The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Viṣṇusahasranāmastotram

Verse 462

स चासौ देवश्चेति कामदेवः ।कामिनां कामान् पालयतीति कामपालः ।पूर्णकामस्वभावत्वात् कामी ।अभिरूपतमं देहं वहन् कान्तः ।द्विपरार्धान्ते कस्य ब्रह्मणोऽप्यन्तोऽस्मादिति वा कान्तः ।कृतः आगमः श्रुतिस्मृत्यादिलक्षणो येन सः कृतागमः, 'श्रुतिस्मृती ममैवाज्ञे' इति भगवद्वचनात्, 'वेदाः शास्त्राणि विज्ञानमेतत्सर्व जनार्दनानु' इत्यत्रैव वक्ष्यति ।इदं तदीदृशं वेति निर्देष्टुं यन्न शक्यते गुणाद्यतीतत्वात् तदेव रूपमस्येति अनिर्देश्यवपुः ।रोदसी व्याप्य कान्तिरभ्यधिका स्थितास्येति विष्णुः ; 'व्याप्य मे रोदसी नाथ कान्तिरभ्यधिका स्थिता ।क्रमणाद्वाप्यहं पार्थ विष्णुरित्यभिसंज्ञितः' इति महाभारते ।गत्यादिमत्त्वात् वीरः, 'वी गतिप्रजनकान्त्यसनखादनेषु' इति धातुपाठान् ।व्यापित्वान्नित्यत्वात्सर्वात्मत्वाद्देशतः कालतो वस्तुतश्चापरिच्छिन्नः अनन्तः, 'सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं ब्रह्म' इति श्रुतेः ; 'गन्धर्वाप्सरसः सिद्धाः किंनरोरगचारणा: ।नान्तं गुणानां गच्छन्ति तेनानन्तोऽयमव्ययः' इति विष्णुपुराणवचनाद्वा अनन्तः ।यद्दिग्विजये प्रभूतं धनमजयत्तेन धनंजयः अर्जुनः, ' पाण्डवानां धनंजयः' इति भगवद्वचनात् ॥

In plain words

He is Kāmadeva because He is the radiant and supreme object of desire. He is Kāmapāla because He fulfills the aspirations of those who seek. He is Kāmī because His nature is one of absolute self-fulfillment. He is Kānta because He wears a most wondrous form, or because at the end of two parardhas even Brahmā dissolves into Him. He is Kṛtāgama because He authored the Vedas and smritis—as He Himself declares: 'Shruti and smṛti are My own commands.' He is Anirdeśyavapu because His transcendent form cannot be pointed out as being 'like this,' transcending all gunas. He is Viṣṇu because His extraordinary splendor pervades heaven and earth—as the Mahābhārata records: 'Excessive splendor, O Lord, stands pervading heaven and earth. And because I step across, O Pārtha, I am named Viṣṇu.' He is Vīra because He embodies motion and power, the root vī signifying movement and radiance. He is Ananta because He is completely unlimited by space, time, or substance, as the Shruti declares: 'Brahman is truth, knowledge, infinity,' and the Viṣṇu Purāṇa confirms: 'Gandharvas, Siddhas, and others do not reach the end of His attributes, hence this imperishable one is Ananta.' And Arjuna is Dhanañjaya because he won abundant wealth during his conquest of the quarters, as the Lord affirms: 'Among the Pāṇḍavas, I am Dhanañjaya.'

Close to the Sanskrit

That and he is the shining one, thus Kāmadeva. Kamapala, because He protects the desires of those who desire. Kami, due to His nature of having fulfilled desires. Kanta, bearing a most handsome form. Or Kanta, because the end of even Brahma is from Him at the end of two parardhas. Kritagama, because scripture characterized by shruti and smriti was made by Him, from the Lord's statement 'shruti and smritis are my commands alone,' and He will state 'the Vedas, treatises, and all this knowledge to Janardana' right here. Anirdeshyavapu, because His form cannot be pointed out as 'this is such and such,' due to transcending gunas and the like. Vishnu, because splendor stands excessive having pervaded heaven and earth; 'O Lord, excessive splendor stands having pervaded heaven and earth. And from stepping across, O Partha, I am called Vishnu,' in the Mahabharata. Vira, due to possessing motion and the like, from the root list 'vī in motion, procreation, splendor, eating, etc.' Ananta, because He is uncircumscribed spatially, temporally, and substantively due to all-pervasiveness, eternality, and being the self of all, from the shruti 'truth, knowledge, infinite is Brahman'; or from the Vishnu Purana statement 'Gandharvas, Apsaras, Siddhas, Kinnaras, Uragas, and Charanass do not reach the end of His qualities, therefore this imperishable is Ananta.' Dhanamjaya, because Arjuna won abundant wealth in the conquest of regions, from the Bhagavad Gita statement 'of Pandavas Dhanamjaya.'