विष्णु सहस्रनाम

Bheeshma Pitamaha, the grandsire of the Kuru Dynasty, at the end of the battle of Kurukshetra was lying on the bed of arrows sprayed by his grandson Arjuna. Bheeshma Pitamaha had a boon of relinquishing his life at his own will. While he lay on the bed of arrows on the battlefield, long past the conclusion of the battle, Lord Krishna, in the palace of the Pandavas, appears rather disconsolate. The eldest of the Pandava brothers, King Yudhishthira enquires Krishna about his sad demeanor when the situation is rather bright and happy. Lord Krishna, who is concerned about the great knowledge which going to get lost with the death of Bheeshma urges Yudhishthira to approach Bheeshma and request him to impart him his great wisdom. Yudhishthira, the righteous, asked six questions, and Bheeshma, the constant devotee of Krishna, calmly answered them all. This is how we find the “Thousand Names of Lord Vishnu” introduced in the immortal classic of the Hindus, the Mahabharata.

युधिष्टिर उवाचा
कीमेकं दैवतं लोके किम वाप्येकम पारायनम
स्थुवंथ कंकमार्चान्दा प्रप्नुयुर माँनवा शुभम

Yudhishtira uvacha
Kimékam daivatham loke kim vápyekam parãyanam
Sthuvantha kam kamarchanda prapnuyur mãnavã shubam

Kim = Who
Ekam = Is the greatest
Daivatam = Lord
Loke = World
Ekam = Who is the one
Paraayanam = Refuge
Sthuvantha = Gloryfying
Kam = whom
Archantah = Worshipping
Prapnuyur = Reach
Manava = Man
Shubam = Auspiciousness; peace and prosperity

Who is the greatest Lord in the world?
Who is the one refuge for all?
By glorifying and worshipping whom can man reach the Auspiciousness (peace and prosperity)?