The four vyāhṛtis, the sacred syllables (Taittiriya Upanisad 1.5)
Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ and Mahaḥ are the four vyāhṛtis. When one understands these 16 syllables, He understands the Supreme Lord and becomes worshipable even to the demigods.
Section 5: The four vyāhṛtis, the sacred syllables
In this section, the four sacred syllables (vyāhṛtis) are described: Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ and Mahaḥ. One should meditate on earth, antarikṣa, svarga, and the sun when chanting these four vyāhṛtis. The four sacred syllables have four types of worship, totaling 16 varieties. When one understands these 16 vyāhṛtis, He understands the Supreme Lord and becomes worshipable even to the demigods.
Text 1.5.1
bhūr bhuvaḥ suvar iti vā etās tisro vyāhṛtayaḥ
tāsāmu ha smaitām caturthim māhā-camasyaḥ pravedayate
maha iti tad brahma sa ātmā
angāny anyā devatāḥ
The three sacred syllables (vyāhṛtis) are Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ. The fourth is mahaḥ, revealed by the sage Mahācamasa. Mahaḥ is the Supreme Brahman, who is ātmā, the Supreme Self. All the demigods are just limbs of His universal body.
Commentary: The vyāhṛti are sacred syllables or mantras which are very foundational in the Vedic tradition. They are found in the Gayatri mantra and recited in all kinds of sacrifices and ceremonies. Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, and Svaḥ refer to the three planetary systems, which are part of the universal body of the Lord, just like all demigods.
Bhūḥ refers to the earthly planetary system, including both Bhu-mandala and the lower planetary systems. Bhuvaḥ refers to the subtle planetary system immediately above the Earth, inhabited by Yaksas and Rakshasas, as well as other subtle beings, while Svaḥ (or Suvaḥ) refers to the upper planetary systems, from Svargaloka to Satyaloka. The space occupied by Bhūrloka is also called antarikṣa.
This description is given in SB 2.5.38: "The lower planetary systems, up to the limit of the earthly stratum, are said to be situated in His legs. The middle planetary systems, beginning from Bhuvarloka, are situated in His navel. And the still higher planetary systems, occupied by the demigods and highly cultured sages and saints, are situated in the chest of the Supreme Lord."
In his purport, Prabhupada explains: "There are fourteen spheres of planetary systems within this universe. The lower systems are called Bhūrloka, the middle systems are called Bhuvarloka, and the higher planetary systems, up to Brahmaloka, the highest planetary system of the universe, are called Svarloka. And all of them are situated on the body of the Lord. In other words, no one within this universe is without a relationship with the Lord."
The universal form of the Lord is one of the main topics of the second canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. In one sense, the universe is a form of the Lord, because it is made from His energy, but in another, it is not, because the Lord does not have a material form. His original forms are fully spiritual.
If the universal form is not the real form of the Lord, why does the Srimad Bhagavatam describe it in such detail? There are two main purposes:
a) To help us to see everything in connection with the Lord, and understand that we are dependent on Him, leading us to the conclusion we should surrender to Him (asraya).
b) To counteract the idea that the material manifestation appears automatically due to the work of the material energy, as propounded in modern scientific theories, as well as classical philosophies such as the atheistic sankhya system.
This is explained in SB 2.10.45: "There is no direct engineering by the Lord for the creation and destruction of the material world. What is described in the Vedas about His direct interference is simply to counteract the idea that material nature is the creator."
In reality, the Lord doesn't get directly involved in the material creation. Everything is done through His different energies. The Lord remains always aloof from it, in His transcendental position. Even as Paramātmā, He is just a witness to the actions of the living beings.
This is confirmed in verse 2.10.36: "He, the Personality of Godhead, manifests Himself in a transcendental form, being the subject of His transcendental name, quality, pastimes, entourage and transcendental variegatedness. Although He is unaffected by all such activities, He appears to be so engaged."
The main point made in this verse, however, is not the description of the universal form, but to indicate the presence of the Lord in His original personal form behind it, as indicated by the words mahaḥ and ātmā. Often the word ātmā is used to identify the individual soul, but in reality that is the secondary meaning. As explained by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his commentary of the Vedanta Sutra, ātmā indicates the Supreme Lord in his original form, as the source and support of everything. There is nothing separated from the Lord.
