What is Narayan (Narayana / नारायण) name meaning (As per Hindu Texts / Authentic) | Why is Krishna (Vishnu) called Narayana (Narayana)? | Which God name is Narayana (Narayana)?
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Just before going to “What is Narayan (Narayana / नारायण) name meaning (As per Hindu Texts / Authentic) | Why is Krishna (Vishnu) called Narayan (Narayana)? | Which God name is Narayan (Narayana)?“, let us have a brief some brief information.
Sanskrit is so well designed language that it’s words can be easily separated to understand the meaning of each alphabet and the whole word too.
Just moving forward to know about “What is Narayan (Sanskrit Narayana) name meaning”, let us have a basic idea of this divine name Narayana:
Narayana = Nara + Ayana = Water + Living (Staying). Narayana is someone who lives / stays in the divine waters of Kshirasagara in Vaikuntha (This is not the only meaning. It has unlimited number of meanings. Below we will see few of them).
Bhagavan Sri Narayana stays in Vaikuntha with his divine consort Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi. Bhagavan Sri Narayana is staying in Vaikuntha since the ‘aadi kalam’ (Grand unknown time) and will stay until the ‘ananta kalam’ (Grand infinite time).
Now, let us move forward to know about “What is Narayan (Sanskrit Narayana) name meaning”:
1. “Moksham Narayana addhichhett” : Bhagavan Sri Narayana (Also called as Vishnu) is the only one who can give Moksha / Mukti (Divine liberation) independently without depending on others.
(Please note that, other Devatas / Demigods / Divine People can also give Moksha / Mukti, but they all are completely dependent on Bhagavan Sri Narayana. Without Bhagavan Sri Narayana’s help, support and permission no one can give Moksha / Mukti).
Giving Moksha / Mukti is the authority of Bhagavan Sri Narayana. He is the one and the only who will grant Moksha / Mukti to the deserving as per their Karmas.
Bhagavan Sri Narayana is called as ‘Moksha Pradata’ (मोक्ष प्रदात / ಮೋಕ್ಷ ಪ್ರದಾತ / mōkṣa pradāta), that is, he is the only one who can independently bestow the ultimate divine liberation to the deserving aatmas / souls as per their Karmas including Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi, Sri Brahma Deva, Sri Saraswati Devi, Sri Rudra Deva etc.
Bhagavan Sri Narayana’s highest divine place called Vaikuntha is the supreme abode and most desired place where every divine aatma / soul will be eager to reach and stay permanently.
नारायणाय परिपूर्ण गुणार्णवाय विश्वोदय स्थिति लयोन्नियति प्रदाय |
ज्ञानप्रदाय विबुधासुर सौख्यदुःख सत्कारणाय वितताय नमो नमस्ते ||
ನಾರಾಯಣಾಯ ಪರಿಪೂರ್ಣ ಗುಣಾರ್ಣವಾಯ ವಿಶ್ವೋದಯ ಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಲಯೋನ್ನಿಯತಿ ಪ್ರದಾಯ |
ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರದಾಯ ವಿಬುಧಾಸುರ ಸೌಖ್ಯದುಃಖ ಸತ್ಕಾರಣಾಯ ವಿತತಾಯ ನಮೋ ನಮಸ್ತೇ ||
nārāyaṇāya paripūrṇa guṇārṇavāya viśvōdaya sthiti layōnniyati pradāya |
jñānapradāya vibudhāsura saukhyaduḥkha satkāraṇāya vitatāya namō namastē ||
Meaning of the above sloka: Oh Narayana, my repeated and devoted namaste (Divine salutations) to the Supreme Bhagavan Sri Narayana. You are like an ocean who is full of divine and auspicious qualities.
You are the main cause of udaya (birth), sthithi (maintenance), laya (dissolution) and you are the supreme guidance of the unlimited universes. You are the giver of all the knowledge.
You are the one who is all pervading and you are the one who is the abiding cause of Moksha / Mukti (Divine liberation) to the good Dharmic people and also you are the one who is the hellfire / misery to the ‘Adharmi people’ (Rakshasas, wicked people).
2. jaṅgamājaṅgamaṁ cēdaṁ jagannārāyaṇōdbhavaṁ
जंगमाजंगमं चेदं जगन्नारायणोद्भवं || 18 || ಜಂಗಮಾಜಂಗಮಂ ಚೇದಂ ಜಗನ್ನಾರಾಯಣೋದ್ಭವಂ || 18 || jaṅgamājaṅgamaṁ cēdaṁ jagannārāyaṇōdbhavaṁ || 18 ||
The above shloka is taken from the most divine Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram’s Phala Shruti (Shloka number 18).
