The thousand names · page 8 of 12
Ślokas 64 to 72
Names 606 to 686
अनिवर्तीanivartīमहाहविःmahāhaviḥ
अनिवर्ती निवृत्तात्मा सङ्क्षेप्ता क्षेमकृच्छिवः।anivartī nivṛttātmā saṅkṣēptā kṣēmakṛcchivaḥ|
श्रीवत्सवक्षाः श्रीवासः श्रीपतिः श्रीमतां वरः॥ ६४ ॥śrīvatsavakṣāḥ śrīvāsaḥ śrīpatiḥ śrīmatāṃ varaḥ|| 64 ||
606अनिवर्तीanivartī
He who never turns back
He never withdraws from what He has undertaken or from the one who has come to Him; and those who reach Him are not turned back to rebirth.
ओं अनिवर्तिने नमःōṃ anivartinē namaḥ
607निवृत्तात्माnivṛttātmā
He whose self lacks nothing
Nivṛtta is what has ceased or been fulfilled: no want or fault remains in Him, and whatever He does for us is done out of love and never out of need.
ओं निवृत्तात्मने नमःōṃ nivṛttātmanē namaḥ
608सङ्क्षेप्ताsaṅkṣēptā
He who draws in the worlds
From sam and kṣip: at the end of a cycle He gathers the spread-out worlds back into their fine, unmanifest state within Himself.
ओं सङ्क्षेप्त्रे नमःōṃ saṅkṣēptrē namaḥ
609क्षेमकृत्kṣēmakṛt
Maker of safety and well-being
Kṣēma is the keeping safe of what is held: He guards what His own have, and brings what they lack.
ओं क्षेमकृते नमःōṃ kṣēmakṛtē namaḥ
610शिवःśivaḥ
the Kind and Auspicious
Śiva means auspicious, and also spotless: no fault has ever marked Him, and the kindness He shows to every being is clean through and through, with nothing hidden in it that could harm.
ओं शिवाय नमःōṃ śivāya namaḥ
Points to Śiva
611श्रीवत्सवक्षाःśrīvatsavakṣāḥ
He whose chest bears the Śrīvatsa
On His broad chest is the curl of hair called Śrīvatsa, the mark where Śrī Herself dwells, never to leave.
ओं श्रीवत्सवक्षसे नमःōṃ śrīvatsavakṣasē namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī, Śrīvatsa, the mark on the chest
612श्रीवासःśrīvāsaḥ
He in whom Śrī dwells
Śrī makes Her home in Him and is never apart from Him; where He is, there She is, and all beauty and good fortune with Her.
ओं श्रीवासाय नमःōṃ śrīvāsāya namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
613श्रीपतिःśrīpatiḥ
the Lord and Husband of Śrī
Śrī is the Mother of all the worlds and He is Her Lord; the two are one refuge for the devout, who approach Them together.
ओं श्रीपतये नमःōṃ śrīpatayē namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
614श्रीमतां वरःśrīmatāṃ varaḥ
Foremost among the glorious
Of all who possess Śrī, fortune and splendour, He is the best and the highest; whatever shines in others is His, and He is the one whom the fortunate choose for themselves.
ओं श्रीमतां वराय नमःōṃ śrīmatāṃ varāya namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
He never turns back and lacks nothing in Himself; He draws the worlds in at their end and makes safe all that is His. He is the Kind and Auspicious One. On His chest is the Śrīvatsa, where Śrī dwells; She lives in Him, He is Her Lord, and He is the foremost of all who are fortunate.
Bhāvam
The first five names show a Lord who is complete in Himself and unswerving, who draws the worlds in and keeps His own safe, and whose will is kind. The last four turn to Śrī, who dwells on His chest: the Lord of such completeness is never found without Her.
In this verseŚrī LakṣmīŚrīvatsa, the mark on the chestŚiva
श्रीदः श्रीशः श्रीनिवासः श्रीनिधिः श्रीविभावनः।śrīdaḥ śrīśaḥ śrīnivāsaḥ śrīnidhiḥ śrīvibhāvanaḥ|
श्रीधरः श्रीकरः श्रेयः श्रीमान् लोकत्रयाश्रयः॥ ६५ ॥śrīdharaḥ śrīkaraḥ śrēyaḥ śrīmān lōkatrayāśrayaḥ|| 65 ||
615श्रीदःśrīdaḥ
Giver of Śrī
He bestows Śrī, the prosperity and splendour of life, on those who serve Him.
