Who actually wrote Vishnu Sahasranamam?

 

Vishnu Sahasranamam or the thousand names of Vishnu appears in the Anusasana Parva of the Mahabharata, as a narration of Bhishma to Yudhisthira.

Though it appears in Mahabharata and was attributed to Shri Vyasa, yet it might be an interpolated version, as it represents a Vaishnava literature.

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Interestingly description of Vishnu Sahasranama appears in Skanda Purana also.

While eulogising Vishnu as the remover of obstacles, Brahma states that Sage Markandeya narrated the thousand names of Vishnu to him.

In Skanda Purana (Chapter 63 - The Greatness of Tīrthas in Section 1 - Avantīkṣetra-māhātmya), Brahma eulogises Vishnu, as the remover of obstacles.

brahmovāca |

śrūyatāṃ bhoḥ suraśreṣṭhā viṣṇubhaktimanuttamām |

śuklāṃbaradharaṃ devaṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam || 62 ||

prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyetsarvavighnopaśāṃtaye |

lābhasteṣāṃ jayasteṣāṃ kutasteṣāṃ parājayaḥ || 63 ||

yeṣāmiṃdīvaraśyāmo hṛdayastho janārdanaḥ |

abhīpsitārthasiddhyarthaṃ pūjyate yaḥ surairapi || 64 ||

sarvavighnaharastasmai gaṇādhipataye namaḥ |

kalpādau sṛṣṭikāmena preritohaṃ ca śauriṇā || 65 ||

na śakto vai prajāḥ kartuṃ viṣṇudhyānaparāyaṇaḥ |

etasminnaṃtare sadyo mārkaṇḍeyo mahāṛṣiḥ || 66 ||

sarvasiddheśvaro dāṃto dīrghāyurvijiteṃdriyaḥ |

mayā dṛṣṭo 'tha gatvā taṃ tadāhaṃ samupasthitaḥ |

tataḥ praphullanayanau satkṛtya cetaretaram || 67 ||

pṛcchamānau paraṃ svāsthyaṃ sukhāsīnau surottamāḥ |

tadā mayā sa pṛṣṭo vai mārkaṇḍeyo mahāmuniḥ || 68 ||

bhagavankena prakāreṇa prajā me'nāmayā bhavet |

tatsarvaṃ śrotumicchāmi bhagavanmunivaṃdita || 69 ||

Brahmā said

O excellent Suras, may this excellent procedure of worship to Viṣṇu be heard:

For the sake of the suppression of all obstacles, one should meditate upon the Four-armed Lord who is clad in white garments, whose complexion is on a par with the moon and whose countenance beams with pleasure.

If Lord Janārdana of complexion dark like a blue lotus is stationed in the heart of people, all acquisitions are theirs, all victory is theirs. Whence can there be defeat unto them?

Obeisance to that Lord of Gaṇas who destroys all obstacles and who is adored even by the Suras for the sake of the achievement of the desired benefit.

I was urged by Śauri (Viṣṇu) who was desirous of creation at the beginning of the Kalpa. I became engaged in the meditation of Viṣṇu. Yet I was incapable of creating the subjects.

In the meantime, the great sage Mārkaṇḍeya who had subdued all the sense-organs, who has a long span of life; who is the Lord of all Siddhas, was seen by me all of a sudden. Thereupon, I approached him. Both of us were delighted with the eyes in full bloom as it were. We honoured each other and enquired after each others health and welfare. O excellent Suras, we were then comfortably seated. Then that great sage Mārkaṇḍeya was asked by me, “O holy Sir, revered by sages, by what means may my subjects be free from ailments? I wish to hear everything from you who are bowed to by sages.”

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Then Sage Markandeya describes (from 75th shloka onwards) the Vishnusahasranama or the 1,000 names of Vishnu.