The Great Universal TempleThe Hindu temple is conceived in general parlance as “The Universe”. We come across a reference to a Universal Temple, called the great temple in the Veda. It is also called the temple of the universe “Viśvasya Āyatanam” also mentioned as āyatanam mahat. A study of this Vedic universal Temple reveals the remarkable insight of the Vedic sages into nature's working and the biological factors.The reference occurs in a sūkta employed in all temples consecration and rituals regularly. It does show that this sūkta played a vital role in the evolution of concepts relating to Hindu temples.The Vedic sūkta is called Nārāyaṇa sūkta, which can be rendered as "The Hymn of Human Path". The word Nārāyaṇa consists of two words. Nara + ayaṇa (Narasya ayanam) it is a well structured poem leaning heavily on scientific knowledge. It seems to be in four parts the first part deals with the external world Visva. The second part tells us of “the great end of knowledge” called Mahā jneya and the third part which points to the human body as the temple and it life force which is virtually identified with the three gods Brahmā, Viṣhṇu, Śiva and of the worship of the human soul. The fourth is the true eternal god – Satyam Param Brahma.The text could be differently interpreted than what the mediaeval commentators have attempted. The 'Nārāyaṇa Sūkta' is generally clubbed with Puruṣa sūkta, another Vedic sūkta, which appears in all the Vedas - Rig Veda, Sukla Yajur Veda, Krishna Yajur veda, Sāma veda and Atharva veda. Both speak in identical tone about the same Supreme power. For example the Puruṣah sūkta begins with the praise 'sahasra sīrṣhā puruṣah, sahasrāksha sahasrapād, sabhūmin visvato vṛthvā atya tishtat daśāṅgulam"The Nārāyaṇa sūkta is identical when it says -"Sahasra sīrṣham devam, viśvākṣham viśva sambhavamviśvam Nārāyaṇam devam Akṣharam paramam padam"The terms sahasra-sīrṣā, sahasra-akṣa, and sahasra-pād are used in the Veda to denote the sun and its rays. The term sahasra also stands for innumerable rays. The rays of the sun are called sahasra sīrṣhā. The Puruṣha sūkta which begins with the words sahasra sīrṣhā puruṣaḥ, ends with six verses euologising Sūrya and in these verses, Āditya - (sun) is specifically identified with the Puruṣa, the great.Vedāham ētam puruṣam mahāntam Āditya varṇam tamasas parastātTam evam viditva ati mṛtyum ēti nānyah panthā ayanāya vidyatēHe is called mahān puruṣah and āditya varṇa. The Puruṣah introduced at the beginning of the sūkta, is defined clearly at the end as Mahān-puruṣa, the great man. There could be no doubt that puruṣa sūkta is addressed to Sūrya. Interestingly the verse also says, that this is the Ayana, the “Path” (panthā). From this the Nārāyaṇa sūkta takes up the thread and declares Nārāyaṇa as “the path of man”. That the Nārāyaṇa sūkta is recited immediately after Puruṣa sūkta is quite appropriate so there could be no doubt that the deva with sahasra sīrṣam mentioned at the beginning of Nārāyaṇa sūkta is none other than Sūrya. With this background we may study the Nārāyaṇa sūkta.The first two verses of the Nārāyaṇa sūkta, deal with the external world.Sahasra sīrṣam dēvam viśvākṣam viśva sambhuvamviśvam Nārāyaṇam dēvam akṣaram paramam padamThis dēva with thousand heads, and innumerable eyes, (referring to sun's rays), is the eye of the universe; he makes the universe auspicious; he shows the supreme path to humanity (narasya ayanam), he is immortal, and he is the supreme abode.It suggests Sūrya has innumerable rays (sīrṣam), and is the eye of the universe. Sūrya is called "Jagad eka cakṣuh" in the Vedas; the term Viśvākṣa is echoed in several passages. The term Nārāyaṇa could be understood here not as the name of the god but as “the path of man" as he is said to carry men in their path "Mitrō janān yātayti prajānan"(Veda). Sun is eternal and is also the supreme abode.The second verse is follows.Viśvataḥ paramān nityam Viśvam Nārāyaṇan harimVisvam eva idam sarvam tad viśvam upajīvatiThis dēva is in ever present beyond what is conceived by man as this world, he is the path of mankind and the remover of all difficulties (Hari: harati iti Hariḥ); he makes the universe live.Man