The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Viṣṇusahasranāmastotram

Verse 282

सर्वत्र गच्छतीति सर्वगः; कारणत्वेन व्याप्तत्वात् सर्वत्र ।सर्वे वेत्ति विन्दतीति वा सर्ववित्; भातीति भानुः, 'तमेव भान्तमनु भाति सर्वम्' इति श्रुतेः ।'यदादित्यगतं तेजः' इत्यादिस्मृतेश्च; सर्वविच्चासौ भानुश्चेति सर्वविद्भानुः ।विष्वगञ्चति पलायते दैत्यसेना यस्य रणोद्योगमात्रेणेति विष्वक्सेनः ।जनान् दुर्जनानर्दयति हिनस्ति, नरकादीन्गमयतीति वा जनार्दनः; जनैः पुरुषार्थमभ्युदयनिःश्रेयसलक्षणं याच्यते इति जनार्दनः ।वेदयतीति वेदः, 'तेषामेवानुकम्पार्थमहमज्ञानजं तमः ।नाशयाम्यात्मभावस्थो ज्ञानदीपेन भास्वता' इति भगवद्वचनात् ।यथावत् वेदार्थं वेत्तीति वेदवित्, 'वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम्' इति भगवद्वचनात् ।

In plain words

Because He goes everywhere, He is Sarvaga, pervading all things by virtue of being their cause. Because He knows and attains all, He is Sarvavit. Because He shines, He is Bhanu, as the Shruti declares: 'Shining after Him, everything shines,' supported by the Smriti passage beginning, 'That brilliance which belongs to the sun'—thus He is Sarvavidbhanu. Whose very preparation for battle causes the demon hosts to scatter in all directions, He is Vishvaksena. Because He chastises the wicked and leads them to hell, or because humanity prays to Him for worldly prosperity and final liberation, He is Janardana. Because He imparts sacred knowledge, He is Veda, according to the Lord's words: 'Out of pure compassion for them, dwelling within their own self, I destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the radiant lamp of wisdom.' Because He perfectly knows the true import of the Vedas, He is Vedavit, as the Lord states: 'I am indeed the author of the Vedantas and the knower of the Vedas.'

Close to the Sanskrit

Going everywhere, Sarvaga; because of pervasion through causality, everywhere. Knowing or finding all, Sarvavit. Shining, Bhanu, from the Shruti 'shining after Him, everything shines', and from Smriti 'the brilliance which is in the sun'; thus Sarvavidbhanu. Whose demon army runs away in all directions merely by His preparation for battle, Vishvaksena. Torsting wicked people, causing them to go to hell, or prayed to by people for the human goal characterized by prosperity and liberation, Janardana. Making known, Veda, from the Lord's words: 'Out of compassion for them alone, dwelling in My own self, I destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the radiant lamp of knowledge.' Knowing the meaning of the Veda accurately, Vedavit, from the Lord's words: 'I am indeed the maker of Vedantas and the knower of Veda.'