Naama 21-64: He who is present in all of creation

21. nārasiṃhavapuḥ · नारसिंहवपुः

The Lord who descended from Sri Vaikuntham to the pillar in Hiranyakashipu's palace as a man-lion to protect his devotee.

(oṃ) nārasiṃhavapuṣē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar captures several thoughts about the Narasimha incarnation in a single sentence. The Lord came to remove the obstacles to His devotee's devotion; He took the form He wished; His form was divine; He removed His devotee's fear; and He appeared the very moment the need arose, from the very pillar that Hiranyakashipu struck. This form also shows that the Lord's ways cannot be judged by our ordinary reasoning: He combined the best of the animals with the best of human beings.

22. śrīmān · श्रीमान्

This naama again references Narasimha Avataram, as is the previous naama. This naama refers to the beauty and uniqueness of Lord Narasimha, as there is no other Lord as beautiful in creation.

(oṃ) śrīmatē namaḥ

One would not expect the fierce form of the man-lion to be beautiful. But Sri Bhattar describes it as "soundarya lāvaṇyādibhiḥ atimanōhara divya rūpa", "a divine form of supreme charm, with beauty and loveliness." Sri Sankara explains the name as "the one on whose chest Sri (Lakshmi) always dwells" (yasya vakṣasi nityaṃ vasati śrīḥ). Because Lakshmi is always with Him, even the man-lion form loses none of its beauty.

23. kēśavaḥ · केशवः

The one who possesses beautiful curly locks of hair.

(oṃ) kēśavāya namaḥ

The name comes from the word kēśa, hair: "He whose locks of hair are beautiful" (praśastāḥ kēśāḥ santi asya). Sri Sankara also quotes the Vishnu Purana, where the name is explained as "the slayer of Kesi" (yasmāt tvayaiva duṣṭātmā hataḥ kēśī janārdana | tasmāt kēśava nāmnā tvaṃ lōkē jñēyō bhaviṣyasi ||). Since the name kēśihā occurs later in the stotram, Sri Bhattar chooses the meaning of beautiful hair here.

24. puruṣōttamaḥ · पुरुषोत्तमः

He who is beyond the three established categories of aathmas and serves as a repository for them.

(oṃ) puruṣōttamāya namaḥ

Lord Krishna explains this name in the Gita: "Because I transcend the perishable and am higher even than the imperishable, I am celebrated in the world and in the Veda as Purushottama" (yasmāt kṣaram atītō'ham akṣarādapi cōttamaḥ | atō'smi lōkē vēdē ca prathitaḥ puruṣōttamaḥ ||). The kṣara are the souls in bondage, and the akṣara are the released souls; the Lord is above both.

सर्वः शर्वः शिवः स्थाणुर्भूतादिर्निधिरव्ययः ।

संभवो भावनो भर्ता प्रभवः प्रभुरीश्वरः ॥ ४ ॥

sarvaḥ śarvaḥ śivaḥ sthāṇurbhūtādirnidhiravyayaḥ |

saṃbhavō bhāvanō bhartā prabhavaḥ prabhurīśvaraḥ || 4 ||

25. sarvaḥ · सर्वः

The one who is the cause of all the Chethana and Achethana tattvas and supervises them.

(oṃ) sarvāya namaḥ

It is said in the Mahabharata, "Because He is the origin and the end of all, the existent and the non-existent, and because He knows all at all times, He is called sarva" (asataśca sataścaiva sarvasya prabhavāpyayāt | sarvasya sarvadā jñānāt sarvamēnaṃ pracakṣatē ||). Just as all waves arise from the same ocean, all things arise from Him.

26. śarvaḥ · शर्वः

The remover of all evil objects.

(oṃ) śarvāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar's words are "sva śarīra bhūtānām aśubhamapi śṛṇāti iti śarvaḥ", "He destroys even the evils of the beings that form His body." The Nirukti says, "He is śarva because He destroys the sorrows of the world, which is His body." Sri Sankara explains that at the time of dissolution, He withdraws all beings into Himself.