looks at the world as consisting of this earth (bhūmi) with its land, waters, plants, living beings, the planets and the stars, constituting the universe. This verse suggests that not only these constitute the universe but also there are greater powers beyond all these that are yet to be comprehended by man. So sun is said to be beyond what we consider as universe. It is this supreme force that makes all the universal bodies exist.So far these two verses speak about the universe and what is beyond all these constitute the universe that exists outside an individual and man looks at them, lying outside him.The second part of the Nārāyaṇa sūkta postulates that this Sūrya is the chief, soul and lord of this universe, who is eternal, whose power is auspicious and never fails. He is the ultimate to be understood.Patim viśvasya ātmēśvaram, sāsvatam Śivam accyutamNārāyaṇam mahā jñēyam visvātmānam parāyaṇamHere it introduces the word Ātmā - the soul. Sūrya is conceived as the soul of the universe (Viśvasya ātmā,); he is the chief among the universe (viśvasya patim) and he is the lord of the universe (Viśvasya Īśvaran). He is eternal (sāsvata) Śiva auspicious. Sun's rays are also called Śivatamā, the most benign. Sun never fails in his path as his course never changes (Accyuta) He is the soul of this universe (viśvātmā) who is the supreme path (para-ayanam) that constitutes the great knowledge (mahā-jnēyam) that deserves to be known as the path of humanity (Nārāyaṇa).Nārāyaṇa parō jyōtih ātmā Nārāyaṇah parahNārāyaṇa param brahma tattvam Nārāyaṇah parahNārāyaṇa parō dhyātā dhyāyan Nārāyaṇah parahYad ca kiṅcit jagad sarvam dṛsyatē suryatepi vāAntar bahiśca tat sarvam vyāpya Nārāyaṇa sthitaḥ"anantam avyayam kavim samudre antam viśva sambhuvam"This Nārāyaṇa is the supreme effulgent light paro jyōtih, Nārāyaṇa is the supreme soul (ātmā Nārāyaṇah parah). Nārāyaṇa is the ever expanding (Nārāyaṇa param brahma) Nārāyaṇa is the ultimate reality. (Nārāyaṇah parah) Nārāyaṇa is one to be meditated (Nārāyaṇa paro dhyātā) and Nārāyaṇa is the supreme form of meditation. (dhyānam Nārāyaṇa paraḥ)Man can visually see many things but there are many that he can learn only by hearing. Nārāyaṇa pervades all that is seen and heard. This Nārāyaṇa, remains both inside and outside.yad ca kiñncit jagat sarvam dṛśyatē śrūyate apivāantar bahiśea tad sarvam vyāpya Nārāyaṇaḥ sthitaḥHe is endless (Ananta) he never decays (Avyaya), all beautiful (kavi), he is also in the depth of the ocean (samudrē antam) and is the origin of this universe (viśva sambhuvam). As the sun emrges from the ocean in the morning he is spoken of being inside the ocean (samudre antam)The third part of the Nārāyaṇa sūkta gives an insight into human heart and its function, that amazingly is scientific biological description. It says the heart is in the form of a lotus bud, inverted, facing down, situated a span beneath the neck and a span above the navel. It shines like a flaming flower garland. It is indeed “the temple of the universe” (visvasya āyataman mahat); there at an end of it is a subtle hole in which every thing is established (tasyāntē suṣiraam sūkṣmam tasmin sarvam prtiṣhṭhitam). It is obviously a clear reference to the pulsating life force which is the cause of all of man's action. It therefore says that everything remains there. In that subtle hole is a great fire, (mahān agnih) which may be termed “the universal fire” that spreads every where. (tasya madhyē mahān agnir visvārccir visvatō mukha). This fire in the heart breaks all the food that is eaten into particles first and consumes them. (sō agratbhuk vibhajan tiṣṭhan āhāram ajaraḥ kavih). Intelligence is attributed to this biological fire that splits the partaken food into particless and consumes them separately up and down, and horizontaly to all parts of the body and heats up ones body from head to feet (santāpayati svam deham āpāda tala mastakah). In the centre of this Agni (fire) remains the subtle flame, glowing upward. It sparkles like a streak of lightning in the midst of luminous bluish clouds. (Vidyul-lekheva bhāsvarā - It refers to the incoming blood). It also looks like golden fire and like the paddy and is unparalleled. It is in the center of this flame the supreme soul is enshrined. He is the Paramātamā the Supreme Soul who is none other than Brahmā, Śiva, Hari, Indra, Akṣhara, and Surāt. (sa Brahmā, sa Hariḥ, sa Śivaḥ, sendraḥ, sokṣarḥ Paramḥ Svārāṭ) Thus we have external world permeated by Sūrya Nārāyaṇa and the internal life Spirit the Paramātmā. This Universal soul is constituted by the external and internal live principles and hence called Nārāyaṇa. The Sūrya is the soul ātmā of the external Universe while the pulsating prāṇa vital breadth is the inernal ātmā. Both are act through heat energy. ../images/P1010039.JPGThe Human body is the temple that enshrines the sacred space. It is entered through a small passage (sushira) where one finds the subtle space that is the interior of the heart. Inside this sacred space is the flame (vanhi sikhā) that moves upwards. It is like a Śiva linga inside the sanctum (garbha gṛha) in a temple. The Śiva linga represents the blazing upward moving light (Jyoti). On top of the flame is the vital force (prāṇa)-pulsating life principle. It resembles a streak of lightning in the midst of bluish clouds. That is virtually Brahmā, Śiva and Visṇu, and Indra and the Supreme.In addition there is an upward pointing line (rekhā) seen on the cylindrical part of the linga called Rudra bhāga. This is what is called subtle and upward moving (anīya and ūrdhva). The line that goes around the cylindrical shaft of the linga represents the Viśva the endless universe. Thus it is the human body likened to a temple. Through the pulsating vital breadth inside the human body the individual can visualize and experience the Supreme who remains engulfing the Universe.There are two things that deserve attention: a) the human body has always been praised as the temple and the pulsating vital breadth the prāṇa - jīva as the Divine Dēva. b) The second is that Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva are identical and are not different entities. That is the reason why the Nārāyaṇa sūkta is recited in all consecratory rites. That which is seen through this jīva in the body temple is the greatest knowledge, the mahā jñēya and so it is called Nārāyaṇa “the path of man” As this body temple is in every human being it is called the Universal temple.The Taittirīya samhitā has a slightly variant reading, by which it specifically holds the human heart as the Great Universal temple. "Hridayam tad vijānīyāt viśvasya āyatanam mahat."The Vaiṣṇava āgamaic text of the Vaikhānasa school-Marīci samhitā explains the fruits of temple worship by citing this Nārāyaṇa sūkta. The Supreme Paramātmā must be contemplated in the middle of the flame in the heart, likened to a lotus bud that is the Universal temple.Padma kōsa pratīkāsē visvasya āyatane prithau hṛdaye agni madhye paramātmānam vyavsthitam dhyānena pasyēt..The full text of Nārāyaṇa sūkta is given below:-This text also citing the Puruṣa sūkta holds the Trinity as identical sa Brahmā, sa Hari, sa Śiva, sendra etc. (Tait Ara. 9-16)The Nārada pānca-rātra another Vaiṣṇava text, but of the Pāncarātrā school, defines the nature of (tattva) of Parama puruṣha, also the Brahman as jyotis svarūpaḥ (tattvam Jyotis svarupam) .3.18. It also repeats the terms of Nārāyaṇa sūkta as “Sahasra Sīrṣam dēvam sarvātmam sarvato mukham "2-19".That these Vedic sūktas have played a vital role in influencing the Tamil Vaiṣhṇava saints may be seen from a number poems of the Ālvārs in which they almost truly render the hymns in Tamil. For example Nammālvār sings in one hymnதோள்கள்ஆயிரத்தாய்முடிகள்ஆயிரத்தாய்துணைமலர்கள்கள்ஆயிரத்தாய்தாள்கள்ஆயிரத்தாய்பேர்கள்ஆயிரத்தாய்தமியன்அப்பனே - 2863This hymn is an exact rendering of the Vedic Puruṣhah sūkta as "Sahsra sīrshā puruṣhah sahsrākṣa sahasrapād"With thousand heads, thousand eyes and thousand feet. There could be no doubt that the Ālvārs were true followers of Vedanta with contextual emphasis on Viṣṇu.The full text of the Nārāyaṇa sūkta is given belowऋतँसत्यम्परम्ब्रह्मपुरुषंकृष्णपिंगलंऊर्ध्वरेतंविरूपाक्षंविश्वरुपायवैनमःविश्वरूपायवैनमओंनमइतिṛtam satyam param brahma puruṣaṁ kṛṣṇapiṁgalaṁūrdhvareetaṁ virūpākṣaṁ viśvarupāya vai namaḥviśvarūpāya vai nama oṁ nama iti