Text 1.5.2
bhūr iti vā ayam lokaḥ bhuva ity anatrikṣam
suvar ity asau lokaḥ maha ity ādityaḥ
ādityena vāva sarve lokā mahīyante
This earthly world is called Bhūḥ. Thus, the intermediate space (antarikṣa) is Bhuvaḥ. The celestial system is Svaḥ. The sun is Mahaḥ, the great one, the Supreme Lord. The sun sustains all planets. Through the sun, all planets are worshipped.
Commentary: In the first pada of the Vedanta-sutra, there is a discussion about the Person in the sun. When we chant the Gayatri mantra we meditate on the sun. The light of the sun permeates the three planetary systems, bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, and svaḥ, and fills them with life. This meditation on the divine light of the sun fills us with enthusiasm. However, who is the sun? Would it be just the planet, composed of material elements? Would the sun we meditate upon be the demigod who presides over the cosmic body? Would the object of meditation be in reality something else?
In his Sat Sandarbhas, Srila Jiva Goswami explains that one's understanding of the sun as he meditates on it will vary according to his level of understanding. Materialists can't see anything spiritual, and thus they meditate on the sun as the celestial body, or as a manifestation of the material energy. The ones who are a little advanced meditate on Vivasvan, the demigod who presides over the sun, while the ones who are more advanced understand that the light of the sun is a reflection of the spiritual light of the Supreme Brahman. However, the ones who are still more advanced go beyond this impersonal conception and understand that the light of the sun is a reflection of the effulgence of the Supreme Person, and thus they meditate on that Supreme Person who is the origin of the sun. In the Vedanta-sutra 1.1.20, Vyasadeva concludes: antas tad-dharmopadeśāt. "The person within the sun is the Supreme Person, because his qualities are mentioned."
In this way, this verse of the Taittiriya Upanisad describes the presence of the Lord in the sun, and the process of meditation on Him. Just Krsna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita describes His transcendental opulences to allow us to see Him everywhere, the verses of this section describe different processes of meditation on the Lord as the sun, the moon, the Vedas and the vital airs.
The scriptures describe many processes of meditation that allow us to realize the deepest conclusion of the Vedas, that is to always remember Krsna and never forget Him. As mentioned in the Padma Purana: “ ‘Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Lord Viṣṇu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the śāstras should be the servants of these two principles.’
Text 1.5.3
bhūr iti vā agniḥ bhuva it vāyuḥ
suvar ity ādityaḥ maha iti candramāḥ
candramasā vāva sarvāṇījyotīmṣi mahīyante
Bhuḥ is fire, Bhuvaḥ is air and Svaḥ is the sun. Mahaḥ is the moon. Through the moon, all luminous bodies are worshipped.
Commentary: In another classification, the fire (and its predominating demigod, Agni) represents Bhuḥ, the earthly realm, the air (and the predominating demigod, Vayu) represents Bhuvaḥ, the subtle realm, and the sun (and Vivasvan, the predominating demigod) represents Svaḥ, the celestial realm. The moon is higher than the sun in the Vedic cosmological model of the universe, and therefore the moon is considered the representative of the Lord amongst them.
Prabhupada explains that: "The demigod Sūrya is always in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa. Residing in outer space, which is in the middle of the universe, between Bhūloka and Bhuvarloka, the sun rotates through the time circle of the zodiac, represented by twelve rāśis, or signs, and assumes different names according to the sign he is in."
"The moon is situated 100,000 yojanas above the rays of the sunshine. Day and night on the heavenly planets and Pitṛloka are calculated according to its waning and waxing." (SB 5.22 intro)
Because the moon is so exalted and important, the moon is also considered a manifestation of the Supreme Lord, just like the sun. In the Bhagavad-gita (10.21) the Lord says: “Of the Ādityas I am Viṣṇu, of lights I am the radiant sun, of the Maruts I am Marīci, and among the stars I am the moon.”
Text 1.5.4
bhūr iti vā ṛcaḥ bhuva iti sāmāni
suvar iti yajūmṣi maha iti brahma
brahmaṇā vāva sarve vedā mahīyante
Bhūḥ is the Ṛg Veda. Bhuvaḥ is the Sāma Veda, Svaḥ is the Yajur Veda. Mahaḥ is the Supreme Brahman. Through the Supreme Brahman, all the Vedas are worshipped.
