VISHNU SAHASRANAMA - PART 21

Sloka 96

Sanat sanatana-tamah 
Kapilah kapir_avyayah  
Svasti-dah sasti-krt svasti 
Svasti-bhuk svasti-dakshinah  

896. sanat - a) The Object of enjoyment. b) He Who is in the form of Time. c) He Who is Eternal, Immutable, and always of the same beautiful Form.

897. sanatana-tamah - The Most Ancient. 

898. kapilah - He Who is of beautiful complexion.

899. kapih - He Who enjoys the never-diminishing Bliss.
900. avyayah - The one in who universe merges.  

901. svasti-dah - The Giver of Auspiciousness.

902. svasti-krt - The Doer of good to the devotees. 

903. svasti - He Who is Auspiciousness.

904. svasti-bhuk -  a) The Protector of all that is auspicious.  b) The Enjoyer of Bliss. c) He Who enables His devotees to enjoy bliss.

905. svasti-dakshinah -  He Who gives auspicious things as dakshina to  His devotees. 

Sloka 97

a-raudrah kundali cakrI 
Vikram_yurjita-sasanah     
Sabdatigah sabda-sahah 
Sisirah sarvikarah   

906. a-raudrah - He Who is not driven to anger easily.

907. kundali - He Who is bedecked with beautiful ear-rings.

908. cakrI -  One with the Discus in His arm.

909. vikrami - a) He Who has prowess. b) He with the characteristic stride (in His tri- vikrama incarnation). c) He Who has no difference in His different  incarnations. d) He Who has a distinguishing role - that of  protection..

910. urjita-sasanah - He of inviolable commands.

911. sabdatigah - He Who is beyond words.

912. sabda-sahah - He Who shoulders the burden of the words of cry of  distress.

913. sisirah - He Who rushed to render help.

914. sarvari-karah - a) He Who had the destructive weapons in His  hands. b) The Maker of `night' - in the form of samsara. c) The maker of night  - the time for rest. d) He Who is in the form of the cool rays of the moon  in the nights. e) He Who causes destruction of His enemies.

Sloka 98

A-kruraH pesalo daksho 
Dakshinah kshaminam-varah 
Vidvat-tamo vita-bhayah 
Punya-sravana-kirtanah        

915. a-krurah - He Who was not cruel (while rescuing gajendra).

916. pesalah - a) He Who is charming. b) One Who is supremely soft. 

917. dakshah - a) He Who removes evil elements very quickly (daksh - sighrarthe). b1) He Who came to the rescue of gajendra very fast (daksh - sighrarthe). b2) He Who had the Sakti - power, to arrive very fast at the scene of Gajendra's suffering. c) He Who grows into, or manifests Himself as, the Universe (daksh - to grow). d) He Who is deft in His creation, sustenance and destruction (daksha - dexterous). e) He Who destroys His enemies  (daksh - himsanayoh).

918. dakshinah - a) He Who is pleasing and amiable. b) He Who pervades everywhere. c) He Who destroys everything (at the time of  pralaya). d) He Who is very liberal, charitable, and kind.

919. kshaminam-varah - a)  The foremost in bearing the burden of  protection of His devotees. b) The Foremost among those who bear the burden of  the Universes.

920. vidvat-tamah -  The Best among those who know what to do.

921.  vIta-bhayah - a) He because of Whom fear is dispelled. b) He Who is devoid of fear.

922. punya-sravana-kIrtanah - He Whose nama sravanam and kirtanam are  purifying.

Sloka 99

Uttarano dushkrti-ha 
Punyo duh-svapna-nasanah
Vira-ha rakshanah santo 
Jivanah paryavasthitah   

923. uttaranah - He Who lifts up.

924. dushkrti-ha - a) He Who slays the evil-doers. b) He Who destroys the sins of those who surrender to Him.

925. punyah - The Purifier.

926. dus_svapna-nasanah - The Remover of evil dreams. 

927. vIra-ha - He Who destroyed the powerful bonds that tied Gajendra  to death.

928. rakshanah - The Savior.

929. santah -  a) He Who makes those who have sought refuge in Him  prosper. b) He Who exists for His devotees. c) He Who bestows the desired benefits on His devotees. d) He Who manifests Himself in the form of holy men. e) He Who is present everywhere and permeates everything. f) He Who is worshipped. g) He Who expands the world in a controlled way.

930. jivanah - The Life-Giver.

931. paryavasthitah - He Who stands beside.

Sloka 100

Ananta-rupo_'nanta-srih 
Jita-manyur_bhayapahah
Catur-asro gabhiratma 
Vidiso vyadiso disah

932. ananta-rupah - a) He of infinite Forms. b) He of unending (never decaying) form. c) He of indescribable form - extending infinitely in all directions.

933. ananta-srih - a) He of infinite wealth, glory, power, etc. b) He of wealth, glory, power etc., that will never diminish.

934. jita-manyuh - He Who has conquered His anger. 

 935. bayapahah - He Who destroys the fear (of samsara) in the mind of the devotee. 

936. catur-asrah - a) One Who is skilled in all aspects. b) One Who is fair to everybody. c) One from whom wishes are asked for. d) One Who pervades in all four directions. e)One Who nourishes and feeds everything in all four directions f) One Who is worshipped by the knowledgeable people. 

937. gabhiratma - He of deep and profound nature. 

 938. vidisah - a) One Whose nature, forms, and qualities are spread out in all directions. b) One Who can be reached from all directions. c) He Who bestows all benefits on His devotees. d) He Who pervades everywhere, and is in everything, in all directions. e) He Who is the cause of happiness for the knowers (of Brahman) - based on vid - to know. f) He Who has revealed all sastras in elaborate detail.

939. vyadisah - a) He Who appoints the different gods in their respective positions. b) He Who bestows different benefits on devotees based on their karma-s. c) He Who gives directions to the different gods as appropriate. 

940. disah - He Who commands.

sikhara of Vithoba's shrine

A 1922 photograph of the Vithoba/Vitthal in Pandharpur adorned with jewellery and clothes.

Lord Panduranga and Rukmani 

Pundalika offers Lord Krishna  a brick to wait upon.

896	sanaat	The beginningless and endless factor
897	sanaatanatamah	The most ancient
898	kapilah	The great sage Kapila
899	kapih	One who drinks water
900	apyayah	The one in whom the universe merges
901	svastidah	Giver of Svasti
902	svastikrit	One who robs all auspiciousness
903	svasti	One who is the source of all auspiciouness
904	svastibhuk	One who constantly enjoys auspiciousness
905	svastidakshinah	Distributor of auspiciousness
906	araudrah	One who has no negative emotions or urges
907	kundalee	One who wears shark earrings
908	chakree	Holder of the chakra
909	vikramee	The most daring
910	oorjita-shaasanah	One who commands with His hand
911	shabdaatigah	One who transcends all words
912	shabdasahah	One who allows Himself to be invoked by Vedic declarations
913	shishirah	The cold season, winter
914	sharvaree-karah	Creator of darkness
915	akroorah	Never cruel
916	peshalah	One who is supremely soft
917	dakshah	Prompt
918	dakshinah	The most liberal
919	kshaminaam-varah	One who has the greatest amount of patience with sinners
920	vidvattamah	One who has the greatest wisdom
921	veetabhayah	One with no fear
922	punya-shravana-keertanah	The hearing of whose glory causes holiness to grow
923	uttaaranah	One who lifts us out of the ocean of change
924	dushkritihaa	Destroyer of bad actions
925	punyah	Supremely pure
926	duh-svapna-naashanah	One who destroys all bad dreams
927	veerahaa	One who ends the passage from womb to womb
928	rakshanah	Protector of the universe
929	santah	One who is expressed through saintly men
930	jeevanah	The life spark in all creatures
931	paryavasthitah	One who dwells everywhere
932	anantaroopah	One of infinite forms
933	anantashreeh	Full of infinite glories
934	jitamanyuh	One who has no anger
935	bhayapahah	One who destroys all fears
936	chaturashrah	One who deals squarely
937	gabheeraatmaa	Too deep to be fathomed
938	vidishah	One who is unique in His giving
939	vyaadishah	One who is unique in His commanding power
940	dishah	One who advises and gives knowledge

About the temple

Not even Varanasi, Gaya or Dwaraka can surpass the reverence (created by) Pandharpur.  This place is variedly described as the spiritual capital or pilgrimage centre of Maharashtra.  The traditional Varkari Pilgrimage, the padasparsha darshan as well as the hundreds of dindis(group procession) and palanquins that visit the temple on evey Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadasi have given great significance to the town.  This holy place has developed along the river Chandrabhaga in the Solapur District.

The temple complex is indeed very old and has been renovated many times.  There is evidence to show that a king from Prathisthana of the Shalivahana dynasty renovated Pandharpur in A.D. 83.  The deity is also known as Panduranga Vittal or Pandarinatha.

Once Lord Narayana, appeared before Pundarika, having been pleased byhis devoted sense of duty towards his parents, with a view to bless him.  But Pundarika who was engrossed in the service of his parents, who did not want to be disturbed even by the Almighty, placed a brick near by, on which the Lord stood and waited for His devotee to  turn his attention to Him.  In Marathi language, Vit means brick and Uba means to stand.  Hence the name Vitoba.  In the temple, he is seen standing on the brick pedestal with both his hands placed on his hips.  By his side stands his consort Rukmani devi in the picture alongside.  Gnana Dev, Namdev, Eknath and Thukaram are some of the prominent devotees who have composed inspired hymns on Vittoba.
There are minor temples like Rukmini temple.  The greatest devotee of Vithal, Pundalik as his Samadhi shikhara on the Mahadwar ghat.  There are other important structures such as the Trailokya Nam bhavan, and the Tanpure mandapa in Pandharpur.

The Varkari converge on Pandharpur, chanting and dancing all the way, and present an extremely rich and colourful picture.  The dance, music and the prayers appeal to all, and the rhythm is captivating.

The fasting days of Sukla Ekadasi(11th day after Moon day) in Ashada and Kritiga months, are important days.