The Vishnu Sahasranama is a praise of Lord Vishnu through a thousand of His names. But, the first name is not Vishnu. It is Visvam — which means He is complete in every respect, having no deficiency whatsoever. He is perfection embodied. Visvam indicates totality. Those who recite this nama of the Lord will lack nothing in their lives, said V.S. Karunakarachariar, in a discourse.
The second name is Vishnu, which indicates His all pervasiveness. The third name is vasatkArah. Sankara Bhagavadpada explains this with reference to yagas. When a yaga is performed, the Vedic pandits say, “vasat.” It is Lord Narayana who is addressed as ‘vasat.’ So He is vasatkArah, says Bhagavadpada. Satyasanda Teertha explains the name as meaning the One who is in possession of six auspicious qualities, namely jnana, bala, aiswarya, virya, sakti and tejas.
According to Parasara Bhatta, vasatkArah means the One who makes everything go according to His plans. He is in control of everything. The Lord directs how everything takes place, and this is seen in an episode in the Mahabharata. Krishna is going to meet the Kauravas as a messenger of the Pandavas, and the Kauravas and their advisers discuss how to welcome Him. Duryodhana says not only should Krishna not be welcomed, but should be treated disrespectfully. He also wants the others to follow his treatment of Krishna. Krishna arrives, and Duryodhana is the first to welcome Him! He does not even realise he is welcoming the Lord. So, although he wanted to insult Krishna, he ends up receiving Him warmly. The Lord ensures that Duryodhana is unable to carry out his plan. This shows that no matter what plans we make, it is ultimately His plans which will prevail. So clearly, He is vasatkArah — the One in charge always.