Chapter 6

Vishnu Sahasranama Dhyana Shlokas — Meaning & Word-by-Word

The six meditation verses recited before beginning the Vishnu Sahasranama — saluting Vishnu, Vyās, and invoking the grace of Viṣvaksena.

Shloka 0

ॐ कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने ।

प्रणत: क्लेशनाशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ॥

Word by word

कृष्णाय
One who attracts all
वासुदेवाय
Son of Vasudeva
हरये
Remover of suffering, sin and affliction
परमात्मने
Supreme Soul of the entire universe
प्रणतः क्लेशनाशाय
Destroyer of the afflictions of those who bow in prayer
गोविन्दाय
Salutations to Govinda
नमो नमः
Saluting repeatedly, many times over
O Śrī Kṛṣṇa! O son of Vasudeva! O Hari — Supreme Soul of the entire universe, destroyer of suffering! I bow to you, I seek your shelter.
Shloka 1

शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् ।

प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥ १॥

śuklāṃbaradharaṃ viṣṇuṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam,

prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyet sarvavighnopaśāṃtaye. (1)

He who is dressed in spotless white, all-pervading Viṣṇu, moon-like glow, four-armed, with a serene facial expression — on that God one should meditate for the pacification of every obstacle.
Shloka 2

यस्य द्विरदवक्त्राद्याः पारिषद्याः परः शतम् ।

विघ्नं निघ्नन्ति सततं विश्वक्सेनं तमाश्रये ॥ २॥

yasya dviradavaktrādyāḥ pāriṣadyāḥ paraḥ śatam,

vighnaṃ nighnanti satataṃ viśvaksenaṃ tamāśraye. (2)

I take refuge in Viṣvaksena, at whose command the elephant-faced leader and countless other attendants ceaselessly shatter every hindrance.
Shloka 3

व्यासं वसिष्ठनप्तारं शक्तेः पौत्रमकल्मषम् ।

पराशरात्मजं वन्दे शुकतातं तपोनिधिम् ॥ ३॥

vyāsaṃ vasiṣṭhanaptāraṃ śakteḥ pautramakalmaṣam,

parāśarātmajaṃ vande śukatātaṃ taponidhim. (3)

I bow to Vyās, great-grandson of Vasiṣṭha, grandson of Śakti, stainless son of Parāśara, father of Śuka and treasury of austere penance.
Shloka 4

व्यासाय विष्णुरूपाय व्यासरूपाय विष्णवे ।

नमो वै ब्रह्मनिधये वासिष्ठाय नमो नमः ॥ ४॥

vyāsāya viṣṇurūpāya vyāsarūpāya viṣṇave,

namo vai brahmanīdhaye vāsiṣṭhāya namo namaḥ. (4)

Salutations to Vyās who is a manifestation of Vishnu, and to Vishnu who has assumed the form of Vyās; again and again I bow to that descendant of Vasiṣṭha, store-house of the Veda.
Shloka 5

अविकाराय शुद्धाय नित्याय परमात्मने ।

सदैकरूपरूपाय विष्णवे सर्वजिष्णवे ॥ ५॥

avikārāya śuddhāya nityāya paramātmane,

sadaikrūparūpāya viṣṇave sarvajiṣṇave. (5)

Reverence to Vishnu — unchanging, immaculate, eternal, the Supreme Self, whose form is ever one and the same, victorious over all.
Shloka 6

यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण जन्मसंसारबन्धनात् ।

विमुच्यते नमस्तस्मै विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे ॥ ६॥

yasya smaraṇamātreṇa janmasaṃsārabaṃdhanāt,

vimuchyate namastasmai viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave. (6)

Salutations to that mighty Vishnu; by the mere act of remembering Him one is freed from the bondage of birth and worldly existence.

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