ओं श्रीदाय नमःōṃ śrīdāya namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
616श्रीशःśrīśaḥ
the Master of Śrī
Īśa is ruler: all fortune and splendour are under His rule and are His to give; and Śrī Herself is His, as He is Hers.
ओं श्रीशाय नमःōṃ śrīśāya namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
617श्रीनिवासःśrīnivāsaḥ
the Home of Śrī
Nivāsa is a dwelling: Śrī has Her home in Him, and He in turn makes His dwelling in the hearts of the good and gracious.
ओं श्रीनिवासाय नमःōṃ śrīnivāsāya namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
618श्रीनिधिःśrīnidhiḥ
the Treasure-house of Śrī
Nidhi is a treasure: every kind of wealth and beauty is stored in Him, and no store is fuller or safer.
ओं श्रीनिधये नमःōṃ śrīnidhayē namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
619श्रीविभावनःśrīvibhāvanaḥ
Bestower of Śrī in due measure
From vi and bhū: He brings forth and apportions fortune to each being, in the measure of its deeds, and makes the splendour of Śrī shine out in the world.
ओं श्रीविभावनाय नमःōṃ śrīvibhāvanāya namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
620श्रीधरःśrīdharaḥ
Bearer of Śrī
He holds Śrī on His chest and bears Her always with Him; all the good fortune that is in the worlds rests on Him.
ओं श्रीधराय नमःōṃ śrīdharāya namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
621श्रीकरःśrīkaraḥ
Maker of good fortune
He makes good fortune come to be: the one who serves Him finds his good growing by His doing.
ओं श्रीकराय नमःōṃ śrīkarāya namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
622श्रेयः श्रीमान्śrēyaḥ śrīmān
the Highest Good, full of Śrī
Śrēyas is the best that can be gained, the good beyond all goods, and that good is He. He is Śrīmān, the Lord to whom Śrī belongs and in whom She shines, never apart from Him.
ओं श्रेयः श्रीमते नमःōṃ śrēyaḥ śrīmatē namaḥ
Points to Śrī Lakṣmī
623लोकत्रयाश्रयःlōkatrayāśrayaḥ
Refuge of the three worlds
Earth, the space between and heaven rest on Him, and all that dwell in them take shelter in Him.
ओं लोकत्रयाश्रयाय नमःōṃ lōkatrayāśrayāya namaḥ
He gives Śrī, and He is the Lord of Śrī; She has Her home in Him, and He is the treasure-house of all that is fortunate. He apportions Her gifts to all beings and bears Her always with Him; He makes good fortune come to be. He is the highest good, the Lord to whom Śrī belongs, and the refuge of all three worlds.
Bhāvam
Eight of the nine names carry Śrī: He gives Her gifts, rules them, treasures them, shares them out, bears Her and is Her home, and it is not possible to speak of Him here without Her. The last name opens the circle wide: the Lord who is joined to Śrī is the refuge of all three worlds.
In this verseŚrī Lakṣmī
स्वक्षः स्वङ्गः शतानन्दो नन्दिर्ज्योतिर्गणेश्वरः।svakṣaḥ svaṅgaḥ śatānandō nandirjyōtirgaṇēśvaraḥ|
विजितात्मा विधेयात्मा सत्कीर्तिश्छिन्नसंशयः॥ ६६ ॥vijitātmā vidhēyātmā satkīrtiśchinnasaṃśayaḥ|| 66 ||
624स्वक्षःsvakṣaḥ
He of beautiful eyes
Su is fair and akṣa an eye: His eyes are lovely, and their sight is perfect and sure, taking in all things at once.
ओं स्वक्षाय नमःōṃ svakṣāya namaḥ
625स्वङ्गःsvaṅgaḥ
He of perfect limbs
Every limb of His form is well made and perfectly proportioned; no part is lacking or weak, and the whole is strength and grace together.
ओं स्वङ्गाय नमःōṃ svaṅgāya namaḥ
626शतानन्दःśatānandaḥ
He of a hundredfold bliss
The Upaniṣad counts bliss in steps of a hundredfold, each step a hundred times the last, and the end of the count is His: His bliss has no measure.
