Narayana
Encyclopedia
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
name for Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha
Purusha
In some lineages of Hinduism, Purusha is the "Self" which pervades the universe. The Vedic divinities are interpretations of the many facets of Purusha...
. The Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
present divergent views on Narayana. In the Kurma
Kurma
In Hinduism, Kurma was the second Avatar of Vishnu. Like the Matsya Avatar also belongs to the Satya yuga.-Samudra manthan :...
Purana he is identified with Brahman
Brahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
and Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
-Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
.
In the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
Krishna is often referred to as Narayana and Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
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
Nara-Narayana
Nara-Narayana is a Hindu deity pair. Nara-Narayana is the twin-brother incarnation of the preserver-god Vishnu on earth, working for the preservation of dharma or righteousness...
.
Etymology
Narayana is spoken of in the scriptures as being 'parabrahman', 'paramatma' and 'parameshwar' which are all ways of saying "absolute" or "supreme" God/Lord/Soul. In the VedasVedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
it is written that that "Narayana parabrahman tatvam Narayana paraha |", which points to the how Narayana is essentially the supreme force and/or essence of all.
Antar Vahisca Sarvam vyapta Narayana stitaha means inside and out Narayana is pervaded through out the universe both spritual and material universes. He resides at the eternal blissful Vaikuntha planet, which is situated at Sweta dwipa, he is also called Vaikuntha nathan and kheerabdhi nathan means the lord of milk ocean, he plays his divine past times with his consort Laxmi and other liberated souls.
He never leaves milk ocean but his power works through out the universe as it says in Upanisada Om purna midam purnat purna muduchyate means he is the complete whole,even though everything comes from him, he is still the complete.
"Harivansh" Adhyay 88 shlok 44 explicitly define Narayan as: Naaraa Aapah
samaakyaataastaasaamayanamaaditah, yatastavan bhootabhavyesha tat-Naarayanashabditah. Naaarah
Aapah samaakhyaat means naarah known as aapah (Water), Naaraanaam aaditah ayanan yasya sah (from the beginning (aditah) you are resting in (ayanam) that is why (yasya sah), oh lord of past and future(bhoot-bhavuesha, you are called (shabditah) Narayan.
In Mahabharat "Aranyak Parva- Chapter 272 shlok 42"- Published by Sastu Sahitya Vardhak Karyalay, Ahmedabad, India)- Naar means water in human (Nar) body, is residence (Aayan) of God (Naarayan).
Another interpretation of the word Narayana sees Nara meaning "human" and Ayana as "direction/goal". Some view Narayana as meaning "son of man." Hence Narayana refers to the "direction of a human" (or the one that helps a human to his/her goal, i.e. towards moksha
Moksha
Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
). Nara is related to moksha as both are rooted to the Water element (Ap)
Ap (water)
Ap is the Vedic Sanskrit term for "water", in Classical Sanskrit occurring only in the plural, , whence Hindi . The term is from PIE hxap "water"....
, one of the Great Elements (Mahābhūta)
Mahabhuta
Mahābhūta is Sanskrit and Pāli for "great element." In Buddhism, the "four great elements" are earth, water, fire and air...
. (See also Tattva
Tattva
Tattva is a Sanskrit word meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'. According to various Indian schools of philosophy, a tattva is an element or aspect of reality conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of tattvas varies depending on the philosophical school, together they...
).
Nara means humans and Ayana means shelter so Narayana means the shelter of all human beings. The Sama Veda reads: "'Om Namo Narayanayeti mantra upasaka Vaikuntha bhuvanam gamishyati', or "Whosoever chants the 'Om Namo Narayana' mantra reaches the ultimate goal Vaikuntha planet where one attains eternal blissful life." Vaikuntha is the supreme spiritual abode; there is nothing that exists beyond Vaikuntha, Vaikuntha means 'no desires'.
