Vaishvanara

Part of a series on
Hinduism
Hindu History
Concepts God Brahman Ishvara Views on monotheism God and gender Life Atman Maya Karma Samsara Purusharthas Dharma Artha Kama Moksha Ethics Niti shastra Yamas Niyama Ahimsa Asteya Aparigraha Brahmacharya Satya Damah Dayā Akrodha Ārjava Santosha Tapas Svādhyāya Shaucha Mitahara Dāna Liberation Bhakti yoga Jnana yoga Karma yoga
Schools Six Astika schools Samkhya Yoga Nyaya Vaisheshika Mimamsa Vedanta Dvaita Advaita Vishishtadvaita Other schools Pasupata Saiva Pratyabhijña Raseśvara Pāṇini Darśana Charvaka
Deities Trimurti Brahma Vishnu Shiva Other major Devis / Devas Vedic Indra Agni Prajapati Rudra Saraswati Ushas Dyaus Pita Bhumi Varuna Vayu Puranic Lakshmi Parvati Shakti Durga Kali Ganesha Kartikeya Rama Krishna Hanuman
Texts Scriptures Vedas Rigveda Yajurveda Samaveda Atharvaveda Divisions Samhita Brahmana Aranyaka Upanishad Upanishads Rigveda: Aitareya Kaushitaki Yajurveda: Brihadaranyaka Isha Taittiriya Katha Shvetashvatara Maitri Samaveda: Chandogya Kena Atharvaveda: Mundaka Mandukya Prashna Other scriptures Bhagavat Gita Agama (Hinduism) Other texts Vedangas Shiksha Chandas Vyakarana Nirukta Kalpa Jyotisha Puranas Vishnu Purana Bhagavata Purana Nāradeya Purana Vāmana Purana Matsya Purana Garuda Purana Brahma Purana Brahmānda Purana Brahma Vaivarta Purana Bhavishya Purana Padma Purana Agni Purana Shiva Purana Linga Purana Kūrma Purana Skanda Purana Varaha Purana Mārkandeya Purana Itihasas Ramayana Mahabharata Upavedas Ayurveda Dhanurveda Gandharvaveda Sthapatyaveda Shastras and Sutras Dharma Shastra Artha Śastra Kamasutra Brahma Sutras Samkhya Sutras Mimamsa Sutras Nyāya Sūtras Vaiśeṣika Sūtra Yoga Sutras Pramana Sutras Charaka Samhita Sushruta Samhita Natya Shastra Divya Prabandha Tirumurai Ramcharitmanas Yoga Vasistha Swara yoga Shiva Samhita Panchadasi Stotra Sutras Text classification Śruti Smriti Timeline of Hindu texts
Practices Worship Puja Temple Murti Bhakti Japa Bhajana Yajna Homa Vrata Prāyaścitta Tirtha Tirthadana Matha Nritta-Nritya Meditation and Charity Tapa Dhyana Dāna Yoga Asana Hatha yoga Jnana yoga Bhakti yoga Karma yoga Raja yoga Rites of passage Garbhadhana Pumsavana Simantonayana Jatakarma Namakarana Nishkramana Annaprashana Chudakarana Karnavedha Vidyarambha Upanayana Praishartha Keshanta Ritushuddhi Samavartana Vivaha Antyeshti Ashrama Dharma Ashrama: Brahmacharya Grihastha Vanaprastha Sannyasa Festivals Navaratri Vijayadashami (Dasara) Diwali (Deepavali) Shivaratri Holi Kumbha Mela Ratha Yatra Vishu Bihu Baisakhi Mesha Sankranti Puthandu Ganesh Chaturthi Onam Rama Navami Janmashtami Raksha Bandhan Durga Puja
Gurus, saints, philosophers Ancient Gautama Angiras Aruni Ashtavakra Annamacharya Jaimini Kanada Kapila Pāṇini Patanjali Raikva Satyakama Jabala Valmiki Vyasa Yajnavalkya Medieval Nayanars Alvars Adi Shankara Basava Akka Mahadevi Allama Prabhu Siddheshwar Jñāneśvar Chaitanya Gangesha Upadhyaya Gaudapada Jayanta Bhatta Kabir Kumarila Bhatta Madhusudana Madhva Namdeva Nimbarka Prabhakara Raghunatha Siromani Ramanuja Sankardev Purandara Dasa Kanaka Dasa Jagannatha Dasa Vyasaraya Sripadaraya Raghavendra Swami Gopala Dasa Śyāma Śastri Vedanta Desika Tyagaraja Tukaram Tulsidas Vachaspati Mishra Vallabha Vidyaranya Modern Aurobindo Coomaraswamy Chinmayananda Dayananda Saraswati Gandhi Krishnananda Saraswati Narayana Guru Prabhupada Ramakrishna Ramana Maharshi Radhakrishnan Sivananda U. G. Krishnamurti Vivekananda Yogananda Ramachandra Dattatrya Ranade Mata Amritanandamayi
Other topics Calendar Criticism Denominations Iconography Mythology Nationalism (Hindutva) Persecution Pilgrimage sites Hinduism and Jainism / and Judaism Hinduism by country
Glossary of Hinduism terms Hinduism portal

In Hinduism, Vaishvanara (Sanskrit: वैश्वानर, pronounced [ʋəiɕʋaːnərə]), meaning "of or related to Visvanara" is an abstract concept related to the soul atman. Etymologically, Vaishvanara is a derivative of the conjoined word Vishvanara i.e. Vishva (Universe) + Narah (Man) i.e. the 'Universal or Cosmic Man'. In the Rig Veda, Vaishvanara is an epithet of deity Agni.

Forms of Vaishvanara

As per the Mandukya Upanishad, the Self has four aspects or states of consciousness.^[1] The first is the Vaishvanara manifestation, under the jagrat or the waking state which is outwardly cognitive. The Self in Vaishvanara form has seven limbs, nineteen mouths and has the capability to experience material objects.

The seven limbs of Vaishvanara pertain to the ‘cosmic body’ of ‘Vaishvanara’. These are enumerated in verse 18.2 of the Chandogya Upanishad,

[T]he heavens are his head, the sun his eyes, the air his breath, the fire his heart, the water his stomach, the earth his feet, and space his body.

The seven limbs of Vaishvanara have also referred to in the first verse of the Mandukya Upanishad, which have been described to encompass the entire manifest universe. The nineteen “mouths” are

• The five sense organs
• The five organs of action (walking, talking, expelling, procreating, and handling)
• The five pranas, the mind, the intellect, the ego sense, and thought (çitta)

Further, Agni Vaishvanara is regarded as Author of the Hymns of the Rig-veda (x. 79, 80).

Agning prajvalitang vande Jata-vedang Hutashanang:
Suvarna-varnam amalang samiddhang sarvvatomukham.

The Mahanirvana Tantra also refers to certain Vaishvanara:

[O]m Vaishvanara Jataveda ihavaha ihavaha;
lohitaksha, sarvva-karmani sadhaya: svaha.

As per the Tantras, Vaishvanara meaning “Ruling or benefiting all men,” is also a name of the tantric goddess Savitri.

See also

• Hindu deities
• Hindu mythology
• Brahman

References