ओं शतानन्दाय नमःōṃ śatānandāya namaḥ
627नन्दिःnandiḥ
Delight itself
He is joy as such, and the giver of it: wherever any being is glad, it is of His making.
ओं नन्दये नमःōṃ nandayē namaḥ
628ज्योतिर्गणेश्वरःjyōtirgaṇēśvaraḥ
Lord of the hosts of lights
Sun, moon, planets and stars, all the lights that shine in the heavens, move in their courses by His rule.
ओं ज्योतिर्गणेश्वराय नमःōṃ jyōtirgaṇēśvarāya namaḥ
629विजितात्माvijitātmā
He who has mastered Himself
Mind and senses are wholly His to command; no passion, fear or weakness can stir Him.
ओं विजितात्मने नमःōṃ vijitātmanē namaḥ
630विधेयात्माvidhēyātmā
Obedient to the love of His own
Though none can command Him, He yields willingly to the love of His devotees: He drove Arjuna's chariot and went as messenger for the Pāṇḍavas. The souls of all beings also stand under His rule, for they are His own.
ओं विधेयात्मने नमःōṃ vidhēyātmanē namaḥ
631सत्कीर्तिःsatkīrtiḥ
He of true and spotless renown
His fame is real: it rests on what He actually is and does, it never fades, and those who sing it are made clean.
ओं सत्कीर्तये नमःōṃ satkīrtayē namaḥ
632छिन्नसंशयःchinnasaṃśayaḥ
He who cuts away all doubts
Nothing is unclear to Him, for He knows all as it is, and to the seeker who comes to Him He cuts the doubt away at the root.
ओं छिन्नसंशयाय नमःōṃ chinnasaṃśayāya namaḥ
He is the One of lovely eyes and perfect limbs, of bliss a hundredfold, delight itself, and the Lord of the hosts of lights. He is master of Himself, yet yields to the love of His own; His renown is true, and no doubt remains in Him, and He cuts away the doubts of others.
Bhāvam
The first five names are of beauty and delight, from eyes and limbs to bliss and the lights of heaven; the last four turn to character, a Lord who has mastered Himself and yet bends to love, whose fame is true and whose knowledge is clear. It is the mastery that gives the bending its meaning: only One who commands Himself can yield out of love.
उदीर्णः सर्वतश्चक्षु रनीशः शाश्वतस्थिरः।udīrṇaḥ sarvataścakṣu ranīśaḥ śāśvatasthiraḥ|
भूशयो भूषणो भूतिरशोकः शोकनाशनः॥ ६७ ॥bhūśayō bhūṣaṇō bhūtiraśōkaḥ śōkanāśanaḥ|| 67 ||
633उदीर्णःudīrṇaḥ
the Exalted, risen above all
From ud and īr, to rise up: He is raised above all that is, and no one stands higher in glory, in power or in goodness.
ओं उदीर्णाय नमःōṃ udīrṇāya namaḥ
634सर्वतश्चक्षुःsarvataścakṣuḥ
He who has eyes everywhere
Nothing is hidden from Him: He sees on every side at once, and no creature, no thought and no sorrow is out of His sight.
ओं सर्वतश्चक्षुसे नमःōṃ sarvataścakṣusē namaḥ
636शाश्वतस्थिरःśāśvatasthiraḥ
ever-lasting and unshaken
He is eternal and He is steady: all else changes and passes while He remains the same, and those who rest on Him are not shaken either.
ओं शाश्वतस्स्थिराय नमःōṃ śāśvatassthirāya namaḥ
637भूशयःbhūśayaḥ
He who lay on the earth
The name recalls Rāma lying on the sacred grass at the seashore, seeking a way over the water to Laṅkā to bring home Sītā, who is Śrī Herself: the Lord of all lay upon the bare ground for love of Her.
ओं भूशयाय नमःōṃ bhūśayāya namaḥ
638भूषणःbhūṣaṇaḥ
the Adorner, the Ornament
He is the jewel of the world and adorns all that He touches; He is the fairest ornament of those who hold Him in the heart.
ओं भूषणाय नमःōṃ bhūṣaṇāya namaḥ
639भूतिःbhūtiḥ
Glory and prosperity itself
All majesty and every kind of wealth are His, and whatever fortune comes to any being comes from Him; Śrī, the Lady of Fortune, is never apart from Him.
