You know, in the Vedas there are seven recognized rhythms - gáyatrii, uśńik, triśt́up, anuśt́up, brhatii, jagatii and paunkti. You are to some extent acquainted with the so-called Gáyattrii Mantra, but actually it is not a Mantra, but a rk. It is a common error to say “Gáyattrii Mantra”. Savitr Rk was composed in gáyattrii rhythm.

Now, there is another rhythm known as anuśt́up. The fundamental difference between gáyattrii rhythm and anuśt́up rhythm is that in gáyattrii rhythm there are seven syllables in each line - three times seven is equal to twenty-one syllables – and in anuśt́up there are four lines and seven syllables in each line - four times seven makes twenty-eight syllables.

One of the important incantations in the Vedas, composed in anuśt́up, is

Ugraḿ viiraḿ Maháviśńuḿ
Jvalantaḿ vishvatomukham
Nrsiḿhaḿ bhiiśańaḿ bhadraḿ
Mryurmrtyuh namámyaham.

“Ugraḿ viiraḿ Maháviśńuḿ” – first line – “Jvalantaḿ vishvatomukham” – second line – “Nrsiḿhaḿ bhiiśańaḿ bhadraḿ mrtyurmrtyuh namámyaham.” It is about Táraka Brahma, who lies in the non-attributional arena, but still keeps a close vigilance on the expressed universe.

The first word used to describe Him is “ugram”. Here “ugram” doesn’t mean “ferocious” as it does in Laokika Saḿskrta; it means “ut” + “gra” = “ugra”, that is, “pointed”, “pinnacled” - the pinnacled glory of the universe. He represents everything that is glorious in this expressed universe. That’s why He is Ugra.

“Viiram”. You know that “viiram” means “hero”. (And you know that in the Hindi language it is “biiram” – “ba”, not “va”). He is viiram because He Himself, that is, individually, faces all troubles, all conflicts, all predicaments, and personally solves all problems – and that’s why He is viiram.

“Maháviśńu”. Anything that has the wont of entering into another object is called “viśńu”. And He is Maháviśńu, because in this vast universe He enters into each and every created being, each and every portion, each and every part and particle of animate and inanimate objects. He can go into each and every pore of your body and each and every loophole of your microcosm. Whatever you do with any portion of your body, and whatever you think in any portion of your mind, is known to Him. That’s why He is Maháviśńu, the Great Viśńu.

“Jvalantam”. He is just like something burning, so ferocious, so full of energy. And because each and everybody in this universe gets energy from Him, He is the Supreme Source of energy.

This earth and all the other planets and satellites of this solar system get their energy from the sun. The sun is the source of their energy. But He is the source of the sun’s energy. And that’s why He is jvalantam.

And that’s why I have said that there won’t be any thermal death of this universe. Because He is jvalantam, He is present, and He will be present forever. So there won’t be any shortage of energy in this cosmic system, though there may be a shortage of energy in some particular portion of the earth or the cosmos.

“Vishvatomukham”. Each and every created entity has one mukham - one face – and can only see towards a particular side, or a particular corner or a particular lateral direction, or a particular corner direction, but cannot see in more than one lateral direction or one corner direction. You cannot see both east and west at a time. But He is Vishvatomukham – He sees everything at a time. He sees everything, because He requires no physical eyes to see. Everything is within His mind; and to see something internal one requires no physical eyes. So He sees everything, and that’s why He is Vishvatomukham.

“Nrsiḿham”. “Nr” means “puruśa”, and “siḿha” means “leader”, “chief”, “head”. Because the lion is the chief, the head animal in the jungle, it is also called “siḿha”. The lion is pashusiḿha, that is, the leader among the animals. And He is the leader of puruśas, that is, He is Puruśottama. “Nrsiḿham”, means “Puruśottama”.

Naráńaḿ siḿha, naráńaḿ netá ityarthe nrsiḿhah.

He is Puruśottama. There is no fundamental difference between Táraka Brahma and Puruśottama. Both are leading personalities, and their attributional arenas coincide with one another.

“Nrsiḿhaḿ bhiiśańam.” He is bhiiśańa. He is horrible. He is horrifying. He is dangerous. But He is horrible for whom? For those who are undisciplined, for those who exploit others, those who are in a depraved state even in a human structure, those who are asádhu, and those who goad others towards destruction and annihilation – He is bhiiśana for them.

“Bhayáńaḿ bhayaḿ bhiiśańaḿ bhiiśańánám.” People always want to avoid objects of fear, but He is fear for fear. People are afraid of many bhiiśańa objects, many bhiiśańa things, many bhiiśańa entities, and many bhiiśańa people, but he is bhiiśańa for all those bhiiśańa objects, people, etc. “Bhiiśańaḿ bhiiśańanám.” And because of His bhiiśańa role, the discipline of this Cosmic order is maintained. Because of fear of Him, the air moves. The air cannot say, “No, I won’t move, I will remain stationary.” It will have to move. Why? Because the air is afraid of Him. According to His code of discipline the air has to move, and that is why it does move.