27. śivaḥ · शिवः

The one who does good for all his devotees by conferring them with auspiciousness.

(oṃ) śivāya namaḥ

It is said in the Drona Parva of the Mahabharata, "Because He always fulfils all the wishes of people in all their actions, desiring their welfare, He is called śiva." The Narayana Upanishad describes the Lord as "the eternal, the auspicious, the one who never slips" (śāśvataṃ śivam acyutam), and "He is Brahma, He is Siva, He is Indra" (sa brahma sa śivaḥ sēndraḥ).

28. sthāṇuḥ · स्थाणुः

The one who constantly resides for His devotees and continuously blesses them with their desires.

(oṃ) sthāṇavē namaḥ

The word sthāṇu comes from sthā, "to stand firm". The blessings of the Lord are firm and lasting, far beyond what any lesser act can give. One commentator notes that a fully grown tree is also called sthāṇu, because no sun or rain can shake it; in the same way, the Lord is untouched by growth, decay, time, or place. The name occurs again as the 428th naama, in sthāvarasthāṇuḥ.

29. bhūtādiḥ · भूतादिः

The one who is eagerly sought after by all beings despite being present within them.

(oṃ) bhūtādayē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar's words are "bhūtaiḥ spṛhaṇīyatamatayā ādīyatē", "He is eagerly sought after by all beings, because He is the most desirable." Sri Sankara gives the meaning "the first cause of all beings" (bhūtānām ādikāraṇatvāt). Sri Bhattar may have chosen a different meaning here because the idea of the creator was already given in the 5th naama, bhūtakṛt.

30. nidhiravyayaḥ · निधिरव्ययः

The one who is an inexhaustible treasure, and as one experiences His presence, the treasure (the shared relationship between Lord and devotee) steadily increases.

(oṃ) nidhayē avyayāya namaḥ

The word nidhi means "that in which precious things are stored away" (nidhīyatē asmin). The Lord is like wealth kept in safe keeping, always available to His devotees in times of need. Sri Sankara explains that at the time of dissolution all things enter Him and lie stored in Him until the next creation.

31. saṃbhavaḥ · संभवः

The one who incarnates Himself in the time of need of His devotees.

(oṃ) saṃbhavāya namaḥ

Lord Krishna says in the Gita, "For the establishment of dharma, I am born in every age" (dharma saṃsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yugē yugē). It is also said, "I am born by My own will, free from the sorrows of the womb" (svēcchayā sambhavāmyēvaṃ garbha duḥkha vivarjitaḥ).

32. bhāvanaḥ · भावनः

The one who dispels any difficulties from the life of His devotees.

(oṃ) bhāvanāya namaḥ

The Nirukti summarises Sri Bhattar's explanation: "Having been born, He brings people back to life" (yō janitvā janān ujjīvayati saḥ bhāvanaḥ). Having manifested Himself (the previous naama), He revives His devotees by removing all their troubles.

33. bhartā · भर्ता

The one who nourishes His devotees.

(oṃ) bhartrē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains that the Lord nourishes His devotees by giving Himself to them (yasmāt puṣṇāti ātmadānāt). Sri Sankara explains that He sustains the universe as its foundation and its master.

34. prabhavaḥ · प्रभवः

The one whose birth is associated with significance and greatness.

(oṃ) prabhavāya namaḥ

The name is explained as "He whose birth is excellent" (asya bhavaḥ prakṛṣṭaḥ). His birth is free from every blemish, and it has the power to uproot the bondage of birth for all who understand it. Lord Krishna says in the Gita, "One who truly knows My divine birth and actions is not born again."

35. prabhuḥ · प्रभुः

The one who, despite being born in Bhulokam, has the power to show us what he is capable of in Sri Vaikuntham.

(oṃ) prabhavē namaḥ

The Nirukti summarises Sri Bhattar's explanation: "He is called prabhu because He is able to give Brahma and all others both enjoyment and liberation; He grants every desired fruit." Sri Sankara explains that He shows His supreme ability in all His actions.

