LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM 778 - 781

Virāḍ-rūpa (778)

The concept has been already discussed in nama 256. viśva-rūpa. In addition to what has been discussed there, virad can also be explained as follows. Virad is the consciousness which identifies itself with the individual gross body in the waking state. Consciousness can be broadly classified into microcosm and macrocosm. Microcosm is the individual consciousness and macrocosm is the universal consciousness. These can also be interpreted as the individual self and the cosmic Self. Microcosm or the individual cosmology is a miniscule of macrocosm or the sum total of all microcosms.

The individual self has four states of consciousness. 1. Turiya or avyakta (for avyakta refer nama 398), 2. Ishvara (nama 271 Ishvari), 3. Hiranya garbha (this has been discussed in various namas in this Sahasranamam and please use the search engine at the top of this site to know more on this) and 4. Virad. Virad is also known as viraj. It is also known as vaishvanara. The last of the above mentioned four states of consciousness is the all pervading metamorphosis of the divine being. It is the omnipresent universal form encompassing the entire visible and tangible phenomenal world. This is the fully manifested macrocosm that appear to the human eyes as the universe. What we perceive is not the complete macrocosm, but only a minuscule deluded by maya or illusion.

Virad is the end product of the macrocosm within a fully developed universe that is realized from experiment and observation rather than theory. ‘Pañcikaraṇam’, a small treatise on advaita philosophy by Shankaracharya says “The virad is said to be the aggregate of all the quintuplicate elements and their effets” (verse 1). Those subtle elements produced the gross ones, from which again the Virat (the macrocosm) or the objective totality come into existence. Again verse 11 says “The gross elements are compounded. These produce virat, the sum total of all the gross bodies. This is the gross body of the disembodied Atman.” Virat and Virad are the same.

Virajā (779)

‘vi’ means without and ‘rajas’ means impurity. She is without impurity. Maha Narayana Upanishad (65.1) says “aham viraja vipapma” which means ‘I am freed from sins and passions’. The devotee offers fire oblations seeking purity in his breath, gross body, etc. There is a fire ritual by name ‘viraja’ to be performed before becoming a sanyasin. When one becomes devoid of impurity, he becomes one with the Brahman. She, the Brahman, is devoid of impurity. She is pure (refer nama 765). When one wants to merge with the Brahman, one should posses the qualities of the Brahman.

Viśvatao-mukhī (780)

She has faces in all directions. Shvetashvatara Upanishad (III.3) says “vishvato mukhah’ which means ‘all faces are His’. Faces of entire living beings are His. This nama affirms the omnipresence nature of the Brahman.

Krishna also says in Bhagavad Gita (IX.15) “others worship me in my universal form in many ways taking me as manifested in diverse celestial forms (vishvatao mukham).”

Purushasooktham (puruśasūktam) opens by saying ‘sahasra-sīrśa-puruśah’ meaning that He has thousands of heads. Heads of the entire living beings are His own.

This nama means that She resides in the entire living beings of this universe, an affirmation of Her omnipresence.

Pratyag-rūpā (781)

She is visible to those who see inwardly. She can be realized only within and this is known as Self-realization. By disconnecting mind from sensory afflictions and looking within, She is realized.

Katha Upanishad (II.i.1) explains this. “The Self-created Lord has created the sense organs with the inherent defect that are by nature outgoing. Which is why, beings see things outside and cannot see the Self within.” It says ‘pratyag-atmanam aiksat’.

Narayana Suktam (5) says ‘anthar-bahisca tat sarvam vyāpya narāyano stitah’ meaning Narayana pervades internally and externally.

Why one should look within when the Brahman is omnipresent. After all Narayana pervades internally and externally. Katha Upanishad (II.iii.9) answers this. “The Brahman is not an object of our vision. No one see Him by his eyes. He reveals Himself in the only when the mind is pure and constantly thinks of Him.”