The Vishnu Sahasranama, literally “the thousand names of Lord Vishnu,” is one of the most revered stotras (hymns) in Hindu tradition. Mentioned in the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata, it is revealed by the great warriorBhishma to Yudhishthira on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
As Bhishma lay on his bed of arrows, Yudhishthira sought a path to lasting peace, righteousness, and spiritual clarity. In response, Bhishma recited these thousand epithets, each reflecting a unique aspect of Vishnu as the preserver and sustainer of the universe.
One of the verses from the Sahasranama reads as:
“Śāntākāram Bhujagaśayanam
Padmanābham Sureśam;
Viśvādhāram Gaganāsadrśam
Megha-varṇam Śubhāṅgam.”
It means:The One who embodies peace, who rests on the serpent Adishesha; the lotus-navelled Lord of all devas; the support of the universe, boundless like the sky; the one clad in the color of sky, and infinitely auspicious.
The stotra is cherished not only for its poetic depth but for its philosophical richness. Each name conveys a virtue, cosmic principle, or divine quality. Chanting the stotra with sincerity is believed to bring inner calm, protection, and spiritual upliftment. For many devotees, it serves as a daily anchor, offering both solace and a reminder of the divine presence that guides and sustains all life.
