Vishnu.Sahasranama.with.the.Bhasya.of.Sankaracharya_text

32 VISHNU SAHASKANAMA
2. The all-pervading (Vishnub). (258 and 657.)
Six questions beginning with " which is the only
Deity " and ending with " by reciting which one is freed "
were asked (in Verses 2 and 3 above) and the word
Brahman involved in the answers to those questions as
contained in the verses beginning with " that from whom "
(Verse 11) has been commented upon by us as representing
the word Vis'va. Anticipating a question as to what
is Vis'va, the word Vishnu is introduced. The Rigveda
(1-156-3) says : " Cognizant of his greatness, celebrate
his name ; may we, Vishnu, enjoy thy favour." This
and many similar passages show that the recitation of the
names of Vishnu confers right knowledge. The derivative
meaning is, He that pervades as from the root Vish. to per-
vade. Hence it means that He is unlimited by Space,
Time, and Substance. The S'ruti (NSra. Up., 1-13) says :
" Narayana pervades the whole (Universe) externally and
internally."
Or the word ' Vishnu,' takes its derivation from the
root Visf to enter or permeate. The Vish. Pr. (3-1) says :
" Because this whole world has been pervaded by the
energy of the great Soul, he is named Vishnu, from the
root Vis' to ' enter ' or ' pervade '." " As I have pervaded
the horizons, my glory stands foremost, and as I have
measured by steps (the three worlds), Partha, I am
named ' Vishnu '." So says the Mahabharata (S'anti
Parva 342).
2. Vyd. Vishnu : his nature is omnipresence, or his
rays are spread everywhere, or he stepped the earth and
heaven (in his dwarf incarnation), or he, after creating,
entered into them. 1
small Vyakhyas, and made his glossary especially with the view of
explaining the grammatical forms of the names, which were not
dealt with by his predecessors.
1 Now the reader of this will clearly understand that this
commentator only gives the meaning which oar great iLcharya has
spoken oat. Hence to avoid repetition I will give out only where,