ओं भूतये नमःōṃ bhūtayē namaḥ
640अशोकःaśōkaḥ
He who has no sorrow
Grief comes from loss and from want, and nothing can be lost to Him or be wanting in Him; His joy is whole and never clouded.
ओं अशोकाय नमःōṃ aśōkāya namaḥ
641शोकनाशनःśōkanāśanaḥ
Destroyer of sorrow
Free of grief Himself, He takes away the grief of all who come to Him, as the rising sun drives away the dark.
ओं शोकनाशनाय नमःōṃ śōkanāśanāya namaḥ
He is the Exalted One, risen above all, with eyes on every side, and no one is lord over Him; He is eternal and steady. He is the One who lay on the bare earth, the Adorner of the world and its Glory itself. He has no sorrow, and for that very reason He is the destroyer of the sorrow of all who come to Him.
Bhāvam
The śloka opens with His height and His sight and ends with sorrow: the One who has none takes it away from those who do. Between them stands the name that recalls Rāma on the bare ground, for the One who is above all is not far from the earth.
अर्चिष्मानर्चितः कुम्भो विशुद्धात्मा विशोधनः।arciṣmānarcitaḥ kumbhō viśuddhātmā viśōdhanaḥ|
अनिरुद्धोऽप्रतिरथः प्रद्युम्नोऽमितविक्रमः॥ ६८ ॥aniruddhō’pratirathaḥ pradyumnō’mitavikramaḥ|| 68 ||
642अर्चिष्मान्arciṣmān
the Radiant One
Arcis is a ray of light or a flame: He is full of rays, and the sun, the moon and the fire shine by His light.
ओं अर्चिष्मते नमःōṃ arciṣmatē namaḥ
643अर्चितःarcitaḥ
He who is worshipped
From arc, to honour: the worship of every being and every rite reaches Him, and He receives with gladness what His own offer in love.
ओं अर्चिताय नमःōṃ arcitāya namaḥ
644कुम्भःkumbhaḥ
the Vessel that holds all
A kumbha is a pot, and perhaps the name pictures Him as the vessel in which all beings are held, as water is held in a jar; nothing falls outside His keeping.
ओं कुम्भाय नमःōṃ kumbhāya namaḥ
645विशुद्धात्माviśuddhātmā
He of perfectly pure nature
No fault touches His being, and no stain of matter; He is spotless, and His purity is His own, not borrowed.
ओं विशुद्धात्मने नमःōṃ viśuddhātmanē namaḥ
646विशोधनःviśōdhanaḥ
the great Purifier
He cleanses: whoever turns to Him and remembers Him is washed of fault, as water takes the dust from a cloth.
ओं विशोधनाय नमःōṃ viśōdhanāya namaḥ
647अनिरुद्धःaniruddhaḥ
Aniruddha, the fourth form
Here the name is that of the fourth of the four forms, the vyūhas, in which He is known and worshipped: Vāsudēva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.
ओं अनिरुद्धाय नमःōṃ aniruddhāya namaḥ
Points to Aniruddha
648अप्रतिरथःapratirathaḥ
He who has no equal adversary
A pratiratha is a warrior who stands against another in a chariot; none can be set against Him as His match, for no foe is His equal.
ओं अप्रतिरथाय नमःōṃ apratirathāya namaḥ
649प्रद्युम्नःpradyumnaḥ
Pradyumna, the third form
The third of the four vyūhas; the word means one of great splendour, for dyumna is brilliance and wealth.
ओं प्रद्युम्नाय नमःōṃ pradyumnāya namaḥ
Points to Pradyumna
650अमितविक्रमःamitavikramaḥ
of valour beyond measure
Amita is without measure and vikrama is valour, the showing of power: every other strength is measured against His, and His is measured by none.
ओं अमितविक्रमाय नमःōṃ amitavikramāya namaḥ
He is the Radiant One whom all worship, and the Vessel in which all things are held. His Self is perfectly pure, and He is the great Purifier. He is Aniruddha; no rival warrior can stand against Him; He is Pradyumna, and His valour is beyond all measure.
