wheel of a chariot as His weapon; One with the strings of the chariot in his hands;
999	akshobhyah	One who cannot be annoyed by anyone
1000	sarva-praharanaayudhah	He who has all implements for all kinds of assault and fight

About the temple

The temple of Lord Jagannath is located  the city of Puri in Orissa on the sea coast.  The ancient nature of this temple is borne out by its mention in the Rig Vedas.  Structurally it is unusual and beautiful, being 214 feet tall with a metallic wheel of perimeter 36 feet fixed on its peak.

 The unique feature of this temple is that the important deities worshipped here are Lord Jagannath,his brother Lord Balarama and his sister Devi Subhadra.  The daily pooja in the temple start with the waking up of the deities, placing them in front of a huge mirror and sprinkling their image with scented water and offering of food items seven times a day covering a  varieties of 56 items.

Every year in the month of June, the deities are taken for a boat ride, bathed with 107 pots of sacred water and subsequently are offered carefully chosen food items.  The Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is known world-wide.  The Rath(Chariot) itself is 60 feet high and has 16 wheels.  Millions of devotees throng to witness this festival.

The idols have a unique appearance with big eyes, a wide mouth and wooden sticks to support the hands and the feet.  Legend has it that while one king named Indradhyumnan tried to usurp the idol of Lord Jagannath from the devotee Viswavasu, it disappeared and the king was instructed to use the log that he would find floating in the sea to make the idols.  An old man offered to make these, with the condition that none should open the room for 21 days.  But the impatient king had the room opened after 15 days on hearing no sound emanating from the room.  The idols were found in the room in an unfinished condition.

The idols are placed on a pedestal of 20 feet height.  The temple is both divine and beautiful.