Sloka 3

योगो योगविदां नेता प्रधानपुरुषेश्वरः ।

नारसिंहवपुः श्रीमान् केशवः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥ १६ ॥

Yogo yoga-vidaam neta pradhaana puru-sheshvarah ।

Naarasimha vapu shreemaan keshavah puru-shottamah.॥ “3”

He who can be attained by yoga – meditation surely,

Who alone the unambiguous means to salvation be,

He who leader of all those who know yoga does be,

He who is lord of nature and beings unquestionably.

He who has a man and a lion’s combined body,

Where Lakshmi served by Vishnu, Shiv, Brahma be,

Who with a pretty form and with locks of hair lovely,

He who is the greatest among all beings certainly. 

Background

When Bhishma, the embodiment of wisdom and knowledge, and great grandfather of Kauravas and Pandavas, was lying on his deathbed in the battlefield of Kurushetra – the death of  knowledge and wisdom was approaching. Then Lord Krishna asked Yudhishtar to take guidance from his great grandfather Bhishma on aspects of life.

This was witnessed by sage Vyas and Krishna, reflects in reality Bhishma's life and his imparting knowledge to his progeny.

Just as the Bhagavad Gita is Krishna Kathita; Vidur Neeti is Vidur Kathita - Vishnu Sahasranamam is Bhishma Kathita.

Vishnu Sahasranam eradicates evil in us and gives us a chance to reconnect with the divine within.