Bhāvam
The śloka moves from light to purity to valour. Radiance and worship come first, then a purity that cleanses others, and then two of the four forms in which the Lord is known, with the name of the One who has no rival standing between them.
कालनेमिनिहा शौरिः शूरः शूरजनेश्वरः।kālanēminihā śauriḥ śūraḥ śūrajanēśvaraḥ|
त्रिलोकात्मा त्रिलोकेशः केशवः केशिहा हरिः॥ ६९ ॥trilōkātmā trilōkēśaḥ kēśavaḥ kēśihā hariḥ|| 69 ||
653शूरःśūraḥ
the Hero
He is the hero who never turns back; His valour is not for show but for the rescue of the helpless and the guarding of dharma.
ओं शूराय नमःōṃ śūrāya namaḥ
654शूरजनेश्वरःśūrajanēśvaraḥ
Lord of all heroes
The brave among gods and men are brave by His strength, and they are His own people; He is the Lord of the valiant, who draw their courage from Him.
ओं शूरजनेश्वराय नमःōṃ śūrajanēśvarāya namaḥ
655त्रिलोकात्माtrilōkātmā
the Self of the three worlds
The three worlds, earth, the air between and heaven, are His body, and He dwells in them all as their inner Self.
ओं त्रिलोकात्मने नमःōṃ trilōkātmanē namaḥ
656त्रिलोकेशःtrilōkēśaḥ
Lord of the three worlds
He rules all three worlds, and whatever is in them is under His care.
ओं त्रिलोकेशाय नमःōṃ trilōkēśāya namaḥ
657केशवःkēśavaḥ
He of lovely locks and rays
Kēśa is hair, and also the rays of light; the name speaks of the Lord of beautiful locks, shining with rays of glory.
ओं केशवाय नमःōṃ kēśavāya namaḥ
Points to Kēśī
659हरिःhariḥ
Hari, of emerald-dark hue
Hari is the rich green of a young leaf or an emerald, the dark, cool colour that the tradition praises in His lovely form; it is also the name by which the helpless call to Him to carry away their trouble.
ओं हरये नमःōṃ harayē namaḥ
He is the slayer of Kālanēmi and Śauri of Śūra's line, the Hero and the Lord of heroes. He is the Self of the three worlds and their Lord. He is Kēśava of the lovely locks, who slew Kēśin, and He is Hari, the emerald-dark One who carries away every trouble.
Bhāvam
Two overthrown enemies frame the śloka, Kālanēmi at its start and Kēśin near its end, and between them stand the names of the Hero and His lordship of the worlds. The sound of Kēśava runs on into Kēśihā: the One of lovely locks is also the One who ended Kēśin.
कामदेवः कामपालः कामी कान्तः कृतागमः।kāmadēvaḥ kāmapālaḥ kāmī kāntaḥ kṛtāgamaḥ|
अनिर्देश्यवपुर्विष्णुः वीरोऽनन्तो धनञ्जयः॥ ७० ॥anirdēśyavapurviṣṇuḥ vīrō’nantō dhanañjayaḥ|| 70 ||
660कामदेवःkāmadēvaḥ
the shining One whom all desire
Kāma is desire and dēva is the shining One: He is the divine One whom every heart truly seeks, and the One who gives what is desired.
ओं कामदेवाय नमःōṃ kāmadēvāya namaḥ
661कामपालःkāmapālaḥ
Guardian and fulfiller of desires
He guards the wishes of those who come to Him and brings them to their fruit; no one who asks of Him is sent away empty.
ओं कामपालाय नमःōṃ kāmapālāya namaḥ
662कामीkāmī
the Loving One, whose wish is fulfilled
He has desire in its best sense: He longs for the welfare of every soul and for its coming home to Him, and what He wills always comes to pass.
ओं कामिने नमःōṃ kāminē namaḥ
663कान्तःkāntaḥ
the Beloved, Śrī's Lord
Kānta is dear, lovely, beloved: He is the Beloved of Śrī, who never leaves His side, and He is dear to every soul that knows Him.
ओं कान्ताय नमःōṃ kāntāya namaḥ
664कृतागमःkṛtāgamaḥ
Giver of the sacred teaching
Āgama is the sacred teaching that has come down to us; it comes from Him, who in His mercy makes known the way to Himself.
