2.7: Vaiśvānarādhikaraṇam – The meaning of Vaiśvānara

“The ambiguous word vaiśvānara refers to the Lord, because the qualities mentioned are appropriate for Him only. This can also be understood from statements in the scriptures.

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Topic 7: Vaiśvānarādhikaraṇam – The meaning of Vaiśvānara

Vaiśvānara is the Supreme Personality of Godhead

vaiśvānara-sādhāraṇa-śabda-viśeṣāt, smaryamāṇam anumānam syād iti, śabdādibhyo’ntaḥpratiṣṭhānāc ca neti cen na tathā-dṛṣṭy-upadeśāsambhavāt puruṣa-vidham api cainam adhīyate, ata eva na devatā bhūtam ca, sākṣād apy avirodham jaiminiḥ, abhivyakter ity āśmarathyaḥ, anusmṛter iti bādariḥ, sampatter iti jaiminis tathā hi darśayati, āmananti cainam asmin

“The ambiguous word vaiśvānara refers to the Lord, because the qualities mentioned are appropriate for Him only. This can also be inferred from statements in the smṛti. If one argues that Vaiśvānara is not Lord Viṣnu because He is described as fire and as residing within the body, I say no. It is described in this way for the purpose of meditation. It is not possible to interpret it in any other way. Furthermore, He is described as a person, with a human-like form. For the reasons mentioned above, Vaiśvānara is not the demigod, nor the element fire.

Jaimini is of the opinion that the name Agni may be interpreted to directly mean the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no inconsistency in this. Āśmarathya concludes that the Lord appears in this way [the size of the distance between the thumb and forefinger in the heart] because He manifests Himself for His devotee. Bādari confirms that the Lord is described as being this size simply for meditative purposes. Jaimini says that He appears in this way out of His transcendental, inconceivable power. This is declared in the śruti-śāstra. The students of the Atharva Veda also declare His inconceivable powers.”

Sūtra 1.2.25 - The qualities are appropriate for the Lord only

vaiśvānara-sādhāraṇa-śabda-viśeṣāt

vaiśvānara: The word vaiśvānara; sādharaṇa: general, common; śabda: term, word; viśeṣāt: because of the distinction.

The ambiguous word vaiśvānara refers to the Lord, because the qualities mentioned are appropriate for Him only.

Commentary: The word “vaiśvānara” is used in several important passages of the scriptures. However, the meaning is ambiguous. Vaiśvānara is used in the sense of cosmic fire, digestive fire, sacrificial fire, or even the fire of life or consciousness. Depending on the meaning accepted, these passages can gain different meanings.

In his Govinda Bhāṣya, Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains that the Vaiśvānara mentioned in this sūtra is connected with a passage from the 5th chapter of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad.

The passage begins with five wealthy brāhmana householders: Prāśinaśāla, Satya-yajñā, Indradyumna, Jana, and Buḍila, coming together to deliberate on the nature of the Supreme Brahman. They are all Vedic scholars and are engaged in performing sacrifices, but their knowledge is incomplete. Their inquiry starts with the words “ko nu ātmā kim brahmeti”: Who is ātma? Who is the Supreme Brahman? (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 5.11.1)

Incapable of finding a definitive answer by themselves, they approach Uddālaka Āruṇi to receive from him teachings about Vaiśvānara, whom they understand to be the ātmā they are inquiring about. He, however, doesn’t consider himself sufficiently qualified to instruct such great sages and directs them to Aśvapati, a wise king, telling them that he knows Vaiśvānara.

They then approach Aśvapati and inquire from him: vaiśvānaram sampraty adhyeṣi tam eva no brūhīti, “You know about Vaiśvānara, please teach us.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 5.11.6)

For one familiar with the conclusions of the Vedas, it is clear by this point that Vaiśvānara is the Supreme Lord, and the whole passage is dedicated to revealing this truth, but this is not directly indicated in the text at this point. The meaning of the word “vaiśvānara” is kept ambiguous, allowing a casual reader to go through the process of inquiry and instruction, as in other passages of the Upaniṣads.