36. īśvaraḥ · ईश्वरः

The one whose greatness and significance are showcased while taking different incarnations is far greater than the Para-Swaroopam.

(oṃ) īśvarāya namaḥ

The name can be explained in two ways: "He who has unlimited lordship" (nirupādhikam aiśvaryam asya), and "He who can do whatever He wills without any help" (īṣṭē iti īśvaraḥ).

स्वयंभूः शम्भुरादित्यः पुष्कराक्षो महास्वनः ।

अनादिनिधनो धाता विधाता धातुरुत्तमः ॥ ५ ॥

svayaṃbhūḥ śambhurādityaḥ puṣkarākṣō mahāsvanaḥ |

anādinidhanō dhātā vidhātā dhāturuttamaḥ || 5 ||

37. svayaṃbhūḥ · स्वयंभूः

The one who of His free will is ready to accept temporary bodies for the sake of His devotees.

(oṃ) svayaṃbhuvē namaḥ

The Lord is born of His own free will. One commentator gives the example of Krishna's birth to Devaki and Vasudeva. The Bhagavatam describes the newborn: "That wonderful child, lotus-eyed, with four arms, bearing the conch, mace, and other weapons, with the Srivatsa mark, the Kaustubha shining at His neck, clad in yellow silk, beautiful like a rain cloud" (tam adbhutaṃ bālakam ambujēkṣaṇaṃ caturbhujaṃ śaṅkha gadādyudāyudham). He caused no pain to His mother.

38. śambhuḥ · शम्भुः

The one whose attributes bring joy to the faces of those who look at Him.

(oṃ) śambhavē namaḥ

In the Ramayana, Sri Rama is described as "the one who steals the eyes and hearts of people with His beauty, generosity, and other qualities" (rūpa audārya guṇaiḥ puṃsāṃ dṛṣṭi citta apahāriṇam), and as "Rama, whose face is lovelier than the moon, and who is a delight to behold" (candrakāntānanaṃ rāmam atīva priyadarśanam).

39. ādityaḥ · आदित्यः

The one who sustains and nourishes the sun.

(oṃ) ādityāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains this as one more example of the Lord manifesting Himself at will. We are all familiar with the verse, "One should always meditate on Narayana, who resides in the middle of the orb of the sun" (dhyēyaḥ sadā savitṛ maṇḍala madhyavartī nārāyaṇaḥ). The Taittiriya Upanishad says, "He who is in the human heart, and He who is in the sun, are one" (sa yaścāyaṃ puruṣē yaścāsāvādityē sa ēkaḥ). Lord Krishna says in the Gita, "Among the Adityas, I am Vishnu" (ādityānām ahaṃ viṣṇuḥ).

40. puṣkarākṣaḥ · पुष्कराक्षः

The one with eyes like a freshly blossomed lotus.

(oṃ) puṣkarākṣāya namaḥ

The eyes reflect the mind. The beauty of the Lord's eyes speaks of the inner joy and peace that He beams out to all through them, lifting away the sorrows of His devotees. This naama occurs again as the 561st naama.

41. mahāsvanaḥ · महास्वनः

The one who owns all that produces a positive reverberation.

(oṃ) mahāsvanāya namaḥ

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, "The Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, the Atharva Veda, the Itihasas, and the Puranas are the breath of this great Being" (asya mahatō bhūtasya niḥśvasitam ētad yad ṛgvēdō yajurvēdaḥ sāmavēdaḥ). The great sound is the sound of the Vedas, which came forth from Him.

42. anādinidhanaḥ · अनादिनिधनः

The one who does not age.

(oṃ) anādinidhanāya namaḥ

His divine form is not made of earthly elements like flesh and bone. The Varaha Purana says, "His form is not material, made of flesh, fat, and bone" (na tasya prākṛtā mūrtiḥ māṃsa mēdō'sthi sambhavā). The Mahabharata says, "The body of the Supreme Self is not a combination of the elements" (na bhūta saṅgha saṃsthānō dēhō'sya paramātmanaḥ). That is why it has neither beginning nor end.

43. dhātā · धाता

The one who, as Aniruddha, protects all of creation.

