Vishnu Sahasranāma | Verses 61-70

Text 61

Lord Paraśurāma carries a splendid bow (sudhanvā), and an axe that he used to kill the kṣatriyas (khaṇḍa-paraśu).

He was merciless to the kṣatriyas (dāruṇa), and after killing all the kṣatriyas, he performed a sacrifice in which He gave the entire earth in charity to the brāhmaṇas (draviṇa-prada).

Lord Kṛṣṇa also appeared as Vyāsadeva, the great philosopher who explained the truth of the spiritual world (diva-spṛk), and divided the single Veda into four (sarva-dṛg-vyāsa).

He is the eloquent author of the Purāṇas and Mahābhārata (Vācaspati), and Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, personally appeared in His words (ayonija).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa observes that the names in the first part of this verse describe the Lord's incarnation as Paraśurāma and the names in the second half of the verse describe Lord Vyāsadeva.

Text 62

Appearing as Lord Vyāsadeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa divided the Veda into 3 parts (trisāmā).

Lord Vyāsa took pleasure in singing the Vedic hymns (sāmaga), and He taught those hymns to His disciples (sāma), freeing them from ignorance and liberating them from material bondage (nirvāṇaṁ).

In this way He became the physician (bhiṣak) that administered the medicine of Lord Kṛṣṇa's devotional service, which freed them from the disease of material ignorance (bheṣajaṁ).

In His pastimes as Lord Caitanya, Lord Kṛṣṇa accepts the sannyāsa order (sannyāsa-kṛt), and He is equipoised (sama) and peaceful (śānta). He is the highest abode of peace and devotion, for He silences the impersonalist non-devotees (niṣṭhā-śānti-pārāyaṇa).

Note:

Lord Caitanya accepted sannyāsa, leaving aside His householder life, to preach His mission.

He has equanimity in different senses. First, He describes the confidential truth of the Personality of Godhead, and second, He satisfies everyone by knowledge and attachment to Kṛṣṇa.

He is peaceful because He renounces all topics not related to the service of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has explained that the word niṣṭhā indicates His being rigidly fixed in chanting the holy name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Lord Caitanya subdued all disturbing opponents of devotional service, especially the monists, who are actually averse to the personal feature of the Supreme Lord.

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa also quotes the prediction of Lord Caitanya's appearance which is found in the Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam (11.5.32):

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

"In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the name of Kṛṣṇa.

Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions."

Text 63

The handsome features of Lord Kṛṣṇa's transcendental body charm the minds of the residents of Vṛndāvana (śubhāṅga), and His gentle smile makes them very peaceful at heart and inspires in them great feelings of love for Him (śāntida).

He creates at every moment a treasure-house of transcendental bliss, which becomes the property of the residents of Vṛndāvana (sraṣṭā), and He also becomes happy enjoying pastimes with His brother, Balarāma, in the land of Vṛndāvana (kumuda).

He enchanted the residents of Vṛndāvana by causing them to continually drink the nectar of the sound of His flute (kuvaleśaya).

He is the well-wisher and benefactor of the cows (gohita), their master and controller (gopati), and their protector as well (goptā).

He killed the Ariṣṭāsura demon, who appeared in the form of a bull to kill the residents of Vṛndāvana (vṛṣabhākṣa), and after the demon was killed, He carefully protected the bulls and cows of Vṛndāvana, who were all very dear to Him (vṛṣapriya).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes the explanation of the name Kumudā found in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.11.36):

vṛndāvanaṁ govardhanaṁ
yamunā-pulināni ca
vīkṣyāsīd uttamā prītī
rāma-mādhavayor nṛpa

"O King Parīksit,
when Rāma and Kṛṣṇa saw Vṛndāvana,
Govardhana, and the banks of the river Yamunā,
They both enjoyed great pleasure."

Text 64

Lord Kṛṣṇa bravely faced the demon Ariṣṭāsura and rebuked the fleeing cowherd men, calling them cowards (anivartī).

Seeing that all the cowherd men had fled, He faced the demon alone (nivṛttātmā) and easily killed him, grasping the demon's horns with His hand (saṁkṣeptā). In this way He returned the land of Vṛndāvana to an auspicious condition (kṣema-kṛt).

When the gopīs understood that Kṛṣṇa had killed a demon that had taken the shape of a bull, they rejected His association, saying that He had become sinful by killing a bull.

