Vishnu Sahasra Naamam-Vol V-Rr-edit.pub - Ahobilavalli

est. Similarly the jIva-s have Him as their abode. SrImad SrImushNam
ANDavan reminds us: "vaikunTham puguvadu maNNavarvidiyE" (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 prANanilayaH.
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
147
sadagopan.org