(oṃ) dhātrē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains that the Lord, as Aniruddha, places the aggregate of souls (in the form of Brahma) into prakṛti, the aggregate of matter, and this is how creation begins. He quotes the Gita: "My womb is the great prakṛti; in it I place the seed, and from that, O Bharata, all beings are born" (mama yōnirmahadbrahma tasmin garbhaṃ dadhāmyaham | sambhavaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ tatō bhavati bhārata ||). This naama occurs again as the 951st naama.

44. vidhātā · विधाता

The one who delivers the world as a mother would deliver her child.

(oṃ) vidhātrē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains that the Lord not only placed the seed of Brahma (the previous naama) but also protected it until Brahma was born. He quotes the Svetasvatara Upanishad: "He who created Brahma first and gave him the Vedas, the Lord who illumines the intellect, I, seeking liberation, take refuge in Him" (yō brahmāṇaṃ vidadhāti pūrvaṃ yō vai vēdāṃśca prahiṇōti tasmai … mumukṣurvai śaraṇam ahaṃ prapadyē). This naama occurs again as the 485th naama.

45. dhāturuttamaḥ · धातुरुत्तमः

The Lord who, as Aniruddha, is responsible for creating the world but gives the credit of creation to Lord Brahma.

(oṃ) dhāturuttamāya namaḥ

Following the previous two names, He is far superior to Brahma, the creator (dhātṛ). Another meaning is based on the word dhātu, an element: He is the finest of all the elements, the ultimate constituent of everything.

अप्रमेयो हृषीकेशः पद्मनाभोऽमरप्रभुः ।

विश्वकर्मा मनुस्त्वष्टा स्थविष्ठः स्थविरो ध्रुवः ॥ ६ ॥

apramēyō hṛṣīkēśaḥ padmanābhō’maraprabhuḥ |

viśvakarmā manustvaṣṭā sthaviṣṭhaḥ sthavirō dhruvaḥ || 6 ||

46. apramēyaḥ · अप्रमेयः

The one who is beyond the logical understanding of our senses.

(oṃ) apramēyāya namaḥ

We usually come to know a thing through perception, inference, comparison, or the word of someone who has seen it. The Lord cannot be fully known through any of these. Our senses cannot reach Him; there is no mark from which He can be inferred, as fire is inferred from smoke; there is nothing to compare Him with; and no one has seen Him in His fullness to tell us. Sri Bhattar adds that He is beyond the senses even of Brahma and the other devas. This naama occurs again as the 249th naama, as apramēyātmā.

47. hṛṣīkēśaḥ · हृषीकेशः

The one who is the controller of all our senses.

(oṃ) hṛṣīkēśāya namaḥ

The name can be read in two ways. As hṛṣīka and īśa, it means "the Lord of the senses" (hṛṣīkāṇām īśaḥ). As hṛṣī and kēśa, it means "the one whose rays (kēśa) give happiness". Sri Sankara quotes the Moksha Dharma, where the Lord says that through the rays of the sun and the moon He wakes the world and puts it to sleep, bringing it joy, and so He is called hṛṣīkēśa. Sri Bhattar explains that He controls the senses even of Brahma and Rudra.

48. padmanābhaḥ · पद्मनाभः

The one from whose navel arises the lotus, that is the cause of creation (Lord Brahma).

(oṃ) padmanābhāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar points out that this name sums up all that was said about the Lord as the creator of Brahma in the previous names (dhātā, vidhātā, dhāturuttamaḥ). One commentator gives a simple illustration. Before birth, a child is connected to its mother through the navel cord and is nourished through it. In the same way, the universe in its unmanifest state is connected to the Lord through the lotus stalk from His navel, and He nourishes it. This naama occurs again as the 198th and 348th naamas.

49. amaraprabhuḥ · अमरप्रभुः

He who has created the different devatas and entrusted them with acts such as creation, destruction, etc., and directs them in their functions.

(oṃ) amaraprabhavē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar quotes the words of Brahma in the Uttara Kandam of the Ramayana: "You were lying on the waters of the great ocean, and You created me first. The whole duty of ruling over beings was entrusted to me by You" (mahārṇavē śayānō'psu māṃ tvaṃ pūrvam ajījanaḥ). He also quotes the Mahabharata: "These two foremost gods, Brahma and Rudra, born of His grace and His anger, follow the path He has shown, and carry out creation and destruction."

50. viśvakarmā · विश्वकर्मा

The one who is the cause of creation and also the one who is responsible for its sustenance.

(oṃ) viśvakarmaṇē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains that all the work concerning the affairs of the universe, before and after the creation of Brahma, is His alone. The Taittiriya Upanishad says, "He willed, 'May I become many; may I be born'" (sō'kāmayata bahu syāṃ prajāyēya iti).

51. manuḥ · मनुः

The one who can control all creation by just a simple thought in His mind.

(oṃ) manavē namaḥ

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, "There is no other thinker but Him" (nānyō'tō'sti mantā). Sri Bhattar explains that the whole universe came into being "by a mere fraction of His will" (saṅkalpa lava mātrāt). He has only to think of something for it to happen.

52. tvaṣṭā · त्वष्टा

The one who has assigned a particular name and feature to everything in creation and has separated them based on their unique identifying characteristics.

(oṃ) tvaṣṭrē namaḥ

The name comes from the root tvakṣ, "to chisel" or "to shape". Sri Bhattar explains that the Lord has chiselled out the countless forms and names of gods, men, birds, plants, and insects. He quotes the Taittiriya Aranyaka, "the wise one who shapes forms" (tvaṣṭāraṃ rūpāṇi vikurvantaṃ vipaścitam). Sri Sankara explains that at the time of dissolution, He shrinks all beings back into Himself.

53. sthaviṣṭhaḥ · स्थविष्ठः

The one whose existence is not limited to a gross or minute state.

(oṃ) sthaviṣṭhāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains that this vast form is the Lord's manifestation as the whole universe (brahmāṇḍa), with its fourteen worlds, which are the homes of all the beings He has created, together with their senses and the objects of their senses. Sri Ramanuja, in the Vaikuntha Gadyam, describes Sri Vaikuntham as lying far beyond these fourteen worlds and their many sheaths.

54. sthaviraḥ · स्थविरः

The one who partakes in creation and dissolution as a sport.

(oṃ) sthavirāya namaḥ

The name comes from the root sthā, "to stand". All of creation goes through cycles of creation and dissolution, and the Lord uses time for these, but He is never bound by it. Thus He is older than the oldest.

55. dhruvaḥ · ध्रुवः

The one who is unchanged even with the passage of time.

(oṃ) dhruvāya namaḥ

The previous naama said that the Lord is older than the oldest; this one says that He is unchanging, while time keeps moving. Sri Sankara reads the two words together as one name, sthavirō dhruvaḥ, and so from this point on, his numbering differs from Sri Bhattar's by one.

अग्राह्यः शाश्वतः कृष्णो लोहिताक्षः प्रतर्दनः ।

प्रभूत स्त्रिककुद्धाम पवित्रं मङ्गळं परम् ॥ ७ ॥

agrāhyaḥ śāśvataḥ kṛṣṇō lōhitākṣaḥ pratardanaḥ |

prabhūta strikakuddhāma pavitraṃ maṅgaḻaṃ param || 7 ||

56. agrāhyaḥ · अग्राह्यः

The one who is beyond the grasp and control of the karma-indriya (sense organs).

(oṃ) agrāhyāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar quotes the Sruti: "No one can grasp Him, from above, across, or in the middle" (nainam ūrdhvaṃ na tiryañcaṃ na madhyē parijagrabhat). Sri Sankara explains that He cannot be grasped by the organs of action, and quotes the Taittiriya Upanishad, "from whom words turn back, along with the mind, without reaching Him" (yatō vācō nivartantē aprāpya manasā saha).

57. śāśvataḥ · शाश्वतः

The one who is eternally present during creation, its sustenance, and its dissolution.

(oṃ) śāśvatāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar points out that His eternity is evident from the endless flow of creation, sustenance, and dissolution. For something to be permanent, it must be unchanged by time. The Lord is the controller of time and is not controlled by it, and so He is eternal.

58. kṛṣṇaḥ · कृष्णः

The one who is always in an eternal state of bliss.

(oṃ) kṛṣṇāya namaḥ

It is said in the Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata, "The word kṛṣi means the earth (or the ground), and ṇa means bliss. Because Vishnu is the union of the two, He is eternally called Krishna" (kṛṣirbhūvācakaḥ śabdō ṇaśca nirvṛti vācakaḥ | viṣṇustadbhāvayōgācca kṛṣṇō bhavati śāśvataḥ ||). Sri Bhattar takes bhū as the ground or receptacle, so Krishna means "the abode of supreme bliss". The meaning "the dark-hued one" is given by Sri Bhattar for the 554th naama.

59. lōhitākṣaḥ · लोहिताक्षः

The one whose eyes are crimson red with rage when faced with an evil-doer.

(oṃ) lōhitākṣāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar attributes the redness of the Lord's eyes to His supreme joy. We may recall the mantra from the sandhyavandanam, "May that red-eyed one, the sun, the wise, purify me with the mind" (sa mā vṛṣabhō lōhitākṣaḥ sūryō vipaścinmanasā punātu). Another explanation is that His eyes turn red with anger towards the wicked, for whose destruction He incarnates (vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām).

60. pratardanaḥ · प्रतर्दनः

The one who brings about pralayam, and it is He in which all creation dissolves.

(oṃ) pratardanāya namaḥ

The name comes from the root tard, "to destroy". Sri Bhattar quotes the Kathopanishad: "He for whom the brahmins and the kshatriyas are both food" (yasya brahma ca kṣatraṃ ca ubhē bhavata ōdanaḥ), meaning that at the time of dissolution, all beings enter into Him.

61. prabhūtaḥ · प्रभूतः

He resides in Paramapadam and ensures eternal bliss and happiness to all its occupants.

(oṃ) prabhūtāya namaḥ

Even at the time of dissolution, when He has withdrawn everything into Himself, His wealth remains full, for He has Paramapadam, which is full of bliss, and His six qualities of knowledge, strength, lordship, valour, power, and splendour are undiminished. Even after reducing everything at dissolution, the Vamana can become the Trivikrama.

62. trikakuddhāma · त्रिककुद्धाम

The one who is able to control all abodes.

(oṃ) trikakuddhāmnē namaḥ

The name has three parts: tri (three), kakud (a peak, or a direction), and dhāmā (abode, or splendour). Sri Bhattar explains it as "the one whose abode, Paramapadam, is three times as large as this universe". He also gives an alternative meaning: the Lord as Varaha with three horns, mentioned in the Mahabharata.

63. pavitram · पवित्रम्

The one who is the personification of purity.

(oṃ) pavitrāya namaḥ

Up to this point, the Lord's qualities, possessions, and form have been described step by step. Now the stotram turns to His essential nature. The name comes from pū, "to purify". He is both the deity who purifies and the means of purification. The purity here is the inner purity of the mind, which He gives to those who meditate on Him.

64. maṅgaḻaṃ param · मङ्गळं परम्

The one who is the embodiment of all auspiciousness and has no blemish.

(oṃ) maṅgaḻāya parasmai namaḥ

Sri Sankara quotes the Vishnu Purana: "That Brahman is known as auspiciousness, which wards off all evils and brings a stream of blessings to people by being merely remembered" (aśubhāni nirācaṣṭē tanōti śubhasantatim | smṛtimātrēṇa yatpuṃsāṃ brahma tanmaṅgalaṃ viduḥ ||). We may also recall Bhishma's words in the prologue, "the purifier of all purifiers and the auspiciousness of all that is auspicious" (pavitrāṇāṃ pavitraṃ yō maṅgalānāṃ ca maṅgalam). Those two qualities now appear one after the other as names 63 and 64.