Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण; nārāyaṇa) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu and is in many contemporary vernaculars, a common
Indian name. The name is also associated with Brahma and
Krishna. He is also identified with, or as the son of, the original man, Purusha.
But at its core, Nara-Narayana is further broken down where Nara means human and Narayana means the Supreme Divinity, or
Vishnu. In the concept of Nara-Narayana, the human spirit
Nara is the eternal companion of the Divine Narayana. Any
human being with an awakened consciousness of divinity in him and who works overall for the welfare of humanity is a
Nara-Narayana, an incarnation of Vishnu on earth working for the preservation of
dharma or righteousness.
Furthermore, the name Narayana is a Sanskrit tatpurusha
compound, with the members nara, which means "human, man", and ayana "eternal, without ending (a-yana)". 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 interpretation of Narayana is that "Ayana" also means direction/goal and as previously mentioned "Nara" means human.
Hence Narayana refers to the direction of a human (or the one that helps a human to his/her goal) - that towards moksha.
Specially so , because moksha is represented by the water element (one of the five elements - pancha bhootam/Tattva) and as previously mentioned Nara referes to the "Water" element.
Variations
Narayanasamy
Narayanaswamy
Narayan
Narayanan
Sacred uses
- Narayana is another name for Vishnu or the Hindu name for God
and appears as the 245th name in the Vishnu sahasranama. For more information, see
Vaishnava Theology.
- The book, Sri Ramanuja, His Life, Religion, and Philosophy, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India, 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."
- One of the most famous mantras, "Om Namo Narayana" is chanted by Hindus. This mantra, along
with Om Namah Shivāya, and the Gayatri mantra are the
most sacred prayers by Hindus.
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." (i.e., Vishnu.) This verse, if proof was necessary, indicates that the Devas are subordinate to Vishnu
or God.
Trivia
- Sri Krishna and Arjuna are often referred to as Nara-Narayana.In a previous incarnation the duo were supposedly born as the
sages Nara and Narayana,and who performed great penances at the holy spot of Badri.
Secular uses
Among the many people with the name Narayan are the novelist R.K. Narayan, the
political activist Jayaprakash Narayan, the singer Udit Narayan, and the Fijian stateswoman Irene Jai Narayan. Prithvi Narayan Shah founded the
kingdom of Nepal
There is also song called Narayan by 'The Prodigy' from their 'The Fat of the Land' album, with the lyrical line "Om Namah Narayana".
In the video game GTA2 from the Grand
Theft Auto series, Narayana is the name of a neighborhood occupied by the Hare Krishna street gang.
External links
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