..REF: In VedicGurukul@yahoogroups.com, "vivekbhaarteeya"

Dear Vivek ji

Though the points raised by you are required to be answered by some Vidwans, I still wish to scratch my head and reply as far as possible for me, with the hope that the mistakes if any shall be corrected by our Vidwans, who may also further elaborate the same.

1. How Virat etc names are included and implied by Akaar etc.

** To explain this I am quoting from Prof.Shrimati Ved Sawhni 's 'OM PYUSH'

" ओम् शब्द का स्थूल अर्थ, जिसे एक साधारण व्यक्ति भी समझ सकता है तथा स्मरण भी रख सकता है, इस प्रकार है - 'अ' से सृष्‍टि की उत्पत्ति, 'उ' से स्थिति (विस्तार) और 'म' से प्रलय अर्थ अभिप्रेत है | इस अर्थ का आभास 'ओम' के उच्चारण मात्र से हो सकता है, जैसे 'अ' के कहने से मुँह खुल जाता है, 'उ' से उसका विस्तार हो जाता है तथा 'म' से बन्द हो जाता है, अर्थात् ओम् शब्द 'जन्माद्यस्य यतः' वेदान्तसूत्र का द्योतक है | यह शब्द उत्पत्ति, स्थिति और प्रलय करनेवाले पदार्थ का नाम स्वयं भासित कर रहा है |
अन्य कोई भी परमेश्‍वर का नाम इस प्रकार का नहीं, जो इन तीन गुणों को एक साथ प्रकट करता हो | इसको आप निम्न चित्रमान से ठीक ठीक समझेंगे | यह चित्रमान माण्डूक्य उपनिषद् के आधार पर बनाया गया है -

अक्षर......................अ.............उ.............म्

जग‌त् की................उत्पत्ति...विस्तार,स्थिति....प्रलय‌
अक्षर उच्चारण........मुँह का खुलना..विस्तार....मुँह का बन्द होना
शरीरावस्था...............जाग्रत.....स्वप्न......सुषुप्ति
ब्रह्माण्ड की अवस्था.......स्थूल......सूक्ष्म......कारण‌
लोक.......................पृथिवी....अन्तरिक्ष.....द्युलोक‌
लोक देवता................अग्नि......वायु.......आदित्य‌
सृष्‍टि की स्थूल अवस्था....विराट्.....हिरण्यगर्भा....ईश्‍वर‌
सृष्‍टि की सूक्ष्म अवस्था....अग्नि......वायु.......आदित्य‌
सृष्‍टि की कारण‌ अवस्था....विश्‍व.......तेज.......प्राज्ञ

इन उपर्युक्त अवस्थाओं को लानेवाला, इन सब शक्तियों तथा तीनों लोकों का नियन्ता और स्वामी होने से 'विराट्' आदि अर्थ अ,उ,म् से लिये गये हैं | ये अर्र्थ बुद्धिपूर्वक और युक्तियुक्त प्रतीत होते हैं और इसी आधार पर ऋषि दयानन्द ने ये अर्थ सत्यार्थप्रकाश में लिखे हैं |

2. What is the meaning of Praajnaa, not prajnaa (a name of God for
which letterM of AUM stands)?

** यह शब्द प्राज्ञ है | 'जो निर्भ्रान्त ज्ञानयुक्त सब चराचर जगत् के व्यवहार को यथावत् जानता है इससे ईश्‍वर का नाम 'प्राज्ञ' है |

3. What is `Baadhitnyaaya'. (Ref: upasthitm…………
Baadhitnyaaya).

4. What is the meaning of `Swaprakshswaroop'
(self-resplendent)? Does it mean God has very bright appearance and it
is due to His own power? If it is so, then what (or how He) is nirakaar?

** It means He don't requires any one else to enlighten Him. He is self enlightened. He is not a physical light source like Sun , but is the cause of the light of all physical bodies.

5. Constant pervasiveness = Brahma!

** 'Brahma' is Who makes the whole universe (Brahmand). This is one meaning of Brahma

6. Sab jagat ke banane se Brahamaa (Satyaarth Prakaash Hindi). Being
the Supreme in the universe Brahamaa (Light of Truth, Pt. Ganga Prasad
Upadhyaya). Which one is in original?