ओं कृतागमाय नमःōṃ kṛtāgamāya namaḥ
665अनिर्देश्यवपुःanirdēśyavapuḥ
of a form beyond telling
Words can point towards His form but cannot show it whole: its beauty is too great to be fixed by any description.
ओं अनिर्देश्यवपुषे नमःōṃ anirdēśyavapuṣē namaḥ
666विष्णुःviṣṇuḥ
He whom no limit confines
Viṣṇu is the One who enters all things: no place bounds Him, no age ends Him, and no single thing contains Him.
ओं विष्णवे नमःōṃ viṣṇavē namaḥ
667वीरःvīraḥ
the Hero who dispels fear
He is the fearless hero before whom fear itself turns back, and those who shelter with Him stand unafraid.
ओं वीराय नमःōṃ vīrāya namaḥ
668अनन्तःanantaḥ
the Endless One
There is no end to His glories, His qualities or His forms: no one has come to the end of telling them, though the Vēdas and the seers have praised Him for ages.
ओं अनन्ताय नमःōṃ anantāya namaḥ
669धनञ्जयःdhanañjayaḥ
the Winner of wealth
Dhana is wealth and jaya is winning: all treasure is won and held by Him. It is also the name of Arjuna, His friend, whose chariot He drove on the field of Kurukṣētra.
ओं धनञ्जयाय नमःōṃ dhanañjayāya namaḥ
He is the shining One whom all desire, the guardian of those desires; He loves, and He is the Beloved of Śrī. He is the giver of the sacred teaching, and His form is beyond telling. He is Viṣṇu whom no limit confines, the Hero who dispels fear, the Endless One, and the Winner of wealth.
Bhāvam
The first four names all come from kam, to desire, and the śloka takes desire in its highest sense: desire that is fulfilled, desire that He Himself feels, and the One who is desired. It then lifts to the sacred teaching and to a form that words cannot hold.
ब्रह्मण्यो ब्रह्मकृद्ब्रह्मा ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविवर्धनः।brahmaṇyō brahmakṛdbrahmā brahma brahmavivardhanaḥ|
ब्रह्मविद्ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मी ब्रह्मज्ञो ब्राह्मणप्रियः॥ ७१ ॥brahmavidbrāhmaṇō brahmī brahmajñō brāhmaṇapriyaḥ|| 71 ||
670ब्रह्मण्यःbrahmaṇyaḥ
Friend of the Vēda and austerity
Brahma here is the Vēda, holy austerity and wisdom, and those who hold to them; He is their friend and guardian, and cherishes whatever is sacred.
ओं ब्रह्मण्याय नमःōṃ brahmaṇyāya namaḥ
671ब्रह्मकृत् ब्रह्माbrahmakṛt brahmā
Maker of brahma, the Creator
He brings the sacred word and austerity into being, and as Brahmā the Creator, whose inner Self He is, He makes beings through him.
ओं ब्रह्मकृद्ब्रह्मणे नमःōṃ brahmakṛdbrahmaṇē namaḥ
672ब्रह्मbrahma
Brahman, the Great who makes great
The word comes from bṛh, to grow: He is great beyond all, in His nature and in His qualities, and He makes great those who come to Him.
ओं ब्रह्मणे नमःōṃ brahmaṇē namaḥ
673ब्रह्मविवर्धनःbrahmavivardhanaḥ
He who makes brahma flourish
He makes the Vēda, holy discipline and wisdom grow in the world, and where they wane He brings them back to strength.
ओं ब्रह्मविवर्धनाय नमःōṃ brahmavivardhanāya namaḥ
674ब्रह्मवित्brahmavit
Knower of the Vēda
He knows the Vēda through and through, and all that it teaches; no one else knows its full meaning as He does.
ओं ब्रह्मविदे नमःōṃ brahmavidē namaḥ
675ब्राह्मणःbrāhmaṇaḥ
the Knower and Teacher of brahma
One who knows brahma and teaches it is the true brāhmaṇa; He is that first Teacher, who gave the Vēda to Brahmā at the beginning.
ओं ब्राह्मणाय नमःōṃ brāhmaṇāya namaḥ
676ब्रह्मीbrahmī
He to whom brahma belongs
The Vēda, wisdom and all that is great are His own; they are in His keeping, and He is their Master.
