vishnuvishnu-sahasranamammahabharatabhishma

𑌕𑌿𑌮𑍇𑌕𑌂 𑌦𑍈𑌵𑌤𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑍇

किमेकं दैवतं लोके in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Thursdays, Ekadashi, or before reciting the full Vishnu Sahasranamam·📜 Vishnu Sahasranamam (opening dialogue), Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Vishnu Sahasranamam (opening dialogue), Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva · Sage Veda Vyasa (as spoken by Bhishma) · Itihasa / Mahabharata era

After the great Kurukshetra war, the patriarch Bhishma lay mortally wounded on a bed of arrows, awaiting the auspicious time to leave his body. Yudhishthira approached him with questions on the highest truths. In response to 'Who is the one God, and what frees a being from rebirth?', Bhishma taught the Vishnu Sahasranamam, declaring the praise of Vishnu's thousand names to be the supreme dharma. This dialogue forms its invocation.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally held that anyone who hears or recites the Vishnu Sahasranamam, introduced by this very dialogue, is freed from all inauspiciousness and the fear of birth, old age, disease and death. Bhishma himself, the greatest of devotees and a master of dharma, chose to impart this hymn as his final and highest teaching.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

𑌯𑍁𑌧𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌿𑌰 𑌉𑌵𑌾𑌚 — 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑍇𑌕𑌂 𑌦𑍈𑌵𑌤𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑍇 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌵𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌕𑌂 𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣𑌮𑍍 । 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌃 𑌕𑌂 𑌕𑌮𑌰𑍍𑌚𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌨𑍁𑌯𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌵𑌾𑌃 𑌶𑍁𑌭𑌮𑍍 ॥ 𑌕𑍋 𑌧𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌧𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌂 𑌭𑌵𑌤𑌃 𑌪𑌰𑌮𑍋 𑌮𑌤𑌃 । 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌜𑌪𑌨𑍍𑌮𑍁𑌚𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌜𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌜𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌸𑌂𑌸𑌾𑌰𑌬𑌨𑍍𑌧𑌨𑌾𑌤𑍍 ॥

Yudhishthira uvacha — Kimekam daivatam loke kim vapyekam parayanam Stuvantah kam kamarchantah prapnuyurmanavah shubham Ko dharmah sarvadharmanam bhavatah paramo matah Kim japanmuchyate janturjanmasamsarabandhanat

Meaning:युधिष्ठिर ने पूछा — इस लोक में एक देव कौन है? एकमात्र परम आश्रय क्या है? किसकी स्तुति और अर्चना करके मनुष्य कल्याण प्राप्त करते हैं? समस्त धर्मों में आपके मत से श्रेष्ठतम धर्म कौन-सा है? और किसका जप करने से प्राणी जन्म-संसार के बन्धन से मुक्त होता है?

Verse 2

𑌭𑍀𑌷𑍍𑌮 𑌉𑌵𑌾𑌚 — 𑌜𑌗𑌤𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑍁𑌂 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌮𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌮𑌮𑍍 । 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌵𑌨𑍍 𑌨𑌾𑌮𑌸𑌹𑌸𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌣 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌃 𑌸𑌤𑌤𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌤𑌃 ॥ 𑌏𑌷 𑌮𑍇 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌧𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌂 𑌧𑌰𑍍𑌮𑍋𑌽𑌧𑌿𑌕𑌤𑌮𑍋 𑌮𑌤𑌃 । 𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌭𑌕𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌪𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌰𑍀𑌕𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌵𑍈𑌰𑌰𑍍𑌚𑍇𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌰𑌃 𑌸𑌦𑌾 ॥

Bhishma uvacha — Jagatprabhum devadevamanantam purushottamam Stuvan namasahasrena purushah satatotthitah Esha me sarvadharmanam dharmodhikatamo matah Yadbhaktya pundarikaksham stavairarchennarah sada

Meaning:भीष्म ने उत्तर दिया — जो सदा उद्यत रहकर जगत्प्रभु, देवों के देव, अनन्त पुरुषोत्तम की सहस्रनाम से स्तुति करता है — मेरे मत में यही समस्त धर्मों में श्रेष्ठतम धर्म है कि मनुष्य भक्तिपूर्वक सदा कमलनयन (विष्णु) की स्तुतियों से अर्चना करे।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌯𑍁𑌧𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌿𑌰 𑌉𑌵𑌾𑌚🔊Yudhishthira uvachaYudhishthira said

𑌕𑌿𑌮𑍍 𑌏𑌕𑌂 𑌦𑍈𑌵𑌤𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑍇🔊Kim ekam daivatam lokeWho is the one Deity in the world?

𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌵𑌾 𑌅𑌪𑌿 𑌏𑌕𑌂 𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣𑌮𑍍🔊Kim va api ekam parayanamWhat is the one supreme refuge / goal?

𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌃 𑌕𑌮𑍍🔊Stuvantah kamBy praising whom

𑌕𑌮𑍍 𑌅𑌰𑍍𑌚𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌃🔊Kam archantahBy worshipping whom

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌨𑍁𑌯𑍁𑌃 𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌵𑌾𑌃 𑌶𑍁𑌭𑌮𑍍🔊Prapnuyuh manavah shubhamDo humans attain what is auspicious (welfare)?

𑌕𑌃 𑌧𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌧𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌮𑍍🔊Kah dharmah sarvadharmanamWhich is the highest of all dharmas?

𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌜𑌪𑌨𑍍 𑌮𑍁𑌚𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇🔊Kim japan muchyateBy chanting what is a being liberated?

𑌜𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌸𑌂𑌸𑌾𑌰𑌬𑌨𑍍𑌧𑌨𑌾𑌤𑍍🔊Janma-samsara-bandhanatFrom the bondage of birth and worldly existence

𑌭𑍀𑌷𑍍𑌮 𑌉𑌵𑌾𑌚🔊Bhishma uvachaBhishma replied

𑌜𑌗𑌤𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑍁𑌮𑍍🔊Jagat-prabhumThe Lord of the universe

𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌮𑍍 𑌅𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍍🔊Deva-devam anantamThe God of gods, the infinite one

𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌮𑌮𑍍🔊PurushottamamThe Supreme Person (Vishnu)

𑌨𑌾𑌮𑌸𑌹𑌸𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌣🔊Nama-sahasrenaWith the thousand names

𑌸𑌤𑌤𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌤𑌃🔊SatatotthitahEver vigilant and steadfast (in praise)

𑌧𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌃 𑌅𑌧𑌿𑌕𑌤𑌮𑌃 𑌮𑌤𑌃🔊Dharmah adhikatamah matahIs considered the highest dharma

𑌪𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌰𑍀𑌕𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑍍🔊PundarikakshamThe lotus-eyed Lord (Vishnu)

Benefits of Chanting किमेकं दैवतं लोके

✦

Introduces the Vishnu Sahasranamam — one of the most revered hymns in Hinduism

✦

Bhishma declares chanting Vishnu's names the highest of all dharmas

✦

Reflecting on Yudhishthira's six questions clarifies the goal of spiritual life

✦

Believed to free the devotee from the bondage of birth and death (samsara)

✦

An ideal preface to recite before the full thousand names on Thursdays or Ekadashi

✦

Bestows peace, auspiciousness and steadiness of devotion

How to Chant किमेकं दैवतं लोके

Repetitions1times

Best TimeThursdays, Ekadashi, or before reciting the full Vishnu Sahasranamam

Recite this opening dialogue before beginning the Vishnu Sahasranamam, after the usual dhyana verses. Sit facing east, calm the mind, and contemplate Bhishma's teaching that constant, devoted praise of Vishnu is the supreme dharma. It may also be recited alone as a concise reminder of the purpose and power of the thousand names.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete किमेकं दैवतं लोके written in the Grantha script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is the opening dialogue of the Vishnu Sahasranamam, found in the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata, where Yudhishthira questions Bhishma as the grandsire lies on his bed of arrows.

He asks: who is the one God, what is the one supreme refuge, by worshipping whom do people gain welfare, which is the highest dharma, and by chanting what is one freed from the cycle of birth and death.

Bhishma replies that the highest dharma is to praise Vishnu — the lotus-eyed Lord of the universe and Supreme Person — with His thousand names, always and with devotion. This introduces the Vishnu Sahasranamam.