Kṛṣṇa then called all sacred rivers to appear so He could bathe in them to become purified, and when they all appeared at once, He bathed in them, and the gopīs became satisfied that Kṛṣṇa had returned to a pure and auspicious condition (Śiva).

Lord Kṛṣṇa's chest is decorated with the mark of Śrīvatsa (śrīvatsa-vakṣāḥ), and He is very attached to His residence in the beautiful land of Vraja, at the foot of Govardhana Hill (Śrīvāsa).

He protected the gopīs from the wrath of Indra (Śrī-pati), and He is the best of all eloquent orators and the best of the cowherd boys of Vraja (śrīmatāṁ varaḥ).

Text 65

Lord Kṛṣṇa generously gives opulent gifts to His friends and relatives (śrīda), although He is also the controller of all opulence, who prevents His devotees from attaining those material opulences that might hinder their spiritual progress (śrīśa).

He always resides in the land of Gokula, which is full of unparalleled spiritual opulences (Śrīnivāsa).

All transcendental beauty and opulences are stored up within Him, just as jewels are stored up in a sapphire-box (śrīnidhi). He manifests all beauty and opulence (śrīvibhāvana).

He is supremely handsome and He maintains the gopīs of Vraja and the goddesses of fortune (śrīdhara). All spiritual opulences reside within His lotus-hand (śrīkara).

He is very handsome and He always remains by the side of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, His internal pleasure potency (śreyaḥ). He is the master of the goddess of fortune (Śrīman) and the shelter of Gokula Vṛndāvana, and all the three planetary systems as well (lokatrayāśraya).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains the name Śrīmān by quoting from the Puruṣa-Bodhinī Upaniṣad:

dve pārśve candrāvalī rādhikety uktvā
yasyāmśena lakṣmī-durgādikā-śaktih

"Two gopīs, Candrāvali and Rādhārāṇī, always stay by Lord Kṛṣṇa's side.

Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the original form of the goddess of fortune, and she has expanded Lakṣmī-devī, Durgā, and the other goddesses of fortune as her potencies."

The Gautamīya Tantra also explains:

devī Kṛṣṇamayī proktā
rādhikā para-devatā
sarva-lakṣmīmayī sarva-
kāntiḥ sammohinī parā

"The transcendental goddess Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī
is the direct counterpart of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune.
She possesses all the attractiveness
to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead.
She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord."

Text 66

Lord Kṛṣṇa is supremely charming, handsome, and gentle (svakṣa), and his transcendental form is full of all opulences (svāṅga). He delights the 108 gopīs (śatānanda), and He also relishes transcendental bliss by enjoying pastimes in their association (nandī).

Although He is the master of innumerable transcendental devotees who try to please Him in various ways by holding an umbrella, fanning Him with a chāmara whisk, and performing many similar services (jyotir- gaṇeśvara),

He remains humble and submissive to His devotees (vijitātmā and vidheyātmā), and for this reason His transcendental good-character is eternally famous (satkīrti).

He removes His devotee's doubts (chinna-saṁśaya).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains the name śatānanda by quoting from the Brahma-samhitā:

ciṇtāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpavṛkṣa-
lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam
lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam
govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor,
who is tending the cows, yielding all desires,
in abodes built with spiritual gems,
and surrounded by millions of purpose trees.
He is always served with great reverence and affection
by hundreds of thousands of goddesses of fortune."

The name chinna-saṁśaya is described by Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā (6.39):

tvad-anyaḥ saṁśayasyāsya
chettā na by upapadyate

"O Kṛṣṇa, but except of You,
no one is to be found who can destroy my doubt."

Text 67

Lord Kṛṣṇa's transcendental glories are chanted in all the Vedic literatures (udīrṇa), and He always affectionately observes all His devotees (sarvataś- cakṣuḥ).

He is completely submissive to His devotees (anīśa), and He always remains with the devotees, never leaving their association (śāśvata sthira).

He takes a nap, resting in the transcendental forest of Vṛndāvana (bhūśaya), and He is nicely decorated with flowers and other ornaments (bhūṣanā).

He fulfils the desires of His devotees (bhūti), and when Akrūra was about to take Him from Vṛndāvana to Mathura, He tried to console the lamenting gopis by vowing to quickly return to Vṛndāvana (Aśoka).

