VISHNU SAHASRANAMA 298 -304

298. Kāmapradaḥ कामप्रदः

Kāma means desire and prada means bestowing. He fulfills the desires of His devotees. His devotees will not never seek material prosperity.  Their desire is to reach His paramapada, His lotus feet.  Paramapada means the highest place, the lotus feet of Viṣṇu.

Rig Veda (I.22.20) says, “tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paṣyanti sūrayaḥ तद् विष्णोः परमं पदं सदा पश्यन्ति सूरयः” This verse explains the status of true devotees “The wise and true seekers realise Viṣṇu within their own self. They see Him vividly as their eye ranges over the sky.”

299. Prabhuḥ प्रभुः

He is the Master of the universe.  The world Master is used here to elucidate His three acts, creation, sustenance and dissolution.  Dissolution means death of a gross body.  After death, the subtle body has two options before it.  One is to transmigrate and the other one is to get absolved unto Him, not to be born again.  This is called liberation, desired by His devotees as discussed in the previous nāma.

300. Yugādikṛt युगादिकृत्

Yuga means aeons. Four yuga-s make one catur (चतुर् - four) yuga comprising of 4,320,000 years. This nāma subtly conveys the other two acts of the Brahman – tirodhāna and anugraha. Tirodhāna means annihilation and anugraha means recreation.  Brahman annihilates the universe at the end of every yuga and recreates the universe again out of compassion. 

It can also be said that He is beyond time, as He is eternal. The difference between the Divine and others is the time factor. Except Brahman everybody is bound by time such as birth, growth, death and rebirth and the cycle continues.  Ignorant beings are bound by time and space because of ego. The only option available to us to avoid transmigration is surrender. When one consciously surrenders to God, his ego is automatically gets dissolved.

301.  Yugāvartaḥ युगावर्तः

Āvarta means turning around.  He is the cause for time factor.  The previous nāma-s are based on this fact.  Brahman is the cause for everything and the effect is the universe. When the entire effect is withdrawn by the Brahman, it is annihilation.  Annihilation is followed by re-creation.  Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, yuga-s are different components of time.  Though He is the cause for time, He is beyond time as Brahman is beyond any changes. Time factor applies to those who transmigrate.

302. Naikamāyaḥ नैकमायः

It is naika + māya.  Naika means numerous and māya means creating illusion.  Māyā is the act of Brahman Himself. Brahman is full of inexplicable and inexhaustible energy. Inexplicable because, Brahman just cannot be explained, as He is way beyond normal human consciousness. He is inexhaustible because irrespective of drawing His energy for creation, sustenance and dissolution of the universe, potency of His energy always remains the same. The significant part of his energy is known as His illusionary aspect, which is often referred as māyā.  Through this illusionary power, he throws a veil around Him, so that, His true nature is hidden.  What is not seen is His Reality and what is seen through His illusionary aspect is the worldly existence. His power of māyā is His very own undifferentiated power.

Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (IV.10) explains māyā. It says, “māyāṁ tu prakṛtiṁ vidyānmāyinaṁ ca maheśvaram मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान्मायिनं च महेश्वरम्” The meaning is ‘know prakṛti to be māyā and know Maheśvara (Brahman) to be the Lord māyā.’

303. Mahāśanaḥ महाशनः

This nāma refers to cosmic deluge.  At the time of annihilation, the entire universe is swallowed by the Brahman. Literally this nāma means voracious eater. He eats the entire universe at the time of cosmic deluge, His very own act.

Brahma Sūtra (I.ii.9) says, “The eater (Brahman) on account of the appropriation of all that moves does not move”.

304. Adṛśyaḥ अदृश्यः

He is invisible because He is imperceptible. He cannot be seen through biological eyes. He can be realized as pure consciousness. Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (III.iv.2) says, “You cannot see that is the witness of vision.”  Vision is an act involving objects.  But it does reveal the inner Self that pervades it.  He can still be realized only through meditation.  He is in the form of Supreme knowledge that is beyond comprehension.  One needs to have knowledge to realize Him.