In Saḿskrta, “niila” means “blue”. And “nila” means “stationary”, “fixed”. And “anila” means “not stationary”, “not fixed”, but always moving. “Anila” means “váyu”. So, “Bhiiśasmád váyu pavate.” “Pavate” means “moves”. “Bhiiśodeti súryah.” The sun rises at the proper time. It cannot say, “No, let me have another cup of bed tea,” or “Today is Sunday, let me have the grace of half and hour or fifteen minutes more.” No, it is His code of discipline that the sun will have to rise at the proper time. It is only out of fear of Him that the sun rises at the proper time. Had He not been bhiiśańam, the equipoise of the universe would have been lost. People love Him, but in that love there is ninety-nine percent love, and one percent fear. “Bhiiśodeti súryah bhiiśosmád agnishcendreti.” Fire burns. Why? It is the wont of fire to burn, and that wont is in the fire because of His code of discipline. And what is discipline? The Saḿskrta term for “discipline” is “anushásanam”. And what is anushásanam? “Hitárthe shásanam ityarthe anushásanam.” When the code of discipline is imposed with the spirit of welfare, with the spirit of development, it is called “anushásanam” in Saḿskrta. There is no corresponding English word. “Bhiiśodeti súryah bhiiśosmád agnishcendreti.” So the fire burns out of fear of Him. If the fire doesn’t burn, He will be displeased, because the fire is going against the fundamental principles of discipline.

“Indra”. “Indra” means “energy”, “electricity”, “magnetism”, “light” – they are all energy. Energy is called “indra” in Saḿskrta. In fact, in Saḿskrta, indra has several meanings. [[One]] meaning is “the best man”, “the biggest one”, “the best”. “Devatánám rájá Indra iti kathyate” – the king of the devas is known as Indra. “Indra” also means “big”. A well is called “kúpam” in Saḿskrta, and a big kúpam is called “indrakúpam”. (The Saḿskrta is “indrakúpam”. In Prákrta it is “indrauyá”. Ardha Prákrta is “indra”. Old Hindi is “indárá”. Varttamána Hindi is “inára”). “Indra” means “big”. [[Another meaning of “indra” is (just now I told you) energy, heat, electricity, magnetism, etc.]] And the fourth meaning of “indra” is the “shál tree”, because it is a big, strong tree.

“Bhiiśodeti súryah bhiiśosmád agnishca indreti.” And indra, that is, energy, also moves because of His code of discipline. A fan moves due to electrical energy. Why? It is His desire that electricity operates other objects. And electricity cannot say, “No, I won’t do it.”

“Mrtyuh dhávati paiṋcamah.” And Pluto – in Saḿskrta, Yamarája or Mrtyu – attends the deathbed of a person at the proper time out of fear of Him. Because Mrtyu knows, “If I do not go to bring back that man, He will be displeased. As per His code of conduct, I must go there at the proper time.” Death, that is, Pluto, that is, Yamarája, cannot say, “No, I won’t go tomorrow, because it’s the Durgá Pújá holidays – I’ll go after the holidays.” No, no, no – he will have to go just now, as per the appointed moment, and without serving any notice.

What does the houseowner do to his tenant? He serves him with a notice, I think. After getting the notice, the tenant will have to quit the house, or he may file a case in a court of law. The tenant can do this, but in the case of death, no notice is served, no time is given. Death goes and says, “Be ready, please. Come with me. Come with me.” Death has this authority, but how? Why? From whom? It is He who has authorized death to do this duty, and death is to do the duty at the proper time, the appointed time. There must not be any delay. “Mrtyuh dhávati paiṋcamah”. Mrtyu will have to go.

“Bhadra”. In Saḿskrta, “bhadra” means “good”, “merit”. From “bhadra”, the Prákrta word “bhallá” is derived. From “bhallá” the Ardha Prakrta word “bhállá” is derived. From “bhállá” comes the modern “bhála”. “Bhála” means “good”. In Bengali, a gentleman is called “bhadraloka”, which means “good man”.

“Nrsiḿhaḿ bhiiśańaḿ bhadram.” He is bhiiśańam, but at the same time He is bhadram, good. Why good? Because whatever He does, and whatever may be His code of discipline, His inner spirit is to do welfare, to serve the people, to help the people. So when the spirit is good, certainly He is good, certainly He is bhadram.

“Mrtyurmrtyuh namámyaham.” “Mrtyurmrtyuh” means “death of death”. This has two imports. One is that everybody, each and every living creature, is afraid of death – everybody is afraid of death – but death is afraid of Him. So He is the death of death. And the second meaning is this: Whenever a man dies, he comes back again in another form. Again he undergoes death, again he comes back. This cyclic order goes on, and on, and on. Birth after death, death after birth – the cyclic order goes on. But what happens when one ensconces oneself in Him, when one becomes one with Him? One will die, no doubt, but after death one won’t come back.

So when one is in deep love with Him, and death comes, that death is the final death. After death there will be no rebirth. Along with that death, death dies. So it is mrtyurmrtyuh – the death of death. So He is mrtyurmrtyuh.

Each and every intelligent person of the world, everyone who has an iota of intelligence, should try to goad all his energies, all his propensities unto Him. He is the Supreme Shelter. There is no alternative.