SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam – Slokam 104 - bhUr-bhuvas-svas-taruH

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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam – Slokam 104 -bhUr-bhuvas-svas-taruH.

 

bhUr-bhuvas-svastarus_tAraH savitA pra-pitAmahaH |

yaj~no yaj~na-patir_yajvA yaj~nA'ngo yaj~na-vAhanaH ||

 

om bhUr-bhuva-svas-tarave namaH.

om tArAya namaH.

om savitre namaH.

om prapitA-mahAya namaH.

om yaj~nAya namaH.

om yaj~na-pataye namaH.

om yajvane namaH.

om yaj~nA'ngAya namaH.

om yaj~na-vAhanAya namaH.

 

967. bhUr-bhuvas-svas-taruH – He Who is the tree for the beings of

the three worlds – earth, sky and heaven (svarga loka)..

 

om bhUr-bhuvas-svas-tarave namaH.

 

The term bhU here refers to this world; bhuvaH refers to the middle

world, the antariksha or sky, and sva refers to the heavenly world

(svarga loka). The term `taru' means `tree'. Since He is the

protection for all the beings of all the three worlds, and since He

bestows all the fruits to the beings of all these worlds, He is

called the tree for the beings of the three worlds. SrI BhaTTar

explains the nAma as "bhUr-bhuvas-svar-upalakshitaiH pakshi

pathikairiva prANibhiH upajIvyamAnac-chAya patrala pArijAtaH bhUr-

bhuvas-svas-taruH" – He is like the pArijAta, the celestial tree, for

all the beings living in the worlds beginning with earth, sky and

heaven, even as a tree is a welcome resort for the birds and the

travelers by virtue of its green foliage and cool shade.

 

SrI Apte gives the following meanings for the terms bhU-loka, bhuvar-

loka and ssar-loka:

 

- bhU-loka – the world in which we live, as opposed to

antariksha or svarga.

- bhuvar-loka – the second of the three vyAhRti-s; the space

immediately above the earth.

- svar-loka: paradise, the paradise of indra, and the

temporary abode of the virtuous after death, the space above the sun

or between the sun and the polar star, the third of the three vyAhRti-

s.

 

SrI VeLukkuDi kRshNan notes that in this nAma only three out of the

fourteen worlds, namely the bhU, bhUva and svar-loka-s, are

mentioned, and the protection aspect described in this nAma refers to

the naimittika pralaya, when the three worlds referred to by the

terms bhU. Bhuva, and svar-loka-s get submerged in the waters during

the pralaya, and bhagavAn protects all the beings of these three

worlds by swallowing them and keeping them in His stomach. However,

He is also the Protector for all the beings in all the fourteen

worlds. So the nAma can be understood to mean that bhagavAn is the

Protective tree for all the beings of all the fourteen worlds.

 

SrI BhaTTar gives the following support:

 

samASritAt brahma taroH anantAt |

nis-samSayaH pakva phala prapAtaH || (VP 1.17.91)

 

"If a person resorts to the eternal Tree of Brahman, there is no

doubt that the ripe fruit (of release from the bondage of samsAra and

the attainment of moksha) will certainly fall in his hands."

 

SrI v.v. rAmAnujan refers to nammAzhvAr's tiruvAimozhi pASuram 2.8.5,

where AzhvAr refers to the same concept:

 

OvAt tuyarp piRavi uTpaDa maRRu ivvevvaiyum

mUvAt tani mudalAi mU ulagum kAvalOn…. (tiruvAi. 2.8.5)

 

"Single-handedly, bhagavAn protects all the beings of the three

worlds, who are full of sufferings etc. He is the Sole cause for

all the beings, and after creating them, He takes responsibility for

protecting them, and does not back down under any circumstance".

 

Specifically to be noted in this nAma is the emphasis on the

protection aspect of bhagavAn (taru – one that provides the cool

shade and protection from the torture of the heat of samsAra). In

his tiruvAimozhi, nammAzhvAr emphasizes that even though bhagavAn is

responsible for all three functions – creation, protection and

destruction, protection is His primary concern (kAkkum iyalvinan

kaNNa perumAn – tiruvAi. 2.2.9). This protection aspect of bhagavAn

is to be specially enjoyed in this nAma.

 

SrI veLukkuDi kRshnan gives a quote from SrImad rAmAyaNa where rAma

is described by tArA as a tree of protection, hope and refuge for all:

 

nivAsa vRkshaH sAdhUnAm ApannAnAm parA gatiH |

ArtAnAm samSrayaScaiva yaSaSca eka bhAjanam | | (kishkindA. 15.19)

 

"(rAma) is the protective tree for the sAdhu-s or the virtuous

people; He is the safe Abode for the suffering; He is the Protector

for those who have no other protection; He is the One who is worthy

of praise".

 

SrI Sa'nkara uses the root `tR – plavana taraNayoH – to cross over,

to swim', in his primary interpretation for the nAma, and gives the

meaning "One Who helps in crossing over the three worlds – bhU loka,

bhuvar loka and svar loka". His vyAkhyAnam is: "bhUr-bhuvaH svaH

samAkhyAni trINi vyAhRti rUpANi SukrANi trayI sArANi bahvRcA AhuH |

tair-homAdinA jagat-trayam tarati plavate vA iti bhUr-bhuvas-svas-

taruH". He bases his interpretation on the following Rg vedic

mantra, which also occurs in the taittirIya Upanishad:

 

bhUr-bhuva-suvariti etAs-tisro vyAhRtayaH | …. bhUriti vA ayam

lokaH | bhuvarityantariksham | suvarityasau lokaH | ….. bhUriti

vA agniH |bhuva iti vAyuH | suvarityAdityaH | …. bhUriti vA RcaH

| bhuva iti sAmAni | suvariti yajUgmshi | …. bhUriti vai prANaH

| bhuva ityapAnaH | suvariti vyAnaH |"

 

"BhagavAn created the three worlds; then He created agni in this

world, vAyu in the sky, and sUrya in the heaven. From these came the

three veda-s: Rg veda from agni, yajur veda from vAyu, and sAma veda

from the Sun. Out of these again came the three vyAhRti-s or

sounds: bhUH from agni, bhuvaH from vAyu, and svaH from the Sun. By

performing homa using these three vyAhRti-s, one crosses the three

worlds". Based on this, Sri Sa'nkara's interpretation for the nAma

as `One Who helps those who perform homa using these vyAhRti-s to

cross over the three worlds that are the origin of these three

vyAhRti-s".

 

An alternate interpretation given by SrI Sa'nkara is – bhUr-bhuvaH

svarAkhyam loka trayam vRkshavat vyApya tishThati iti bhUr-bhuvaH-

sars-taruH - Lord vishNu has this nAma signifying that He is spread

out in the three worlds bhUH, bhuvaH and svaH like a tree.

 

SrI vAsishTha explains the nAma as: bhUH iti bhU lokaH, buvaH iti

antariksham, svaH iti dyu-lokaH, ete trayo lokAH trayaH skandhA iva

yam ASritya tishThanti, sa eteshAm AdhAro mUla-bhUtaH parameSvaraH

tarur-iva sthito bhUr-bhuvas-svas-taruH – "He Who serves as the tree

under which all the beings of this world, the sky and the heaven seek

refuge, is bhUr-bhuvas-svas-taru".

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan