VISNU SAHASRA-NAMA-II

The very first name in the Sahasranama is Visvam (1), meaning 'the universe'. God is the universe in the sense that He is all-whatever is and whatever is not. The Visnu-purana says:

"The stars are Visnu, the worlds are Visnu, the forests are Visnu, the regions are Visnu, the rivers and the oceans He; whatever is, is Himself, and whatever is not too".

jyotimsi visnur-bhuvanani visnurvanani visnur-girayo disasca,

nadyas-samudrasca sa eva sarvam yad-asti yan-nasti ca vipravarya.

The universe is not apart from God. In fact, nothing exists other than God. If we are to express this in the language of creation, we have to say that having created the universe, God entered into it; and at the end of time, the universe enters back into God. Hari is in the form of all beings. He is immanent in all things. While commenting on the name Visvam, Sri Sankara makes the principle of immanence the basis for rendering loving service to the entire world. 

Since God is all, nothing could be harmed without offending against God. He is the true devotee who loves all, who would not do unto others that harm which he would not do unto himself. This is the whole of dharma according to the Mahabharata. The Bhagavad-Gita defines the supreme yogin as the one who sees the same everywhere, as equal unto himself, whether in Joy or in sorrow.

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