Commentary: Now Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, and Svaḥ are taken as the Ṛg Veda, Sāma Veda, and Yajur Veda, and Mahaḥ is the Supreme Brahman. The Vedas teach us how to attain the Supreme Lord, and by worshiping the Supreme Lord all Vedas as worshiped.
Why only three of the four Vedas are mentioned? Krsna gives a similar description in the Bhagavad-gita, saying "I am also the Ṛg, the Sāma and the Yajur Vedas." Because the Atharva Veda also describes material subjects such as psychology and occultism, it's often not mentioned together with the other three Vedas, which are dedicated to discussing spiritual topics. Another reason is that the three Vedas were manifested in Treta-yuga, while the Atharva-veda was manifested later, in Dvapara-yuga, together with the Mahabharata, Puranas, etc.
Text 1.5.5
bhūr iti vai prāṇah bhuva ity apāna
suvar iti vyānaḥ maha ity annam
annena vāva sarve prāṇā mahīyante
Bhūḥ is prāṇa (inhalation), Bhuvaḥ is apāna (exhalation), Svaḥ is vyāna (upward breath) and Mahaḥ is food. Through food, all prāṇas are worshipped.
Commentary: Prāṇa means the five types of vital airs that sustain the life of all living beings. On his purport to SB 4.25.21, Srila Prabhupada mentions that, "The vital force of a living entity includes the five kinds of air working within the body, which are known as prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, samāna and udāna. The vital force is compared to a serpent because a serpent can live by simply drinking air. The vital force carried by the air is described as the pratīhāra, or the bodyguard. Without the vital force one cannot live for a moment. Indeed, all the senses are working under the protection of the vital force."
Not only these five kinds of vital air are responsible for maintaining the body, but they also serve as a sitting place for the soul inside the heart. When the soul leaves the body, the vital air also leaves, and this is the end of life for the body. After the vital air leaves, the body becomes just a corpse and starts decomposing.
Food is the source of maintenance for the body. Without food, the body weakens and eventually, the vital air leaves it, together with the soul. Therefore, food is also a representation of the Lord.
This verse thus teaches us to see the Lord in the food, which becomes natural when the food is offered to him and accepted as prasadam. As Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-gita: "The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin."
Text 1.5.6
tā vā etāś catasraś caturdhā
catasraś catasro vyāhṛtayaḥ
tā yo veda sa veda brahma sarve ’smai devābalim āvahanti
There are four sacred syllables, and each includes four types of worship. There are thus sixteen vyāhṛtis in total. He who knows these sacred utterances knows Brahman. All the devatās worship him.
Commentary: In this section, the four sacred syllables (vyāhṛtis) were described: Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ and Mahaḥ. One should meditate on earth, antarikṣa, svarga, and the sun when chanting these four vyāhṛtis.
The four sacred syllables have four types of worship, as described in the four verses from 1.5.2 to 1.5.5. In this way, there are 16 in total:
a) Bhūḥ is the Earth, Bhuvaḥ is the anatrikṣa, and Svaḥ is the celestial planetary system. Mahaḥ is the sun. Through the sun, all planets are worshipped.
b) Bhuḥ is fire, Bhuvaḥ is air and Svaḥ is the sun. Mahaḥ is the moon. Through the moon, all luminous bodies are worshipped.
c) Bhūḥ is the Ṛg Veda, Bhuvaḥ is the Sāma Veda, and Svaḥ is the Yajur Veda. Mahaḥ is the Supreme Brahman. Through the Supreme Brahman, all the Vedas are worshipped.
d) Bhūḥ is prāṇa, Bhuvaḥ is apāna, Svaḥ is vyāna and Mahaḥ is food. Through food, all prāṇas are worshipped.
As the verse mentions, when one understands these 16 vyāhṛtis, He understands the Supreme Lord and becomes worshipable even to the demigods. The demigods are limbs of the Lord's universal form, they are empowered by Him and are thus dependent on Him. The word Mahaḥ thus applies to the Supreme Lord, and not to the demigods.