The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Viṣṇusahasranāmastotram

Verse 478

भूतान्यत्राभिमुख्येन वसन्तीति भूतावासः, वसन्ति त्वयि भूतानि भूतावासस्ततो भवान्' इति हरिवंशे ।जगदाच्छादयति माययेति वासुः, स एव देव इति वासुदेव: ; 'छादयामि जगद्विश्वं भूत्या सूर्य इवांशुभिः' इति भगवद्वचनात् ।सर्व एवासवः प्राणा जीवात्मके यस्मिनाश्रये निलीयन्ते सर्वासुनिलयः ।अलं पर्याप्तिः शक्तिसंपदां नास्य विद्यत इति अनलः ।धर्मविरुद्धे पथि तिष्ठतां दर्पं हन्तीति दर्पहा ।धर्मवर्त्मनि वर्तमानानां दर्प ददातीति दर्पदः ।स्वात्मामृतरसास्वादनात् नित्यप्रमुदितो दृप्तः ।न शक्या धारणा यस्य प्रणिधानादिषु सर्वोपाधिविनिर्मुक्तत्वान् तथापि तत्प्रसादतः कैश्चिद्दुःखेन धार्यते

In plain words

He is Bhūtāvāsa because all beings reside within Him, as the Harivamsa declares: 'Beings dwell in You, O Lord, therefore You are the Abode of beings.' He is Vāsu because He veils the universe through His Maya, and hence is Vāsudeva, as the Lord states: 'I envelop the entire universe with My splendor, like the sun with its rays.' He is Sarvāsunilaya because all life-breaths and souls ultimately dissolve into Him as their supreme support. He is Anala because His potencies are boundless. He is Darpahā because He shatters the arrogance of those who walk the path of unrighteousness. He is Darpada because He inspires noble confidence in those who follow righteousness. He is Dṛpta because He is ever blissful, relishing the nectar of His own inner Self. He cannot easily be grasped in meditation because He transcends all limiting attributes, yet through His grace, certain seekers manage to hold Him in their hearts with deep devotion.

Close to the Sanskrit

Bhūtāvāsa because beings dwell directly in Him here, as stated in the Harivamsa: 'Beings dwell in You, therefore You are Bhūtāvāsa.' Vāsu because He covers the universe with Maya; that same god is Vāsudeva, from the Lord's utterance: 'I cover the entire universe with my majesty, like the sun with its rays.' Sarvāsunilaya because all vital breaths, the individual souls, merge into which support. Anala because no limit of His power-opulences is found. Darpahā because He destroys the arrogance of those standing on the path contrary to righteousness. Darpada because He grants noble confidence to those abiding on the path of righteousness. Dṛpta because He is ever joyful from tasting the nectar-juice of His own self. Concentration is not possible on Him in meditation and the like, because He is completely free from all limiting attributes; nevertheless, through His grace, He is held in meditation with difficulty by some.