Vedic Reflections - Shri VishnusahasranAmam (Stanza 29)
This is perhaps one of my favourite shlokas, maybe because the names are simpler in nature and can be decoded by anyone who speaks any of the Indian languages. The anecdote of Krsna and SudAma is mentioned here and so is the great abode of Vishnu
subhujO durdharaO vAgmi mahendrO vasudhO vasuh
naikarUpO brihadrUpO sipivishtah prakAshanah
सुभुजो दुर्धरो वाग्मी महेन्द्रो वसुधो वसु: |
निकरूपो बृहद्रूपो शिपिविष्टः प्रकाशनः ||
subhujah
The One whose arms are beautiful, arms that always does good, the protecting arms
durdharah
The One who cannot be borne easily. dhar means to bear while dur stands as a negative prefix, therefore One who cannot be borne easily or held easily
vAgmi
The One who gave the vedas, thus, the speaker of powerful words
mahendrah
The One who is the great indra, the Lord of Gods
vasudhah
The One grants wealth for the food he consumes, an anecdote from the lilas of Sri Krsna when His childhood friend sudAma came to visit Him at His palace with just a pack of raw ground rice flakes. The Lord feasted on the otherwise meagerly gift as if it were amrtam (nectar) and when sudAma returns home, he finds a huge palatial building in its place and his wife and children all transformed into wealthy beings. Such is the lila of the Lord. It doesn't matter what we give Him, all that matters is how we give Him, the goodness in our hearts that counts.
vasuh
The One who is the wealth sought after by everyone, another meaning that I found from a book on sahasrnAmam written by P.SankaranArAyanan talks about His abode the vaikuntham which is situated in the antarIksha (Outer Space) which is made of ether. He has referred it from Kathopanishad (5.2)
The One whose form can never be defined. Thus, ever changing His form. Scientifically, ENERGY can change it's form, and it's a known fact that given under any or particular conditions energy tends to change form
brihadrUpah
The One whose size is huge
sipivishtah
The One who is the rays of light, the light of knowledge
prakAshanah
The One who has the power to illuminate, since He is the rays of light, therefore lights up the world with knowledge
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