Aśvapati starts questioning them about what they know and what they worship as ātma, the Supreme Lord. One by one, they reveal having only partial knowledge about the subject. Prāśinaśāla worships the heavenly planets as Vaiśvānara, Satya-yajñā worships the Sun, Indradyumna worships Vāyu, Jana worships the element ether, and Buḍila worships water.

Aśvapati explains that these are just partial understandings of the absolute truth, and although they could attain many temporary material opulences by this worship, ultimately, they would attain only disease and death as a result. He then offers a unified explanation, explaining Vaiśvānara as the universal form of the Lord, encompassing the whole universe.

The concept of Vaiśvānara as the universal form is also discussed in the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad, where Vaiśvānara is equated with Lord Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣnu (Paramātmā), appearing externally as the universal form, and internally as the Supersoul.

These are the relevant verses from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad:

tān hovācaite vai khalu yūyam pṛthag ivemam ātmānam vaiśvānaram vidvāmso ’nnam attha, yas tv etam evam prādeśa-mātram abhivimānam ātmānam vaiśvānaram upaste sa sarveṣu lokeṣu sarveṣu bhūteṣu sarveṣv ātmasv annam atti

“Aśvapati said to them: You know that Self, Vaiśvānara, as if He were divided and separate, and experience worldly pleasures accordingly. However, one who meditates on Vaiśvānara as being the size of the distance between the thumb and forefinger and is situated inside the hearts of all, who being all-pervading, resides in all places and all elements, this person is truly nourished [he attains immortality].” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 5.18.1)

tasya ha vā etasyātmano vaiśvānarasya mūrdhaiva su-tejāś cakṣur viśva-rūpaḥ prāṇaḥ pṛthag-vartmātmā sandeho bahulo bastir eva rayiḥ pṛthivy eva pādāv uru eva vedir lomāni barhir hṛdayam gārhapatyo mano ’nvārhāryapacana āstyam āhavanīyaḥ

“The radiant heaven is the head of Vaiśvānara; the sun with its myriad forms is his eye; the wind that blows everywhere is his breath; the all-encompassing ether is his trunk, the waters, source of all nourishment, are his belly; and the Earth itself, his two feet. His broad chest is the sacrificial altar and the kuśa grass, His bodily hairs. His heart, mind, and mouth are the three sacrificial fires, known as gārhapatya, dakṣiṇa, and āhavanīya.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 5.18.2)

The king then instructed the Brāhmaṇas on how to perform their fire sacrifices with this understanding, obtaining everything desirable, culminating in spiritual power obtained through the study of the scriptures. He mentioned to them that when one achieves this, all one’s sins are burned, just as dry grass thrown into the fire. He also advised them that sacrifices performed without the understanding of the Supreme Lord as the ultimate beneficiary are useless, like offering oblations to ashes.

When the Vedas are studied under proper guidance, we receive all the proper conclusions of the text, and everything sounds very simple. We can take the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, for example: the explanations from Prabhupāda make the text of the Gītā, which challenged scholars for centuries, accessible even for a layman. However, when the Vedas are studied without such guidance, even the most elementary passages become challenging.

In this way, after studying the above passage without proper guidance, one would be unsure about the meaning. What is the identity of this mysterious Vaiśvānara who should be worshiped? Is Vaiśvānara the fire of digestion, the demigod Agni, the fire element, or Lord Viṣnu?

To this, Vyāsadeva answers: vaiśvānara-sādhāraṇa-śabda-viśeṣāt. The Vaiśvānara mentioned in the passage is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because the qualities mentioned are appropriate for Him only.

Even though the word “vaiśvānara” has many meanings, in this passage it describes Lord Viṣnu. This is clearly indicated by the qualities described in the verse, starting with the description that the heavenly planets are His head (mūrdhaiva su-tejāś). Apart from the Lord, no one can claim to have Svargaloka as part of their body. There is also the usage of the words ātmā and brahman, which also indicate Lord Viṣnu, especially when used together, and the result of knowing Vaiśvānara described in the text is the same as the result of knowing Lord Viṣnu indicated in other passages.

A later verse of the passage (5.24.3) mentions that just as dry grass is burned by fire, all sins of one who performs sacrifices in full knowledge of Lord Vaiśvānara are completely destroyed. Everyone in the material world, including demigods, is under the results of karma; only Lord Viṣnu has the power to destroy the karma of His worshipers.

