193. Bhujagottamaḥ भुजगोत्तमः

Bhujaga means a serpent.  Viṣṇu always relaxes over the body the mythical serpent Ananta and this famous posture is known as anantasayana.  Kṛṣṇa has a great liking for this divine serpent Ananta (Bhagavad Gītā X.193). Ananta and Vāsuki refer to the same serpent. Ananta also means infinite and it can be said that Viṣṇu rests on infinitude, an exclusive quality of the Brahman.

194. Hiraṇyanābhaḥ हिरण्यनाभः

Hiraṇya means gold and nābhi means navel.  From His hiraṇyanābhi arose the lord of creation Brahmā. Anything associated with creation is cited as golden. Another example is hiraṇyagarbha, which also refers to Brahmā.  Brahmā is different from Brahman or Brahma. According Purāṇa-s Brahmā is the god in charge of creation. 

195. Sutapāḥ सुतपाः

Sutapa refers to the one who practices great austerities.  During His incarnation as Nara andNārāyaṇa, He performed severe austerities.

Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (I.i.9) says, “From the Brahman, who is all knowing and whose austerity is knowledge, originated all shapes and forms (referring to the entire creation).”  Since the Brahman is an embodiment of knowledge and by using that knowledge, He creates.  Without the highest level of knowledge, all the intricacies of creation could not have been taken care of. Examples are human nervous system, gravitational force of different planets, etc.

The highest level knowledge can be attained only by practicing severe austerities and as a result of which, mind disconnects from the materialistic world and gets connected to the spiritual world.  

196. Padmanābhaḥ पद्मनाभः

Repetitive nāma-s at 48 and 346.

Padma means lotus and this nāma says that Viṣṇu has lotus like navel, from which the lord of creation Brahmā originates.  This is the grosser meaning of this nāma.

Subtly, this nāma refers to maṇipūraka cakra or the navel cakra, which shines like gold (refer nāma 194) and after activating this cakra one has to cross Viṣṇugranthi, the knot of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is worshipped in maṇipūraka cakra. Because of this, He is Padmanābha.

There are lot similarities between Viṣṇu and lotus flower. His eyes and feet are also compared to lotus flower.

197. Prajāpatiḥ प्रजापतिः

Repetitive nāma at 69.

Some scriptures say that Prajāpati and Brahmā are the same, whereas some others say that they are different and that Prajāpati is lower in status than Brahmā.  Brahmā first created Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaka, Kratu, Vasiṣṭha, Dakṣa, Bhṛigu and Nārada known as Dakṣa Prajāpati-s.  

Since Viṣṇu is the creator of Brahmā, this nāma affirms that Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord of creation.

198. Amṛtyuḥ अमृत्युः

Mṛtyu means death and a-mṛtyu means without death.  An exclusive quality of the Brahman is eternity.

Kṛṣṇa says, “ayam na mṛtyate”, which means ‘this (the Self) do not die.”

Kaṭha Upaniṣad (I.ii.25) says, “death is a mere condiment of the Self.”

199. Sarvadṛk सर्वदृक्

He is capable of seeing all the happenings of the universe.  Brahman always remains as a witness. He is not the cause for one’s karmas.  Karmas are self made, through one’s thoughts and actions.

Puruṣasūktam says, “Puruṣa (the Self) has thousands of heads, eyes and feet” and He sees through those infinite eyes.  Infinite eye refers to the individual soul and is seated within.  

200. Siṁhaḥ सिंहः

Siṁha not only means the lion, but also refers to a powerful person.  It also means the Self or the Ātman.

This nāma also refers to His Narasiṁha avatar, the most ferocious of all His avatars. This nāma says that just like the lion being the king of all animals, Viṣṇu is the king of all beings.  Though there cannot be any comparison between Viṣṇu and a lion, such comparisons are common to enable the spiritual seeker to understand the supremacy of the Brahman.