3. Modern Science Equivalents

3.1 Hydrogen as A: Our universe begins from nothing. In a single blinding pulse from a dot of singularity, in less than a minute, the universe is a million billion Kilometers across, has ten billion degrees of heat, enough to begin nuclear reaction, that create lighter elements, essentially hydrogen and helium. And, what an extraordinary form it had been! Had the gravity been a trifle stronger the universe might have collapsed. Had it been a trifle weaker, nothing would have coalesced. For the universe to exist, it requires that hydrogen be converted by burning to helium in a way that converts precisely 7/1000 th of its mass to energy. If the value is lowered from 0.07% to 0.06% no transformation could take place; the universe would consist only of hydrogen and nothing else. If the value is slightly increased to 0.08%, the bonding would have been so prolific, the hydrogen would have been long before exhausted and the universe, formed by a concept of ‘Big Bang’ would have collapsed by the concept of ‘Supernova’ a burning star, and perhaps, nothing would have been left behind. That brings out the importance of Hydrogen, the Abja Vaayu in the universe for the creation, preservation and destruction of this universe. Hydrogen is the only element which has one electron and one proton and no neutron and is the smallest of all elements. With rapid depletion of hydrocarbons, Hydrogen will be the pivot of future energy. Technology for use of hydrogen as fuel is already known but the economy of scale and cost has still to be attained to make it a commercial green fuel. Hence the, akaara ‘of’ ‘Aum’ could be a tribute to this marvel of Hydrogen (as fuel for energy creation)






à Modern Science equivalents of AUM.

à Hydrogen the most prolific element of the universe as Akaara – Creation of the universe and energy released while converting Hydrogen to Helium.

à Oxygen as U - Oukaara, - most prolific element on earth, combines with Hydrogen to form water to start life on earth, even as Lakshmi joins Vishnu.

à Carbon as M - Makaara – this party animal in our body, in the forms of amino acids, protein, cells and represents the Jeevaatma.

à Of every 200 atoms in our body, 126 are hydrogen, 51 are oxygen and 19 are carbon.

à Some of the Names in Vishnu Sahasranama could indeed be a tribute to these elements, as explained later.

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3.2 Oxygen as U: Even as Hydrogen is the most prolific element in universe, and even as sun burns its Hydrogen, converting it to Helium and releases enormous energy to the rest of the Solar system, the earth’s crust is most prolific in Oxygen. Apart from sustaining the life of living beings dependent on Oxygen (not all living beings are Oxygen dependent), Oxygen and Hydrogen combine together to form the compound, water. 80% of the earth is covered with water and life started in water. That then explains the ‘oukaara’ of ‘Aum’, where Lakhsmi belongs to Him and lives with Him. Oxygen indeed belongs to Hydrogen and they live together in the form of water (and other compounds constituting the earth’s crust). Is that why Vishnu is called ‘Narayana’ one ‘Lying in Water’? We shall deal more with Oxygen while trying to understand the different names of Vishnu, while dealing with the main text of Vishnusahasranamam.

3.3 Carbon as M: Carbon is the 15th most common element accounting to only 0.048% of this earth’s crust but we would be lost without it. Carbon is the third most common element in our body. Carbon is a party animal of the atomic world, latching on to many other atoms, forming molecules of heavy robustness, the very trick of nature to build proteins, amino acids and DNA. As Paul Daves writes, “If it was not for carbon, life as we know it would be impossible”. And most of the human body is composed of amino-acids and proteins. This would, therefore, explain the sustenance of Jeevaatma or the significance of ‘Makaara’. The cleverness of this element will be discussed more elaborately, while discussing the main text of Vishnusahasranamam.

3.4 Aum and Science: Of every 200 atoms in our body, 126 are hydrogen, 51 are oxygen and though only 19, yet vital, are carbon. This may, then, give a little scientific explanation of “Aum” being at once a single letter and three letters and what we are really worshipping and praying, when we say “Aum”. Depending upon our level of intellect to understand this as one single inseparable (Advaita), or partially apparently separable (because each of these elements have separate unique functions but group together to achieve the common end, (Vishishtaa dwaita) or the role of carbon as distinct from that of Hydrogen and oxygen (two distinct, Dwaita), the three principal Philosophies of Sanaatana Dharma, and advocated by the three great savants of the Hindu Religion, namely Adisankara, Raamaanuja and Madhwacharya, may have evolved.

3.5 Turiya And Plasma :

3.5.1 ‘Pranava’ in Sanskrit means ‘humming’. Pranava, as ‘Aum’ is known, denotes God as primal sound. The pronunciation of the word ‘Aum’ symbolizes the totality of all sounds. The idea of totality with ‘Om’ exists in English language also in words like omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient, all of which have the concept of totality in their meanings. The most widely used of Buddhist mantras, ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ has ‘Om’ as its root and hence, perhaps, is the close link between Buddhist and Hindu philosophies in explaining the ‘Aum’ and writing auxiliary notes in ‘Mandukya Upanishad’ by sages with Buddhist leanings. The constant chanting of this word is credited to generate such energy level that one reaches the fourth state of ‘silence’ beyond A, U and M. How powerful is the sound of silence?
3.5.2 In a large cloud in the sky, the rubbing of ice crystals against each other librates electrons. For some reason not yet understood, the negative crystals go to the bottom and the positive ones to the top and this produces an electrical field. This electrical field causes free electrons to accelerate and these ionize the air molecules. Thus we have the positive and negative charges, creating a PLASMA. (Plasma is an electrically neutral, highly ionized gas, composed of ions, electrons and neutral particles. It is a phase of matter different from solids, liquids and gases and is called the fourth state of matter).
3.5.3 Now, things go very fast in the cloud. As the current increases, the plasma becomes hotter, increasing ionization and the size of the plasma, reaching a temperature of about 25000 K. When you add so much energy to the atom, the electrons circling it move faster and faster, pushing themselves away from the nucleus. At a critical point, they break away, thus leaving the nucleus all by itself. If this happens to a lot of atoms, there would be many free electrons, and naked nuclei floating. In this dissociated state, matter is known as plasma.
Hot electrons in a free state can excite atoms and molecules, causing them to emit light. This is the visible lightning we see in the sky. Lightning is a beautiful manifestation of the power of nature, a symbol of power and speed.

3.5.4 Thus, when the energy level is manifested beyond the phenomenal world, the excitement of life ends and one reaches a dissociated state like Plasma, but with all that latent quality of power and speed stored in, to strike again when required.
3.5.5 Plasma Physics is an important subject for the last about six decades and have many useful applications. For example, plasma based rocket engine technology is under development.