Finally, the word vaiśvānara is composed of two words: viśva (all) and nara (human beings), and thus it means “He who is the resting place of all human beings”. Everything taken together, it is impossible to deny that Vaiśvānara means Lord Viṣnu.

Sūtra 1.2.26 - The fire of digestion

smaryamāṇam anumānam syād iti

smaryamāṇam: described in the smṛti-śāstra; anumānam: inference; syād: is; iti: thus.

This can also be inferred from statements in the smṛti.

Commentary: There are many other passages in the scriptures that refer to the word vaiśvānara. In the Bhagavad-gītā, for example, Kṛṣṇa mentions that:

aham vaiśvānaro bhūtvā, prāṇinām deham āśritaḥ

prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ, pacāmy annam catur-vidham

Here, by the expression “aham vaiśvānaro bhūtvā“, Kṛṣṇa directly declares that He is vaiśvānara, present in the body of all living entities. Prabhupāda translates the word vaiśvānara in this context as “My plenary portion as the digesting fire“, translating the verse as:

“I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I join with the air of life, outgoing and incoming, to digest the four kinds of foodstuff.”

The fire of digestion is an energy, and the Lord is the energetic. The Lord acts through His energy, becoming the fire of digestion that is essential for the subsistence of all living beings. Therefore, even when the word vaiśvānara is used in the sense of the fire of digestion, this doesn’t mean just a material chemical function, but a manifestation of the Lord. In this way, no matter what meaning is accepted, the word vaiśvānara indicates the Lord, just as prāna, ākaṣa, and so on.

On the other hand, the fire of digestion taken as a separate entity does not have all the characteristics of the Lord. The fire of digestion is not the source of everything, and it can’t give liberation, for example. Accepting vaiśvānara as the fire of digestion is the same as accepting electricity as the electrical engineer.

In this way, one of the processes to find the correct answer in this case is inference. The right answer is evident and can be found through simple reasoning.

Sūtra 1.2.27 - Vaiśvānara is not ordinary fire

śabdādibhyo’ntaḥpratiṣṭhānāc ca neti cen na tathā-dṛṣṭy-upadeśāsambhavāt puruṣa-vidham api cainam adhīyate

śabdādibhyah: from the words; antaḥ: within; pratiṣṭhānāt: because of abiding; ca: and; na: not; iti: thus; cet: if; na: not; tathā: thus; dṛṣṭi: meditation on Viṣnu; upadeśāt: from the teaching; asambhavāt: because of impossibility; puruṣa-vidham: having the form of a person; api: also; ca: and; enam: Him; adhīyate: is described.

If one argues that Vaiśvānara is not Lord Viṣnu because He is described as fire and as residing within the body, I say no. It is described in this way for the purpose of meditation. It is not possible to interpret it in any other way. Furthermore, He is described as a person, with a human-like form.

Commentary: The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (5.9.1) mentions:

ayam agnir vaiśvānaro yo ’yam antaḥ puruṣe, yenedam annam pacyate, yad idam adyate, tasyaiṣa ghoṣo bhavati, yam etat karṇāv apidhāya śṛṇoti, sa yadotkramiṣyan bhavati nainam ghoṣam śṛṇoti

“This fire, called Vaiśvānara, is the fire within a person by whom the food that is eaten is digested. His presence can be perceived by the sound heard when one covers the ears. When a person departs from this life, he no longer hears this sound.”

Then, later in text 5.18.2, it is mentioned: hṛdayam gārhapatyo mano ’nvārhāryapacana āstyam āhavanīyaḥ, “The garhapatya fire is His heart, the

anvaharyapacana fire is His mind, and the ahavaniya fire is His mouth”. In this way, vaiśvānara is described as the three sacrificial fires.

Based on these passages, one could argue that Vaiśvānara is nothing more than ordinary fire, present internally as the fire of digestion and outside as the sacrificial fire (in the Vedas, both acid reactions that burn, and a flame, as well as radiation and electricity are all considered manifestations of fire).

