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The Significance of the name Vayu

From 1000 Names of the Supreme

Dear All:

The following mantram chanted at the end of the traditional Mantra

Pushpam (Yopaam pushpam Veda…) is actually a query with a very

profound answer provided for the query.

kim tad vishNOr balamaahuhu | kaa deeptih kim paraayaNam |

EkO yad dhaarayad dEvaha | rEjati rOdasee ubhE |

vaataat vishNOr balamaahuhu | aksharaad deeptir uchyatE |

tripadaa dhaarayad dEvaha | yad vishNOrEkam uttamam |

After I sent the email including this mantram to the Gita and Navarathri

groups, I was fortunate to attend the Sudarshana Homam performed at the

construction site of the new Venkateswara temple at Novi, MI (Sat Oct 1)

and also attended a special Hanuman Pooja at the Balaji temple in Sterling

Heights, MI that same evening where we chanted Hanuman Chalisaa 11

times. At that time, one of the recipients of our email asked me about the

significance of this mantram and what it means.

As you all know Hanuman is also known as Vayukumara, since He is the

the son of Vayu. He is also known as Maruti for the same reason, the name

being derived from Marut, which also means wind. Another Sanskrit word

which also means wind is “vaata”, used quite commonly by Ayurveda

practitioners to describe different types of bodily ailments (vaata, pitta,

kapha, etc.) In the above mantram also we encounter “vaataat”, which

means from vaata, or wind, or Vayu, or Marut.

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The mantra starts with a query: Kim tad VishNor balam aahuhu. The

student is enquiring about the power, the strength (balam) of Vishnu. Tell

me about the power of Vishnu. What is it? How can it be described? This is

the question.

This question is then followed with two others. Kaa deeptih kim

parayaaNam. Kaa deeptih? What is the teja (radiance), splendor, glory of

Vishnu? The word deepti is derived from deepa, which means a lamp (as in

deepavali, or Diwali, the festival of lights that we will soon celebrate later

this month). The lamp illuminates and produces light. It dispels the

darkness surrounding it. Likewise, Vishnu. This is the meaning of deepti –

the splendor, the glory, the bright illumination, what makes Vishnu glow

above and illuminate the whole Universe? Why is Vishnu so resplendent?

This is the question.

The next is kim parayaNam, what is the parayaNam (dedicated chanting,

a regimen of prayer, etc.) that is the highest of all and most highly

recommended. Exactly, the same question was posed by Yuddishttira to

Bheeshma, as we see in the introductory verses of the Vishnu

Sahastranamam.

Kim ekam daivatam loke kim vaapyekam (vaa+api+ekam) parayaNam l Stuvantah kam kam arcantahaa praapnuyuh manavaah shubham ll

Now, let’s see what the mantram tells us about VishNor balam, or Vishnu’s

power or strength. Kim VishNor balam aahuhu? The answer to this

question is Vaatat VishNor balam aahuhu. The answer is Vaata, the wind,

the air. This is the source of VishNu’s power, strength, etc, what makes

VishNu the most powerful of all. This is an amazing answer, if we try to

contemplate on the meaning of air, wind, or Vayu.

Fortunately, we are blessed with the following commentary on the deeper

significance of the Vayuhu, one of the 1000 namas that we encounter in the

MahavishNu sahastranamam. It appears in sloka # 44 and it is nama 415.

I have copied and pasted on the commentary for this nama of MahavishNu

which also highlights why the answer is “Vaataat VishNor balamaahuhu”.

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Of course, beyond this there are other meanings as well, as highlighted by

the following, taken from discussions at a Vedic Conference in 2007.

http://www.dattapeetham.com/india/festivals/2007/veda_conference/report.

html

Later, Veda Nidhi Sri R Krishna Murty Ghanapathi, Chennai spoke about the

evidence found in Vedic Texts on modern day discoveries. He quoted the reference

Kim Tad Vishnor Balam? (What is the cause of the force?) and referred to the

subjects Galaxy, Orbitary system, Strength in Aranyaka Mantras.

Finally, I would also like to call your attention to the following discussion

about VishNu and balam and tejo etc. from the Phalashruti portion of the

Vishnu Sahasatranamam. This too describes the power of VishNu.

http://kirtimukha.com/chinnamma/sahasra/phala_shruti.htm

dyauH sa-candrArka nakshatrA kham diSo bhUh mahodadhiH |

vAsudevasya vIryeNa vidhRtAni mahAtmanaH || (14)

"The firmament, along with the moon, the Sun, the stars, the sky, the directions,

Earth, the great sea are all supported by the valor of vAsudeva, the Supreme Lord".

indriyANi mano buddhih sattvam tejo balam dhRtiH |

vAsudevAytmakAni AhuH kshetram kshetraj~na eva ca || (16)

"The sense-organs, mind, intellect, the quality of sttva, power strength, firmness, as

well as the body and the individual soul all of them have vAsudeva as their AtmA

or Inner Soul. So it is stated (by the SAstra-s)".

Very sincerely V. Laxmanan October 1, 2011

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http://kirtimukha.com/chinnamma/sahasra/sloka44.html

The Thousand Names of the Supreme

by

Sri N. Krishnamachari for the Sri Vaishnava Home Page.

Slokam 44

406. vaikunThah

407. purushah

408. prANah

410. praNamah

411. pRthuh

412. hiraNya-garbhah

413. Satru-ghnah

414. vyAptah

415. vAyuh

417. adhokshajah

415. vAyuh

Om vAyave namah. He who moves (towards His devotees).

SrI BhaTTar: He is called vAyu because He Himself goes seeking His

devotees wherever they may be.

Examples are His going to Sabari seeking her with respect, His visit to the

sage BharadvAja in his ASrama, His friendship with Guha, etc.

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SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives the derivation - vAti sarvatra gato bhavatiiti

vAyuh – vishNuh - He who is spread out everywhere in this Universe.

There is not a single place in this Universe where air has not entered or

does not exist. This is the guNa of BhagavAn.

The dharma cakram writer reminds us that this is a nAma that emphasizes

BhgavAn's guNa of being all-pervasive. He gives reference to the verse

from GItA - "puNyogandhah pRthivyAm - I am the principle of sweet

fragrance in the earth (7.9). We can survive without food or water for a few

days, but without vAyu we can't survive even for a few minutes. Without

bhagavAn, we can't survive, period. This is the concept this nAma should

remind us. VAyu comes to us without our seeking; so does bhagavAn - He

seeks His devotees and goes after them (see SrI BhaTTar's vyAkhyAnam

in the beginning). VAyu does not distinguish between people in any way;

so does BhagavAn mingle with everyone with equality of disposition.

SrI CinmayAnanda points out that He is not just the air but the life-giving

force behind the air. SrI Sankara derives the meaning from vAti - gandham

karoti iti vAyuh – He who is the cause of smell. SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri

refers us to theupanishad - vAyurasmai puNyam gandham Avahati -

aitareya 1.7. BhagavAn is the antaryAmi for vAyu, and makes vAyu

perform its functions -"yo vAyau tishThan-vAyorantaro yam vAyur-na veda

yasya vAyuh SarIram yovAyumantaro yamayati, esha te

AtmAntaryAmyamRtah" - bRhadA 3.7.7.

SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri gives several passages from the Sruti to bring out

the uniqueness and importance of vAyu among the devatAs. The Sun,

moon, fire and water all merge into vAyu when they disappear - vAyurvAva

samvargoyadA vA agnirudvAyati, vAyumevApyeti, yadA sUryo'stameti

vAyumevApyeti, yadAcandro'stameti vAyumevApyeti,yadApa

ucchushyantivAyumevApiyantivAyuhyavaitAn-sarvAn-samvRkye

(chAndogya 4.3). When the indriya-devatA-s such as the sun and the

moon enter the sushupti state, vAyu continues to be active as the prANa

vAyu - mlocanti hyanyA devatAh, navAyuh, saishA'nastamitA devatA

vAyuh - bRhadA 1.5.22.

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BhgavAn VishNu bears the earth through His vibhUti as vAyu - kim tad-

vishNor-balamAhuh |vAtAt-vishNor-balamAhuh | (taittirIya 1.8.3). vAyu is

the thread that keeps this world together like a string holding the beads of a

chain; without this the world will break apart like a chain with a broken

string; BhagavAn is this force - vAyurvai gautama tat-sUtram, vAyunA vai

gautamasUtreNAyam ca lokah paraSca lokah sarvANi ca bhutAni

sandRbdhAni bhavanti(bRhadA 3.5.2).

Thus vAyuh and its vital role in the existence and survival of this Universe

is the reason for BhagavAn's nAma as vAyuh.

417. adhokshajah