Viṣhṇu Sahasranāmam 1 - Atha Dhyanam, Yudhistira Uvacha



śri viṣṇu sahasranāmam - Part 1

ATHA DHYANAM
śuklāṁ baradharaṁ viṣṇuṁ śaśivarṇaṁ caturbhujam |
prasanna vadanaṁ dhyāyet sarva - vighnōpaśāṁtaye ||1.1


For the eradication of all obstructions, I meditate ("dhyayeth") on Vishnu, who is wearing ("dharam") a white ("shukla") cloth ("ambara"), who is of the color ("varnam") of the moon ("sasi"), who has four ("chatur") arms ("bhujam"), and who has a placid expression ("prasanna") on His face ("vadanam").
vyāsam vasiṣṭha - naptāraṁ śakteḥ pautram akalmaṣam |
parāśarāt-majaṁ vaṁde śuka-tātaṁ tapōnidhim ||1.2
I bow to Vyasa, the great-grandson of Vasishta and the grandson of Sakti. He is the son of Parasara and the father of Suka. I offer my obeisance to that Vyasa who is free from all defects and is a mine of austerities.
vyāsāya viṣṇu rūpāya vyāsa rūpāya viṣṇave |
namō vai brahmanidhaye vāsiṣṭhāya namō namaḥ ||1.3

My repeated salutations to vyAsa who is a form of vishNu and to vishNu who is a form of vyAsa- sage vyAsa, who is a descendent of vasishta and who is a treasure of brahman, (i.e. vedas)
avikārāya śuddhāya nityāya paramātmane |
sadaikarūparūpāya viṣṇave sarvajiṣṇave ||1.4
Bow I before Vishnu Who is pure, Who is not affected, Who is permanent, Who is the ultimate truth. And He who wins over,
All the mortals in this world.
yasyasmaraṇa - mātreṇa janma - saṁsāra - baṁdhanāt |
vimucyate  namastasmai viṣṇave  prabhaviṣṇave  
ōṁ namō viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave || 1.5
Bow I before Him, The all-powerful  Vishnu, The mere thought of whom. Releases one forever, Of the ties of birth and life.
śrī vaiśaṁpāyana uvāca

Sri Vaisampayana, the narrator to Dhritirashtra said
śrutvā dharmā-naśeṣeṇa pāvanāni  ca  sarvaśaḥ |
yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śāṁtanavaṁ punarevābhya-bhyāṣata || 1.6
Yudhishthira, as a righteous man ("dharamana") of spiritual inclination, with the mortal integrity ("paavanaani") of a careful mortal, asks ("bhaashatha") Bhishma ("shaantanavam") an interesting set of questions which the heart of seekers will always ask.
śrī yudhiṣṭhira uvāca


kim ekam daivataṁ lōke kim vāpye-kam parāyaṇam |
stuvaṁtaḥ kam kam-arcaṁtaḥ prāp-nuyur mānavāḥ śubham || 1.7


Who ("kim") is the greatest ("ekam") Lord ("daivatam") in the world ("loke")?
Who is the one ("ekam") refuge ("paraayanam") for all?
By glorifying ("sthuvantah") whom ("kam") can man ("manavah") reach the Auspiciousness ("shubam") (peace and prosperity)?
By worshipping (“archatah”) whom can a man reach auspiciousness (peace & prosperity)?
kō dharmaḥ sarva - dharmā-ṇāṁ bhavataḥ  paramō mataḥ |
kim japan mucyate jaṁtur janma - saṁsāra - baṁdhanāt || 1.8  
What ("ko") is, in thy opinion, the Greatest Dharma?


By ("kim") doing japa of what can “creatures” (jantu) go beyond ("mutchyate") the bonds ("bandhanaath") of samsara?


CONTD....