To this, Vyāsadeva objects: śabdādibhyo’ntaḥpratiṣṭhānāc ca neti cen na tathā-dṛṣṭy-upadeśāsambhavāt puruṣa-vidham api cainam adhīyate. Vaiśvānara is described as a fire residing inside the individual, as a means of meditation on Lord Viṣnu, and not in the sense of being an ordinary fire. Some of the characteristics mentioned in the verses may appear to sustain this idea, but the argument collapses very quickly when we come to the descriptions of Vaiśvānara being a person, having the celestial planets as His head, etc., which can’t at all be applied to ordinary fire.

This is also supported in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa (10.6.1.11), where it is mentioned:

sa yo hy etam evāgnim vaiśvānaram puruṣa-vidham puruṣe ’ntaḥ pratiṣṭhitam veda

“He who knows this fire, Vaiśvānara, who has a human-like form and resides inside the hearts of all living beings, conquers death.”

If Vaiśvānara is interpreted as meaning simply “fire”, this agrees with the description of the fire being present in the hearts of all living entities, but it contradicts the passage mentioning Him having the form of a person. However, when the correct understanding is reached, of Vaiśvānara being Lord Viṣnu, then all descriptions are harmonized.

Sūtra 1.2.28 - Vaiśvānara is not the demigod, nor the material element

ata eva na devatā bhūtam ca

ataḥ eva: therefore; na: not; devatā: demigod; bhūtam: element; ca: and.

For the reasons mentioned above, Vaiśvānara is not the demigod, nor the element fire.

Commentary: Just as the fire of digestion, the element fire itself is just an energy of the Lord. It can’t be taken as Vaiśvānara because it doesn’t have all the characteristics that are mentioned in the verses.

What about the demigod Agni? There are a few verses in the scriptures that mention him in a very pompous way, which could lead one to believe he is the Supreme Controller. The Ṛg Veda (10.88.3), for example, mentions:

yo bhānunā pṛthivī dyām utemām ātatāna rodasī antarīkṣam

“Agni is he who by his brilliance (as the sun) has expanded himself to cover the earth, the heavens, and the space between them.”

This can be understood in two ways. The first is that descriptions like these are just flattery to increase the faith of the worshiper in the deity he is worshiping. As Kṛṣṇa explains in the Gītā: “I am in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity.” (Bg. 7.21)

The second meaning is that names of demigods, in the context of a number of verses, actually refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and not to the demigod. The reason is the same as the word “vaiśvānara” being used in the same way. The demigod Agni is empowered by Lord Viṣnu to perform his activities and is thus His representative.

In a mundane example, when the president of France speaks at the United Nations, he is referred to as “France” because, although a regular person, he acts as a representative of the nation. Similarly, being empowered by the Lord to act as His representative, Agni is sometimes referred to as the demigod and sometimes as the Lord.

In this way, one can understand the mention of Agni in the verse in both ways, and in both cases, there is no contradiction. This conclusion is supported by Vyāsadeva in the next sūtra.

Sūtra 1.2.29 - Names of demigods can also indicate the Lord

sākṣād apy avirodham jaiminiḥ

sākṣāt: directly; api: also; avirodham: without contradiction; jaiminiḥ: the sage Jaimini.

Jaimini is of the opinion that the name Agni may be interpreted to directly mean the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no inconsistency in this.

Commentary: Concluding the topic of the Vaiśvānara, Śrīla Vyāsadeva corroborates the previous conclusions by making reference to the teachings of different sages.

Jaimini is of the opinion that the name Agni can be interpreted as directly meaning the Supreme Personality of Godhead because “agni” can be interpreted in many passages as meaning “the leader of all”, which is a name of Lord Viṣnu. Jaimini concludes thus that there is no contradiction on this. As it will be discussed on sūtra 1.4.28, all names of the demigods are originally names of Lord Viṣnu, and refer to Him in their primary meanings. Only secondarily, they refer to demigods. Therefore, in all passages where the names of demigods are used to describe qualities of the Lord, they should be understood as indicating the Supreme Lord, and not the demigods.

Just as “vaiśvānara” can be understood as meaning either “the leader (nara) of the world (viśva)” or “the proprietor of all human beings (nara) in the universe (visva)”, in the same way, “agni”, interpreted to mean “the leader of all”, is also a name of Lord Viṣnu. When this meaning is accepted, all passages are harmonized, and there is no contradiction in the different statements of the scriptures. As Jaimini Muni concludes, this is the correct understanding.

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