The sarvAtmAn hymn to viShNu shows some variations between recensions and traditions but form accepted amongst smArtas has 40 core shlokas corresponding to Mbh 12.47.23-63. This an extremely important hymn of viShNu, comparable to the hymn to rudra by the goat-faced dakSha. The R^iShi of sarvAtmaka mahAvaiShNava stotra is given as bhagavAn vyAsa, the Chandas is anuShTubh, the devAtA is sarvAtmaka mahA-viShNu.
Its importance lies in the fact that it might represent one of the earliest post-vedic compositions to viShNu, within an early vaiShNava lineage that was strongly affiliated with vedic ritualism. An important point to note is that the critical version of the hymn shared by all recensions and practiced by smArtas does not have any mention of the avatAra-s or the vAsudeva-centric elements of sAttvata that contributed to pA~nchAratra. So its original composition was possibly outside of these streams and was latter swallowed into the sAttvata context (as much of the vaiShNava material in the mahAbhArata belongs to the early sAttvata tradition). We suspect that there were 3 streams of early vaiShNavism: 2 associated with the kR^iShNa yajurvedins: 1) The taittirIyas, of which the vaikhAnasa branch gave rise to an early vaiShNava system. 2) the kaTHas who possibly incorporated an early avatAra model centered on yaGYa-varaha (viShNu smR^iti, viShNu-dharma and viShNu-dharmottara eventually emerged from this school). 3) The sAttvata-s who promulagated the chatur-vyUha system and developed other aspects of the avatAra concept centered on kR^iShNa. This was the precursor of the later pA~ncharAtra. It is possible, but not certain, that this school might have had association with a shukla-yajurvedic shAkha called ekAyana. This school was strong in Mathura and interacted with the early shaivas and kaumAra-s, who also have a presence in the mahAbhArata. In later history all these three schools extensively exchanged concepts, espcially in terms of the avatAra concept.
hiraNya-varNaM yaM garbham-aditir daitya nAshanam |
ekaM dvAdashadhA jaGYe tasmai sUryAtmane namaH ||1||
shukle devAn pitR^In kR^iShNe tarpayatyamR^itena yaH |
yashcha rAjA dvijAtInAM tasmai somAtmane namaH ||2||
The famous concept that in the bright fortnight the soma cup of the moon is drained by the deva, whereas in the dark fortnight by the manes is expressed here. The vedic idea of soma as rAja of the brAhmaNas is repeated.
mahatas-tamasaH pAre puruShaM jvalanadyutim |
yaM GYAtvA mR^ityumatyeti tasmai GYeyAtmane namaH ||3||
yaM bR^ihantaM bR^ihatyukthe yam agnau yaM mahAdhvare |
yaM vipra sa~NghA gAyanti tasmai vedAtmane namaH ||4||
Here we find an identification of viShNu as the agnichayana: the bR^ihad-uktha is the collection of 80 triR^ichas recited in the final part of the agnichayana. ” you are the fire, the great sacrificial ritual is the reference to the agnichayana”
R^ig-yajuH sAma dhAmAnaM dashArdha havirAkR^itim |
yaM sapta tantuM tanvanti tasmai yaGYAtmane namaH || 5||
viShNu is identified with the 3 vedic recitation, the 10 half oblations and the 7 thread from which the sacrifice is woven. Typically this is taken to mean 7 main Chandas: gAyatri, uShNik, anuStubh, triShTubh, jagati, bR^ihati and pankti or the 7 vyAhR^iti calls.
yaH suparNo yajurnAma Chando gAtras trivR^ichChirAH |
rathantara bR^ihat-yakShas tasmai stotrAtmane namaH || 6||
This idea, extensively developed in the ritual of the pA~ncharAtra tantras, is the construction of the body of viShNu by vedic mantras: suparNa yajushes are his name, the Chandas the body, the trivR^it the head, the bR^ihat and rathanthara sAmans his body. The specific identification with yajur hymns is an aspect seen in vaikhAnasas and some pA~ncharAtric texts. This makes one wonder if the sarvAtman was actually a production of the early vaikhAnasas, who were one of the first of the more “vedically oriented” vaiShNavas. This is supported by the five-fold manifestation of viShNu mentioned below, which is an important tenet of vaikhAnasa thought.
yaH sahasra-save satre jaGYe vishva-sR^ijAm-R^iShiH |
hiraNyavarNaH shakunis tasmai haMsAtmane namaH || 7||
viShNu is called the R^iShi in the satra with the 1000-fold pouring in which the world was generated and equated to the famous vedic golden bird “hirANya pakShaM shakunaM”.
padA~NgaM sandhiparvANaM svaravya~njana lakShaNam |
yamAhurakSharaM nityaM tasmai vAgAtmane namaH || 8||
yashchinoti satAM setumR^itenAmR^ita yoninA |
dharmArthavyavahArA~Ngaistasmai satyAtmane namaH || 9||
yaM pR^ithag dharmacharaNAH pR^ithag dharma phalaiShiNaH |
pR^ithag dharmaiH samarchanti tasmai dharmAtmane namaH || 10||
yaM taM vyaktastham-avyaktaM vichinvanti maharShayaH |
kShetre kShetraGYamAsInaM tasmai kShetrAtmane namaH || 11||
yaM dR^igAtmAnamAtmasthaM vR^itaM ShoDashabhir guNaiH |
prAhuH saptadashaM sA~NkhyAs tasmai sA~NkhyAtmane namaH || 12||
viShNu is identified with sAMkhya thought. viShNu is called the 17th entity of sAMkhya, enveloped the 16 attributes. Based on the commentary of nIlakaNTha one might suggest that the 17th is the puruSha, while the 16 are prakR^iti + her evolutes (possibly 5 bhUta-s, 5 karmendriya and 5 GYAnendriyas)
yaM vinidrA jitashvAsAH sattvasthAH saMyatendriyAH |
jyotiH pashyanti yu~njAnAs tasmai yogAtmane namaH || 13||
viShNu is identified with yoga here–explicitly yoga is describe as the control of breath (prANAyAma) and withdrawal from sense-inputs.
