विष्णु सहस्रनाम
Viṣṇu Sahasranāma
Deity
vishnu
Verses
15
Recitation
~35 min
Best Day
Saturday
The Vishnu Sahasranama is the litany of 1000 names of Lord Vishnu, spoken by the dying patriarch Bhishma to Yudhishthira on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It appears in the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata (chapter 149).
When Yudhishthira asks Bhishma — what is the highest of dharmas, the surest path to liberation, the easiest worship — Bhishma replies that meditation on the 1000 names of Vishnu, the Lord of all worlds, is the supreme path. The text is famously commented on by Adi Shankaracharya, establishing its place as one of the most studied and recited Sanskrit hymns.
Tradition holds that recitation removes fear, sorrow, and disease, grants peace of mind, and leads to moksha. It is recited daily by millions, especially on Ekadashi, Vaikunta Ekadashi (Margazhi Shukla Ekadashi), and Saturdays.
NOTE — Foundational edition: this page presently includes the universally-verified opening dhyana, representative cantos of names, and the phala-shruti. The complete 108 slokas of all 1000 names are being added in incremental expansions, each cross-validated against Gita Press and the Shankara commentary before publication.
Shloka 1
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् । प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
śuklāmbara-dharaṃ viṣṇuṃ śaśi-varṇaṃ caturbhujam prasanna-vadanaṃ dhyāyet sarva-vighnopaśāntaye
English meaning
I meditate on Vishnu — clad in white, of moon-like complexion, four-armed, with a serene countenance — for the cessation of all obstacles.
Shloka 2
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
यस्य द्विरदवक्त्राद्याः पारिषद्याः परः शतम् । विघ्नं निघ्नन्ति सततं विष्वक्सेनं तमाश्रये ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yasya dvirada-vaktrādyāḥ pāriṣadyāḥ paraḥ śatam vighnaṃ nighnanti satataṃ viṣvaksenaṃ tam-āśraye
English meaning
I take refuge in Vishvaksena — Lord of the Vishnu-attendants — whose retinue, headed by the elephant-faced Ganesha and exceeding a hundred, ever destroys obstacles.
Shloka 3
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
व्यासं वसिष्ठनप्तारं शक्तेः पौत्रमकल्मषम् । पराशरात्मजं वन्दे शुकतातं तपोनिधिम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vyāsaṃ vasiṣṭha-naptāraṃ śakteḥ pautram-akalmaṣam parāśarātmajaṃ vande śuka-tātaṃ tapo-nidhim
English meaning
I bow to Vyasa — great-grandson of Vasishtha, grandson of Shakti, son of Parashara, father of Shuka — pure, the treasury of austerity.
Shloka 4
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
व्यासाय विष्णुरूपाय व्यासरूपाय विष्णवे । नमो वै ब्रह्मनिधये वासिष्ठाय नमो नमः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vyāsāya viṣṇu-rūpāya vyāsa-rūpāya viṣṇave namo vai brahma-nidhaye vāsiṣṭhāya namo namaḥ
English meaning
Salutations to Vyasa, who is of the form of Vishnu — and to Vishnu, who is of the form of Vyasa. Salutations again and again to Vasishtha, the treasury of Brahman.
Shloka 5
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
अविकाराय शुद्धाय नित्याय परमात्मने । सदैकरूपरूपाय विष्णवे सर्वजिष्णवे ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
a-vikārāya śuddhāya nityāya paramātmane sadaika-rūpa-rūpāya viṣṇave sarva-jiṣṇave
English meaning
To the changeless, the pure, the eternal, the Supreme Self — who is forever of one form and yet of every form — to Vishnu, the all-victorious, salutations.
Shloka 6
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण जन्मसंसारबन्धनात् । विमुच्यते नमस्तस्मै विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yasya smaraṇa-mātreṇa janma-saṃsāra-bandhanāt vimucyate namas-tasmai viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave
English meaning
By the mere remembrance of whom one is freed from the bondage of birth and worldly existence — salutations to that all-powerful Vishnu.
Mantra 7
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
ॐ नमो विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे ।
Transliteration (IAST)
oṃ namo viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave
English meaning
Om — salutations to Vishnu, the all-powerful.
Shloka 8
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् । लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
śāntākāraṃ bhujaga-śayanaṃ padma-nābhaṃ sureśaṃ viśvādhāraṃ gagana-sadṛśaṃ megha-varṇaṃ śubhāṅgam lakṣmī-kāntaṃ kamala-nayanaṃ yogibhir-dhyāna-gamyaṃ vande viṣṇuṃ bhava-bhaya-haraṃ sarva-lokaika-nāthaṃ
English meaning
I bow to Vishnu — of serene form, reclining on the cosmic serpent, the lotus-naveled, lord of the gods, the foundation of the universe, sky-vast, of cloud-dark complexion, of auspicious limbs, beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, attainable to yogis through meditation — destroyer of the fear of worldly existence, the sole lord of all worlds.
