Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

, Vaishvanara ( sa, वैश्वानर, pronounced ), meaning "of or related to Visvanara" is an abstract concept. It is related to the soul atman, the (universal) Self or self-existent essence of human beings. Etymologically (the study of the history of words), Vaishvanara is a derivative of the conjoined word Vishvanara ''i.e.''

Vishva ''Viśhva'' (Sanskrit:विश्व), root विश् ("''vish''") (to pervade) means all-pervading or omnipresent. It is another name for Vishnu and also refers to the world, the universe. In literature, this word refers to the entire encha ...

(Universe) + Narah (Man) ''i.e.'' the 'Universal or Cosmic Man'. In the Rig Veda, Vaishvanara is an epithet of the fire god deity

Agni Agni (English: , sa, अग्नि, translit=Agni) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu ...

Forms of Vaishvanara

As per the

Mandukya Upanishad The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad ( sa, माण्डूक्य उपनिषद्, ) is the shortest of all the Upanishads, and is assigned to Atharvaveda. It is listed as number 6 in the Muktikā canon of 108 Upanishads. It is in prose, c ...

, the Self has four aspects or states of consciousness.Easwaran, Eknath (2009-06-01). The Upanishads (Classic of Indian Spirituality) (p. 203). Nilgiri Press. Kindle Edition. The first is the Vaishvanara manifestation, under the ''jagrat'' or the waking state which is outwardly cognitive. The Self in Vaishvanara form has seven limbs, nineteen mouths and has the capability to experience material objects. The seven limbs of Vaishvanara pertain to the 'cosmic body' of 'Vaishvanara'. These are enumerated in verse 18.2 of the Chandogya Upanishad,

e heavens are his head, the sun his eyes, the air his breath, the fire his heart, the water his stomach, the earth his feet, and space his body.

The seven limbs of Vaishvanara have also referred to in the first verse of the

, which have been described to encompass the entire manifest universe. The nineteen "mouths" are * The five sense organs * The five organs of action (walking, talking, expelling, procreating, and handling) * The five pranas * The four functions of mind (aspects of antahkarana) - the mind (manas), the intellect (buddhi), the ego sense (ahamkara), and thought (çitta) Further, Agni Vaishvanara is regarded as Author of the Hymns of the Rig-veda (x. 79, 80).

Agning prajvalitang vande Jata-vedang Hutashanang:
Suvarna-varnam amalang samiddhang sarvvatomukham.

The Mahanirvana Tantra also refers to certain Vaishvanara:

Vaishvanara Jataveda ihavaha ihavaha;
lohitaksha, sarvva-karmani sadhaya: svaha.

As per the Tantras, Vaishvanara meaning "Ruling or benefiting all men," is also a name of the tantric goddess

Savitr Savitṛ (Sanskrit: stem ', nominative singular '), also rendered as Savitur, in Vedic scriptures is an Aditya i.e. off-spring of the Vedic primeval mother goddess Aditi. His name in Vedic Sanskrit connotes "impeller, rouser, vivifier." ...

References

{{reflist Hindu philosophical concepts Vedanta

Forms of Vaishvanara

See also

References