By sending His messenger Uddhava to Vṛndāvana, He relieved the sufferings of His father Nanda, His mother Yaśodā, and the other vrajavasis (śoka-nāśana).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains the name bhūśaya by quoting from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.15,16):

kvacit pallava-talpeṣu
niyuddha-śrama-karṣitaḥ
vṛkṣa-mūlāśrayaḥ śete
gopotsaṅgopabarhaṇaḥ

"When Kṛṣṇa would feel tired and fatigued,
He would sometimes take shelter
of the root of a big tree, or the lap of a cowherd boy,
and lie down, with the boy or root as His pillow."

Text 68

Lord Kṛṣṇa glowed with anger when He heard His father Vāsudeva insulted by Kamsa (arciṣmān).

He was worshiped and honoured by the florist Sudāmā and the girl Kubjā (arcita).

Enchanted by Kṛṣṇa's handsomeness, Kubjā wanted to enjoy Him as her paramour, and she lustily clutched the edge of His garments (kumbha).

When Kṛṣṇa promised to visit her home He was not trying to trick or fool her (viśuddhātmā).

He killed the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa, purifying it of all sins and granting it liberation (viśodhana), and therefore the elephant was unable to prevent Kṛṣṇa from entering the arena of Kamsa (aniruddha).

Kṛṣṇa is always victorious in fighting (apratiratha). Because His strength is unlimited, he easily defeated Cāṇūra and the other wrestlers (Pradyumna and amita-vikramā).

Text 69

Lord Kṛṣṇa Killed the demon Kamsa, who in his previous birth as the demon Kālanemi was also killed by Him (Kālanemi-nihā). Displaying His prowess, Kṛṣṇa dragged the dead Kamsa in the wrestling arena (vīra).

By killing powerful Kamsa in this way, the son of Vāsudeva (śauri) proved Himself the best of heroes (śūrajaneśvara), and made the three planetary systems jubilant (trilokātmā).

Lord Kṛṣṇa is the controller of all the three worlds (trilokeśa). He has handsome black hair, and He is the father of Brahmā, Śiva and all devas (keśava).

He killed the Keśī demon (keśihā), and thus delighted the minds of the cowherd residents of Vṛndāvana, devas, and the other devotees (hari).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains the name vīra by quoting from the Smṛti-śāstra:

harir yathebham vicakarṣa so 'vyayaḥ

"Lord Kṛṣṇa dragged Kamsa
just as a lion drags an elephant after killing it."

The name trilokātmā may also be explained by quoting from the Smṛti- śāstra:

hate kamse trayo lokāḥ prāpnur anirvṛttim parām

"The three planetary systems became delighted
when the demon Kamsa was killed."

Lord Kṛṣṇa personally explains the meaning of the name Keśava in the following quote from the Smṛti-śāstra:

sūryasya tapaso lokān
agneḥ somasya cāpy uta
aṁśavo ye prakāśante
mama te keśa-saṅgitāḥ
sarvāṅgāḥ keśavam tasmān
mām āhur muni-sattamāḥ

"The sun-god, Sūrya, who shines on all the planets,
the fire- god, Agni, and the moon-god, Soma,
as well as all the other devas,
who are all followers of Brahmā and Śiva,
are My parts and parcels and My children.
For this reason the great sages call Me Keśava (the father of Brahmā and Śiva)."

Text 70

After killing the Keśī demon, Kṛṣṇa was very splendid and handsome (Kāmadeva), and by killing the demon He satisfied all the desires of the residents of Vṛndāvana, and devas also (kāmapāla).

By killing Keśī, He delighted devas, although at that time the desire to kill Kamsa began to arise within His mind (kami-kānta). After killing the demon, He returned to the village of Vrājabhūmi along with His friends (kṛtāgama).

It is not possible to describe His ultimate personal feature simply by dry philosophical speculation devoid of bhakti (anirdeśya-vapuḥ),

although that speculative method will easily enable one to understand His feature as the impersonal effulgence that pervades the entire material cosmos (viṣṇu).

He eloquently expounds the perfect philosophy of spiritual life (vīra), and He remains always far away from those who are impure at heart (ananta). After killing Kamsa, He took Kamsa's entire treasury and gave it to the pious king Ugrasena (Dhananjaya).

Note:

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes an explanation of the name Viṣṇu, given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by the Lord Himself:

vyāptā me rodasi pārtha
kāntiś cābhyādhikā mama
adhibhūtāni cānteṣu
tad icchamś cāsmi bhārata
kramaṇāc cāpy ahaṁ pārtha
viṣṇur ity abhisaṁjñitaḥ

"O Arjuna,
My impersonal effulgence pervades both heaven and earth,
and therefore I am known as Viṣṇu."