** Naturally the the original is the one in Hindi.

7. Being pervader everywhere = Visnu!

** 'Vishnu' is Who pervades the whole universe (Brahmand)

8. `He pervades all and is imperishable' implies His name
`Aksara'.

** 'अक्षर' = जो सर्वत्र व्याप्त अविनाशी है [ कहते हैं न, अक्षर ही ब्रह्म है]

i. Now I understand pervasiveness
implies 3 names(Brahma, Visnu and Aksara
from points 5, 7 & 8). Is there any subtle
difference among these or they are just
synonyms?

** देखिये ईश्‍वर से सारा जगत् आच्छादित है वही इसका बनाने वाला धारण करने वाला व प्रलयकर्त्ता है | ('ईशा वास्यमिदँ सर्वं, यत्किञ्च जगत्याञ्जगत्")
The infinite qualities of God are described with different names, which may have a subtle difference, but are still essential to make a man understand the God more & more closely & from different angles and again & again till it sets in his heart.

ii. What is the literal meaning of
`Aksara' and what properties it describes.

** In RigVedadi Bhashyabhoomika Rishi Dayanand refers to Mahamuni Patanjali & Panini's as follows
'सब शब्द नित्य हैं, क्योंकि इन शब्दों में जितने अक्षरादि अवयव हैं वे सब कूटस्थ अर्थात् विनाश रहित हैं, वे पूर्वापर विचलते भी नहीं, उनका अभाव व आगम कभी नहीं होता |'

iii. How is `Aksara' of this world
having these properties?

** Aksara is imperishable. However the books, letters, ink and the structure of Aksara which are man made are perishable.

9. Kaalaagni because He is thedissoluter even of time. (referred to
point 16
below)

** Pl see answer below.

10. What is the meaning of `jisme sab bhoot praannii hote
hain'?

** 'जिसमें सब भूत प्राणि होते हैं इसलिये ईश्‍वर का नाम 'भूमि' है |' Bhoota's refer to Panch bhoota's i.e., Prithivi, Jal, Vayu, Agni, Akash and from which our body is made and which are supported by this earth. Like the earth God supports every thing , hence the name 'bhumi'

11. Again `swayamprakash' means?

** Pl see above

12. God is called `Aaditya', because He neverperishes. Then
why/how is Aaditya asynonym of sun.

** God is not a synonym of Sun. Where ever Aditya refers to a perishable entity, then this reference is not for God.

13. God is called Budha as He is all knowledgeand is the source of
knowledge of all souls.
Here Bodhswaroop is translated as`all knowledge'. Please explain
the meaning of Bodhswaroop and is there any connection of the meanings
of these words with the names of planets?

** This means He knows every thing and is the Cause of knowledge to all souls. This term here has absolutely no connection with the name of any planet.

14. Sabjivon ko chitane se His name is `chitta', English
translation is `God is called chitta because He himself is conscious
and gives consciousness also to all souls'.
Is its meaning that souls were not conscious and consciousness is given
to usby God?

** The chaitna of the prani which is a combination of soul & body is due to God. Though soul is chaitan, the chaitna of body and the universe is due to God, who creates it. It is due to God that Pranis know what is truth, & what is false.

15. `Vijaateeyajaise manushya se bhinna jaati wale vraksha,
paashhaan aadi', likewise soul and matter are vijaateeya from God, I
think so, please elucidate

** I think it means that the God has no other God similar to Him or dissimilar to Him. He is Adwait away from duality.

16. `Jo jagat ke sab padarth aur jeevon ki sankhya karta hai isliye
parmeshwar ka naamkaala hai' Also point 9 above states that `His
name is Kaalaagni because He is the dissoluter even of kaala'. So,
as in pralaya all padarth and their counting vanishes likewise whether
all jeev and their counting also vanish in pralaya?

** No the jeev & Prakrity never vanishes. Yes the Kaal ganana starts with the creation and hence when Pralaya occurs the Kaal ganana also remains non existant. Hence Ishwar is called Kaal of Kaal.