ओं ब्रह्मिणे नमःōṃ brahmiṇē namaḥ
677ब्रह्मज्ञःbrahmajñaḥ
Knower of the Supreme
He knows the Supreme Reality, which is Himself, as no other can know it, and He makes it known to those who seek Him.
ओं ब्रह्मज्ञाय नमःōṃ brahmajñāya namaḥ
678ब्राह्मणप्रियःbrāhmaṇapriyaḥ
Dear to the knowers of brahma
He loves the brāhmaṇas, who know brahma and live by the Vēda, and is dear to them in return; their devotion is a joy to Him.
ओं ब्राह्मणप्रियाय नमःōṃ brāhmaṇapriyāya namaḥ
He is the friend of the Vēda and of austerity; He is the maker of brahma and the Creator Brahmā, and He is Brahman, the Great, who makes the Vēda flourish. He knows the Vēda; He is the true Brāhmaṇa, to whom brahma belongs, and He knows the Supreme. He is dear to the brāhmaṇas who live by the Vēda.
Bhāvam
Every name in this śloka is built on brahma or brāhmaṇa, words that mean the Vēda, holy discipline, the Supreme and the one who knows them. The śloka takes them all at once: He is the friend of the sacred, its maker, its knower and its keeper, and He is dear to those who know it.
महाक्रमो महाकर्मा महातेजा महोरगः।mahākramō mahākarmā mahātējā mahōragaḥ|
महाक्रतुर्महायज्वा महायज्ञो महाहविः॥ ७२ ॥mahākraturmahāyajvā mahāyajñō mahāhaviḥ|| 72 ||
679महाक्रमःmahākramaḥ
He of mighty strides
Krama is a step: the name recalls Vāmana, who grew into Trivikrama and strode across the worlds in three steps.
ओं महाक्रमाय नमःōṃ mahākramāya namaḥ
680महाकर्माmahākarmā
He of great works
His works are great: making the worlds, upholding them, drawing them back, and coming down to rescue them; yet all is done without strain.
ओं महाकर्मणे नमःōṃ mahākarmaṇē namaḥ
681महातेजाःmahātējāḥ
of great splendour and might
Tējas is brilliance and also the power that overcomes: before His splendour darkness and every foe give way.
ओं महातेजसे नमःōṃ mahātējasē namaḥ
682महोरगःmahōragaḥ
the Great Serpent
Uraga is the serpent, the creature that goes upon its chest; the tradition hears in the name Śēṣa, His couch and servant, who is His own and in whom He dwells as the inner Self.
ओं महोरगाय नमःōṃ mahōragāya namaḥ
Points to Śēṣa
683महाक्रतुःmahākratuḥ
the Great Sacrifice
Kratu is the sacrifice of the Vēda, performed with its offerings; He is the great sacrifice itself, for every rite is done for Him and finds its fruit in Him.
ओं महाक्रतवे नमःōṃ mahākratavē namaḥ
684महायज्वाmahāyajvā
the Great Sacrificer
Yajvā is one who offers sacrifice: in His descents He keeps the sacred rites Himself, teaching the world by His example, and as the Self of every sacrificer He is the Offerer within each rite.
ओं महायज्वने नमःōṃ mahāyajvanē namaḥ
685महायज्ञःmahāyajñaḥ
the Great Act of Worship
Yajña is worship, an offering made with devotion; every act of worship is done to Him and rests in Him, so that yajña is said to be Viṣṇu Himself.
ओं महायज्ञाय नमःōṃ mahāyajñāya namaḥ
686महाहविःmahāhaviḥ
the Great Offering
Haviḥ is the offering poured into the fire; in the great sacrifice He is the offering itself, the substance given, and the fruit that it brings.
ओं महाहविषे नमःōṃ mahāhaviṣē namaḥ
He is the Lord of mighty strides and of great works, of great splendour, and the Great Serpent. He is the great sacrifice, the great Sacrificer and the great act of worship, and He is the great Offering itself.
Bhāvam
Mahā, great, begins all eight names: the great stride, the great deed, the great splendour and the great serpent, and then four names of sacrifice. The second half gathers the whole of the rite into Him: the sacrifice, the one who performs it, the worship and the offering.
In this verseŚēṣa
Text: prapatti.com, Śrīmad Āṇḍavan Āśramam edition prepared by Sunder Kidāmbi. Sources.