Sri vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 103 - prANa-nilayaH.

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Sri vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 103 - prANa-nilayaH.

 

960. prANa-nilayaH – He Who is the Abode for all beings.

 

om prANa-nilayAya namaH.

 

SrI BhaTTar defines prAnA as "prANanti iti prANAH, anye'pi jIvAH –

Those that live, namely the jIva-s. nilayam means abode. SrI

vAsishTha uses the word `nilaya' as `AdhAra' or support. SrI BhaTTar

gives the analogy of the birds going to their nest at the end of the

day for rest. Similarly the jIva-s have Him as their abode. SrImad

SrImushNam ANDavan reminds us: "vaikunTham puguvadu maNNavar

vidiyE" (tiruvAi. 10.9.9) – vaikuNTham is our ultimate final Abode.

 

SrI baladeva vidyA bhUshaN uses the same analogy, and explains the

nAma in terms of bhagavAn's incarnation as kRshNa – "He in Whom the

gopi-s sought support as a result of the intense love of devotion to

Him, just as the birds seek shelter in their nest" – prANanti tat-

snehAmRtena sambandhavateti prANAH tat-preyasIjanAH te nileeyante

asmin SakuntA iva nIDe iti prANa-nilayaH.

 

SrI Sa'nkara uses the term prANa to collectively represent the five

types of vAyu-s that help the body function: prANa that sustains

life in the form of the inhaled breath, apAna that denotes the

exhaled breath that expels impurities outside of the system, vyAna

that sustains the movements of the systems in the body, udAna that

supports the movements of the karmendriya-s etc., and samAna that

aids the expelling of the waste in the form of stools. Since

bhagavAn is the Support of all these functions, and since they all

merge into Him ultimately, He is called prANa-nilayaH.

 

The term `nilIna' – merging with, merging into, has been used by both

SrI Sa'nkara and by SrI vAsishTha in one of their interpretations for

this nAma: prANIti iti prANo jIvaH pare pumsi nilIyata iti prANa-

nilayaH – The Supreme Person in whom the prANa or jIva merges (SrI

Sa'nkara), and prANA nilIyante yasmin sa prANa-nilayaH – He in Whom

the jIva-s merge (SrI vAsishTha)..

 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha comments that bhagavAn has this nAma also

because He makes provision for the living of all living beings in

whichever form it is appropriate for them. For example, He provides

the means for the sustenance and survival of the trees, the beings in

the water and in the land, the humans, etc. – in other words, He

makes the provisions for the different jIva-s to live or have an

abode – sa sarveshAm shtAvara ja'ngamAnAm ca yatha yogay sAdhana

pradAnena vAsayita'taH sa prANa-nilayaH ucyate.

 

SrI cinmayAnanda explains the nAma as: "He in Whom all prANa-s stand

established. He Who is the very substratum – vital foundation – for

all `activities' manifested in a living organism". This seems to

summarize Sri Sa'nkara's vyAkhyAnam in terms of prAnA, apAna, etc.,

described above.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan