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

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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-vraNam… - 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