apuNya puNyoparame yaM punarbhava nirbhayAH |
shAntAH saMnyAsino yAnti tasmai mokShAtmane namaH || 14||
yo.asau yuga-sahasrAnte pradIptArchir vibhAvasu |
sambhakShayati bhUtAni tasmai ghorAtmane namaH || 15||
sambhakShya sarvabhUtAni kR^itvA chaikArNavaM jagat |
bAlaH svapiti yashchaikas tasmai mAyAtmane namaH || 16||
viShNu is depicted as sleeping as an infant on the ekArNava after devouring the universe and creating the pralaya. This form is recalled in pA~ncharAtra and is encountered by mArkaNDeya.
sahasra-shirase tasmai puruShAyAmitAtmane |
chatuH samudraparyAya yoganidrAtmane namaH || 17||
ajasya nAbhAvadhyekaM yasminvishvaM pratiShThitam |
puShkaraM puShkarAkShasya tasmai padmAtmane namaH || 18||
yasya kesheShu jImUtA nadyaH sarvA~NgasandhiShu |
kukShau samudrAshchatvArastasmai toyAtmane namaH || 19||
yugeShvAvartate yo.aMshairdinartvanaya hAyanaiH |
sarga pralayayoH kartA tasmai kAlAtmane namaH || 20||
brahma vaktraM bhujau kShatraM kR^itsnam-UrUdaraM vishaH |
pAdau yasyAshritAH shUdrAs tasmai varNAtmane namaH || 21||
yasyAgnir-AsyaM dyaur-mUrdhA khaM nAbhish-charaNau kShitiH |
sUryash-chakShur dishaH shrotre tasmai lokAtmane namaH || 22||
The identification of viShNu with the puruSha of the vedic puruSha sUktaM is made in the the above 2 shlokas (This is a restatement of material from mantras 13/14/15 taittirIya version)
viShaye vartamAnAnAM yaM taM vaisheShikair guNaiH |
prAhur-viShaya goptAraM tasmai goptrAtmane namaH || 23||
There also appears to be an explicit mention of vaiSheshika thought here.
annapAnendhana mayo rasaprANavivardhanaH |
yo dhArayati bhUtAni tasmai prANAtmane namaH || 24||
paraH kAlAtparo yaGYAtparaH sadasatoshcha yaH |
anAdirAdirvishvasya tasmai vishvAtmane namaH || 25||
yo mohayati bhUtAni sneha rAgAnubandhanaiH |
sargasya rakShaNArthAya tasmai mohAtmane namaH || 26||
AtmaGYAnam idaM GYAnaM GYAtvA pa~nchasva vasthitam |
yaM GYAnino.adhigachChanti tasmai GYAnAtmane namaH || 27||
aprameya sharIrAya sarvato.ananta chakShuShe |
apAra-parimeyAya tasmai chintyAtmane namaH || 28||
jaTine daDine nityaM lambodara sharIriNe |
kamaNDaluniSha~NgAya tasmai brahmAtmane namaH || 29|
shUline tridasheshAya tryambakAya mahAtmane |
bhasma dR^ighordhva li~NgAya tasmai rudrAtmane namaH || 30||
The identification of viShNu with rudra and is made here (The key attributes of rudra that are mentioned are the trident, rudra as tryambaka and bhasma and Urdhva li~Nga)
pa~ncha bhUtAtmabhUtAya bhUtAdi nidhanAtmane |
akrodha droha mohAya tasmai shAntAtmane namaH || 31||
yasmin-sarvaM yataH sarvaM yaH sarvaM sarvatashcha yaH |
yashcha sarvamayo nityaM tasmai sarvAtmane namaH || 32||
vishvakarman namaste.astu vishvAtman vishvasambhava |
apavargo.asi bhUtAnAM pa~nchAnAM parataH sthitaH || 33||
namaste triShu lokeShu namaste paratastriShu |
namaste dikShu sarvAsu tvaM hi sarvaparAyaNam || 34||
namaste bhagavan viShNo lokAnAM prabhavApyaya |
tvaM hi kartA hR^iShIkesha saMhartA chAparAjitaH || 35||
tena pashyAmi te divyAn-bhAvAn hi triShu vartmasu |
tachcha pashyAmi tattvena yatte rUpaM sanAtanam || 36||
divaM te shirasA vyAptaM padbhyAM devI vasundharA |
vikrameNa trayo lokAH puruSho.asi sanAtanaH || 37||
atasI puShpa sa~NkAshaM pItavAsasam-achyutam |
ye namasyanti govindaM na teShAM vidyate bhayam || 38||
yathA viShNumayaM satyaM yathA viShNumayaM haviH |
yathA viShNumayaM sarvaM pApmA me nashyatAM tathA || 39||
tvAM prapannAya bhaktAya gatimiShTAM jigIShave |
yachChreyaH puNDarIkAkSha taddhyAyasva surottama || 40||
iti vidyA tapo yonirayonirviShNurIDitaH |
vAgyaGYenArchito devaH prIyatAM mejanArdanaH || 41||
mAnasa-taraMgiNI 