Shloka 1
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
विश्वं विष्णुर्वषट्कारो भूतभव्यभवत्प्रभुः । भूतकृद्भूतभृद्भावो भूतात्मा भूतभावनः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
viśvaṃ viṣṇur vaṣaṭkāro bhūta-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuḥ bhūta-kṛd bhūta-bhṛd bhāvo bhūtātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
English meaning
Vishvam (the universe), Vishnu (the all-pervading), Vashatkara (the sacred utterance), Bhuta-bhavya-bhavat-prabhu (Lord of past, present, and future), Bhuta-krit (creator of beings), Bhuta-bhrit (sustainer of beings), Bhava (existence itself), Bhutatma (Self of all beings), Bhuta-bhavana (the source of all beings).
Shloka 2
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
पूतात्मा परमात्मा च मुक्तानां परमा गतिः । अव्ययः पुरुषः साक्षी क्षेत्रज्ञोऽक्षर एव च ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
pūtātmā paramātmā ca muktānāṃ paramā gatiḥ avyayaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣī kṣetra-jño'kṣara eva ca
English meaning
Pootatma (the pure Self), Paramatma (the Supreme Self), Muktanam Parama Gatih (the highest goal of the liberated), Avyaya (imperishable), Purusha (the supreme Person), Sakshi (the witness), Kshetrajna (knower of the field), and Akshara (the indestructible).
Shloka 3
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
योगो योगविदां नेता प्रधानपुरुषेश्वरः । नारसिंहवपुः श्रीमान् केशवः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yogo yoga-vidāṃ netā pradhāna-puruṣeśvaraḥ nāra-siṃha-vapuḥ śrīmān keśavaḥ puruṣottamaḥ
English meaning
Yoga (the means of union), Yoga-vidam Neta (leader of those who know yoga), Pradhana-purusheshvara (Lord of Prakriti and Purusha), Narasimha-vapuh (of the Narasimha form), Shriman (auspicious one), Keshava, Purushottama (the supreme Person).
Shloka
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
य इदं श्रृणुयान्नित्यं यश्चापि परिकीर्तयेत् । नाशुभं प्राप्नुयात्किञ्चित्सोऽमुत्रेह च मानवः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ya idaṃ śṛṇuyān-nityaṃ yaścāpi parikīrtayet nāśubhaṃ prāpnuyāt-kiñcit-so'mutreha ca mānavaḥ
English meaning
He who hears this daily, and he who recites it, attains nothing inauspicious — neither here nor in the hereafter.
Shloka
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
वेदान्तगो ब्राह्मणः स्यात्क्षत्रियो विजयी भवेत् । वैश्यो धनसमृद्धः स्याच्छूद्रः सुखमवाप्नुयात् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vedānta-go brāhmaṇaḥ syāt-kṣatriyo vijayī bhavet vaiśyo dhana-samṛddhaḥ syāc-chūdraḥ sukham-avāpnuyāt
English meaning
A Brahmana attains the Vedanta; a Kshatriya becomes victorious; a Vaishya prospers in wealth; a Shudra obtains happiness.
Shloka
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
धर्मार्थी प्राप्नुयाद्धर्ममर्थार्थी चार्थमाप्नुयात् । कामानवाप्नुयात्कामी प्रजार्थी प्राप्नुयात्प्रजाम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dharmārthī prāpnuyād-dharmam-arthārthī cārtham-āpnuyāt kāmān-avāpnuyāt-kāmī prajārthī prāpnuyāt-prajām
English meaning
One desiring dharma attains dharma; one desiring wealth attains wealth; one desiring fulfilment of desires obtains them; one desiring offspring attains offspring.
Shloka
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
भक्तिमान् यः सदोत्थाय शुचिस्तद्गतमानसः । सहस्रं वासुदेवस्य नाम्नामेतत्प्रकीर्तयेत् । यशः प्राप्नोति विपुलं ज्ञातिप्राधान्यमेव च ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhaktimān yaḥ sadotthāya śucis-tad-gata-mānasaḥ sahasraṃ vāsudevasya nāmnām-etat-prakīrtayet yaśaḥ prāpnoti vipulaṃ jñāti-prādhānyam-eva ca
English meaning
The devotee who, rising daily, pure of body and mind, with mind absorbed in him, recites this thousand-names of Vasudeva, attains vast fame and pre-eminence among his kindred.
Sources verified against
When should I recite Vishnu Sahasranama?
Best days: Saturday, Ekadashi. Best time: morning.
What language is this stotra in?
The original is in Sanskrit (or Awadhi for the Hanuman Chalisa). We provide it in Devanagari script, IAST transliteration for pronunciation, and English meaning for understanding.
How accurate is the text?
Each stotra is cross-validated against multiple published authoritative sources, listed on this page under "Sources verified against". If you spot any discrepancy from your tradition, please let us know.
How long does it take to recite?
Approximately 35 minutes at a steady, devotional pace.
