Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण; nārāyaṇa) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for
Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also
identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana.
In the Kumara Purana he is identified with Brahman and Krishna-Vishnu, but in
the Brahma Vaivarta Purana Narayana is considered different from Krishna and also
considered part of Krishna.
In the Mahabharata Krishna is often referred to as Narayana and Arjuna as Nara.The epic
identifies them both in plural 'Krishnas', or as part incarnations of the earlier incarnations
of Vishnu, recalling their mystical identity as Nara-Narayana. Followers of Lord
Swaminarayan believe that Narayan manifested himself as Swaminarayan.
Etymology
The name Narayana is a Sanskrit tatpurusha compound of nara ("human, man") and ayana
("eternal, without ending").[citation needed] Tradition associates the nara element with
another meaning of "water", explaining the name as indicating the all-pervasive nature of
Narayana as that of an infinite ocean in which the never-ending movement of birth, life and
death of the cosmos occurs. Narayana, according to this etymology, is the one who moves in
the infinite waters and is also the water itself. This close association of Narayana with water
explains the frequent depiction of Narayana in Hindu art as standing or sitting on an ocean.
Another important translation of Narayana is "The supreme Man who is the foundation of all
men".[citation needed]
Another interpretation of the word Narayana sees Nara meaning "human" and Ayana as
"direction/goal". Hence Narayana refers to the "direction of a human" (or the one that helps
a human to his/her goal, i.e. towards moksha). Nara is related to moksha as both are rooted
to the Water element (Ap), one of the Great Elements (Mahābhūta). (See also Tattva).
According to the Vaishnav Philosophy, the Narayana is the Purnapurrushttom Purush lord
Keshav. In Gita, lord Krishna admits that he is the Keshav.
Variations of the Name
* Narayanasamy
* Narayanaswamy
* Narayan
* Narayanan
* Narine
* Narayanaswami
Religious uses
* Narayana is another name for Vishnu and appears as the 245th name in the Vishnu
sahasranama. (See Vaishnava Theology.)
* The book, Sri Ramanuja, His Life, Religion, and Philosophy, states that the name
"Narayana" means, "He who is the dwelling place, i.e., the source, support and dissolving
ground of all Jivas or souls, including inert matter."
* Om Namo NārāyaNāya is one of the most famous mantras chanted by Hindus. This mantra,
along with Om Namah Shivāya, and the Gayatri mantra are the most sacred prayers by
Hindus[citation needed].
* When doing a puja, people say the 108 names of Narayana.
A verse that confers the Devas' subordinate status comes from the Vishnu sahasranama,
whose concluding verses state: "The Rishis (great sages), ancestors, the Devas, the great
elements, in fact, all things moving and unmoving constituting this universe have originated
from Narayana." This verse indicates that the Devas are subordinate to Vishnu, but Vishnu is
often named a Deva. (Vasudeva, Narasimhadeva, etc.)
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