Meaning of this sloka: The unlimited Universes that consists of both living beings / mobile beings (jaṅgama) and non-living things / immobile things (ajaṅgamaṁ) etc. has taken birth from ultimate Bhagavan Sri Narayana.
This looks like a simple shloka, but has innumerable meaning in it. This shloka is highly and divinely important for those who don’t believe in Bhagavan (Theism) and will always be doubting about the birth, maintenance and dissolution of the unlimited Universes.
Our great and divine Rishis (Sages), Pitrus (Ancestors), Devatas (Demigods), Pancha Bhootas (earth, water, fire, air, and space), livings beings, non-living things, movable beings / things, immovable beings / things all have been originated from the Ultimate Bhagavan, that is, from Bhagavan Sri Narayana (Also known as Vishnu).
That’s why Bhagavan Sri Vishnu is known as Bhagavan Sri Narayana.
3. śrīmānnārāyaṇō viṣṇurvāsudēvō̕bhirakṣatu
वनमाली गदी शार्ङ्गी शंखी चक्री च नन्दकी |
श्रीमन्नारायणो विष्णुर्वासुदेवोभिरक्षतु ॥ 108 ॥
ವನಮಾಲೀ ಗದೀ ಶಾರ್ಜ್ಗೀ ಶಂಖೀ ಚಕ್ರೀ ಚ ನಂದಕೀ ।
ಶ್ರೀಮಾನ್ನಾರಾಯಣೋ ವಿಷ್ಣುರ್ವಾಸುದೇವೋಽಭಿರಕ್ಷತು ॥ 108 ॥
vanamālī gadī śārjgī śaṅkhī cakrī ca nandakī।
śrīmānnārāyaṇō viṣṇurvāsudēvō̕bhirakṣatu ॥ 108 ॥
This above divine shloka is taken from the most divine Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram number 108.
Meaning of this sloka: Bhagavan Sriman Narayana is the one who is decorated with a divine garland of forest flowers.
Bhagavan Sri Narayana is the one who is symbolized holding a divine mace (Gada – Kaumodaki), a divine bow (Shargna), a divine conch (Shankha – Sudarshana), a divine disk (Sudarshana Chakra) and a divine sword called Nandaka and he is also known by other names like Vishnu and Vasudeva (Read as Vaasudeva and not as Vasudeva).
Thus he is the one who protects us and showers happiness to all of us.
That’s why Lord Sri Vishnu is called as Bhagavan Lord Sri Narayana.
4. kālaśca nārāyaṇaḥ : || कालश्च नारायणः || || ಕಾಲಶ್ಚ ನಾರಾಯಣಃ || || kālaśca nārāyaṇaḥ ||
Now, let us consider the above small shloka of Bhagavan Sri Narayana. From Bhagavan Sri Narayana the divine time (kāla) takes birth. Bhagavan Sri Narayana is the kāla (time) niyaamaka (Controller of time).
Bhagavan Sri Narayana is the governing Bhagavan and Presiding Deity of the divine kāla / time. Bhagavan Sri Narayana is called the ‘Niyaamaka’ (Controller of time) of the unlimited Universes.
Bhagavan Sri Narayana is also called as ‘Sarva Niyaamaka’ (Controller of anything and everything). Bhagavan Sri Narayana is the eternal law maker, law doer, law giver etc.
Bhagavan Sri Narayana is the greatest King, he is the rule maker, he is the commander of this unlimited Universes. Bhagavan Sri Narayana is the provider of fruits of action as per good and bad Karmas.
Bhagavan Sri Narayana is the supreme truth and the ultimate divine power of this unlimited Universes. Bhagavan Sri Narayana (Vishnu / Rama / Krishna / Hari) is the most famous name on this earth.
All the Sanatana Dharma Shastras (Divine books) have always eulogized Bhagavan Sri Narayana’s divine qualities, his merits, his supremacy, his magnificence, etc since the ‘aadi kalam’ (Grand unknown time) and will continue the same untill the ‘ananta kalam’ (Grand infinite time).
Another meaning of the divine name Narayana: Nara + Yana = Divine Bhagavan who name starts with Nara + Traveller. The most divine name Nara is generally stated to all the human beings and Yana means the traveller.
Thus, Narayana means a traveller or the sole vehicle for the human beings, without whom any living being can’t even move an inch and off course can’t get the Moksha / Mukti (Divine liberation).
‘aayana’ / आयन / ಆಯನ also means the direction and Narayana is the one who shows direction to all the living beings starting from Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi, Sri Brahma Deva, Sri Rudra etc.
This is happening since the ‘aadi kalam’ and will continue until the ‘ananta kalam’. Also, the word ‘Naara’ / नार / ನಾರ is also associated with another meaning, which means water. Narayana means, he is the one whose abode is on water (Kshirasagara – in Vaikuntha).
Narayana, according to this etymology is the one who always keeps on moving (floats) in the infinite divine waters of kshirasagara in Vaikuntha and similarly he is the one who lives in the most divine waters of Kshirasagar of Vaikuntha.
The most divine and popular ‘Ashtakshari mantra’ (eight lettered mantra) called “Om Namo Narayanaya” is uniquely dedicated to Bhagavan Sriman Narayana and he is the one who is a ‘Kyvalya pati’, that is –
King of the Kyvalya (Vaikuntha), and this mantra is so divine that without reciting this mantra even the divine “Gayatri mantra” becomes useless.
To know about “What is the Om Namo Narayanaya – mantra”, please visit this link: What is the Om Namo Narayanaya – mantra
To know about “What is the Gayatri Mantra correct explanation & uses”, please visit this link: What is the Gayatri Mantra correct explanation & uses
5. ‘eko nārāyaṇaḥ Na dvitīyo’sti kaścit’ : The above shloka is taken from Nārāyaṇa-Upanishaḍ or also calledas Nārāyaṇa Atharvaśīrṣa.
Meaning of the above sloka: Bhagavan Sriman Narayana is the one and only Sarvottama / Supreme Bhagavan. Bhagavan Sriman Narayana is the ‘aadi purusha’ (Grand first person).
There is no one who is more superior to him or equal to him. Bhagavan Sri Narayana is the most ultimate, most supreme and is the “Grand first” of all the unlimited Universes.
Bhagavan Sri Narayana is called the ‘advitiya / अद्वितीय / ಅದ್ವಿತೀಯ / advitīya, means, there is no one who can match him in this unlimited Universes.
Bhagavan Sri Narayana is called as ‘Sarvottama’ / सर्वोत्तम / ಸರ್ವೋತ್ತಮ / sarvōttama, that is, he is the best and ultimate and supreme in the unlimited Universes and thus he is known as ‘Vishnu’.
Bhagavan Sri Narayana is impeccable and no sin can harm him. Bhagavan Sri Narayana is called as ‘Paramatma’. Bhagavan Sri Narayana is called as ‘Mukunda’, that is, he is the one who can give the Moksha / Mukti (Divine liberation).
Bhagavan Sri Narayana is the one who destroys (Hari) the cycle of birth and death, and gives us the Moksha / Mukti (Divine liberation) to stay permanently in the most divine place called Vaikuntha.
6. ‘Lakshmi Narayana’ : लक्ष्मी नारायण / ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ನಾರಾಯಣ / lakṣmi nārāyaṇa – Bhagavan Sri Narayana is known as Lakshmi Narayana, as Bhagavan Sri Narayana always stays with his divine consort Sri Maha Laskhmi Devi.
Bhagavan Sri Narayana has permanents kept his divine consort Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi in his ‘vaksha sthala’ (Divine chest part) and thus Bhagavan Sri Narayana is also called as ‘Srivatsa’ (Sri = Lakshmi Devi, vatsa = Divine mole on the chest).
Bhagavan Sri Narayana never ever be away from Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi and similarly, Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi will also be never ever away from her divine husband Bhagavan Sri Narayana.
If we give importance only to Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi to get the material wealth and if we give little or no importance to Bhagavan Sri Narayana, then in that place / house / country Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi will not stay, instead ‘Alakshmi’ will stay.
Here Alakshmi means the wife of Kali, that is, Kali Yuga’s Kali. Duryodhana was born as Kali during the Mahabharata period and his wife was the Alakshmi. This Alakshmi was born as Manthara during the Ramayana period.
Also while doing pooja of Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi, we have to do pooja of Bhagavan Sri Narayana first, then we need to do pooja of Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi. Otherwise, Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi will not be happy of our pooja.
This is the greatness of our greatest Bhagavan Sri Narayana / Vishnu / Hari / Rama / Krishna – He has unlimited divine names.
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To know “Goddess Sri Lakshmi Ashtottara Shata namavali (108 names) with meaning in Sanskrit, Kannada and English languages”, visit this link: Goddess Sri Lakshmi Ashtottara Shata namavali (108 names) with meaning in Sanskrit, Kannada and English languages
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