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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 89 - a-mUrtih.

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champakam • April 18, 2003 


     SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 89 - a-mUrtih.

834. a-mUrtih – a) He Who does not have a body that is the effect of 
karma similar to ours.
		b) He Who is signified by the letter `a' in praNavam.

SrI BhaTTar interprets the next few nAma-s as illustrating that 
bhagavAn is very different from the jIva-s over whom He presides, in 
His Nature.

mUrti refers to form.  a-mUrti literally means "One Who has no 
form".  

a) SrI BhaTTar interprets the nAma as meaning that He does not have a 
form that is like any of our bodies, and it is quite different from 
the gross bodies of ours that is composed of the five elements - 
sthUla-bhautika mUrti vyAvRttah a-mUrtih.  

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj gives support from the ISAvAsya Upanishad 
(8):  sa paryagAt Sukram a-kAyam a-vraNamÂ… - The One with no body 
(caused by karma) –a-kAyam.

SrI Sa'nkara defines the term `mUrti" as an object, moving or 
unmoving, that has weight and tangibility – mUrtih ghana-rUpam 
dhAraNa samartham carAcara lakshaNam.  Since He is not constrained by 
any of these limitations, He is amUrtih – tad-rahita iti a-mUrtih.  
SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri elaborates on this, and notes that the 
term `ghana rUpam' here refers to consumable food which is of two 
kinds – the moving kind, such as the rat for the cat, and the non-
moving kind such as the rice for the humans.  The `mUrti" or form 
that is referred to here is the form that requires sustenance in the 
form of the ghana-rUpam that is of the moving or the non-moving 
kind.  Since He is not constrained by such a form that needs to be 
supported as noted here, He is called a-mUrtih.  

SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri remarks that mUrti or form is that which is 
given to us for the enjoyment of the benefits of our karma.  Since 
bhagavAn does not have a form that is the result of karma-s, He is a-
mUrtih.  

Brahman is like fire that has no fixed shape or form.  It can grow as 
large as it chooses to, and take whatever form It wants.  SrI 
vAsishTha gives the following Rg vedic mantra, which describes agni 
as formless (amUram  = amUrtam):  

	agnim hotAram pravRNe miyedhe gRtsam kavim viSam-idam 
amUram   |   (Rg. 3.19.1)

b) SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj also gives the interpretation that the 
nAma signifies that bhagavAn is represented by the letter `a' – akAro 
mUrtih yasya iti a-mUrtih.   In this interpreation, a-mUrtih is "One 
Who has the mUrti of form represented by the letter "a".  

svAmi deSikan quotes from ashTaSlokI in his rahasya traya sAram:  

akArArtho vishNuh jagad-udaya-rakshA-pralaya-kRt |

"a-kAram refers to Lord vishNu, in His role as the Creator, 
Protector, and Destroyer of the Universe".

SrI vAsishTha nicely brings out the point that bhagavAn is a-mUrtih, 
by pointing out the relation between the soul and the body with which 
it is associated.  Just as the soul is formless, but supports the 
body that it is associated with, bhagavAn is the formless Supreme 
Soul that supports all the formed entities in this Universe.  Here is 
his composition expressing this interpretation:

	AtmA hi amUrtir-vahate ca mUrtam gAtram yathA nAma 
tathAbhupaiti    |
	vishnUr-hi amUrtih sakalam ca viSvam vahan tathA nAmabhir-
ucyate sah   ||


-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan




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