Actually, Lord Narayan is the supreme almighty, everything emnates from Him. In the Yajurveda
Yajurveda
The Yajurveda, a tatpurusha compound of "sacrificial formula', + ) is the third of the four canonical texts of Hinduism, the Vedas. By some, it is estimated to have been composed between 1400 and 1000 BC, the Yajurveda 'Samhita', or 'compilation', contains the liturgy needed to perform the...
it says, 'Om adha nitya Narayan ha, brahma narayanaha, shivasca narayana ha, shankarsca narayanaha and kalacha narayanaha, sarva bhutasca mekam via narayana Karan purusha makarana parabramahan' and ultimately it says 'Savo deve eko Narayana na dwitiyacha kaschit' ("There is only one God Narayana and no second"). He Himself expands as Brahma the creator (Generator), Vishnu the maintainer (Operator) and Shiva as the annihilator (Destroyer)-GOD. Whether you read Rig Veda or any other Vedas and Puranas it has said Lord Narayan is the supreme and there is absolutely nothing beyond Him, it says in Srimad Bhagavatam 'Yesha tu Narayanam devam adevam isham' ('Narayan is the lord of the lords beyond him there is nothing exists'). Whoever worships with love and devotion achieves the highest destination Vaikuntha. (G as Generator, O as Operator and D as Destroyer hence GOD)
Expansions
Narayana expands as second caturvyuha (first is expanded from Balarama/Baladeva). He is in center of Narayanaloka (Vaikunthaloka), and around Him are four Personalities of Godhead.This caturvyuha is following:
| From Sankarshana expands Mahavishnu Mahavishnu Image:Hinducosm Map1.svg|thumb|Click an area to go there. This is one of many material universes which expand from Mahavishnu when He breathes.|300px|alt=One Brahmanda, with Garbhodakashayi-Vishnurect 216 61 277 80 Brahma... |
From Aniruddha expands Kṣīrodakaśāyī Vishnu Ksirodakasayi Vishnu Kṣīrodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu is one of the puruṣa Āvatāra of Nārāyaṇa. According to the Vedas, Kṣīrodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu resides in the heart of every living creature as a four hand expansion similar to that of Mahā-Viṣṇu. He is also referred to as Paramātmā or super soul. His abode is the... |
This Vasudeva is different from Vasudeva (Krishna Krishna Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu... ) |
From Pradyumna expands Garbhodaksayi Vishnu Garbhodaksayi Vishnu Garbhodakśāyī Viṣṇu is second in the hierarchy of Viṣṇu Avatāras in the mahā Tattva . In Gauḍīya Vaishnavism, a school of Vaiṣṇavism, the Sātvata-tantra describes three different forms, or aspects, of Vishnu as Mahā Vishnu, Garbhodakaśāyī Vishnu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Vishnu , with each form having a... |
From the second Sankarshana (Sankarshana of caturvyuha, which expands from Narayana, not the Sankarshana which expands from Balarama
Balarama
Balarama , also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an Avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
) expands Mahavishnu. Also, This second Sanakrshana is called Maha-Sankarshana. From this Mahavishnu expands Garbhodakashayi-Vishnu, and from Garbhodakashayi-Vishnu expands Ksirodakashayi-Vishnu:
|-
- Narayana
- (Maha?) Sankarshana
- Maha Vishnu
- Garbhodaksayi VishnuGarbhodaksayi VishnuGarbhodakśāyī Viṣṇu is second in the hierarchy of Viṣṇu Avatāras in the mahā Tattva . In Gauḍīya Vaishnavism, a school of Vaiṣṇavism, the Sātvata-tantra describes three different forms, or aspects, of Vishnu as Mahā Vishnu, Garbhodakaśāyī Vishnu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Vishnu , with each form having a...
- Kshirodakasayi Vishnu
- AnantaAnantaAnanta is a Sanskrit word meaning "without end".It may refer to:*Ananta , one of the names of Vishnu.*Ananta , Actor and Producer for Bengali film.*Ananta, a serpent on which Vishnu lies, aka Shesha....
, SheshaSheshaIn Hindu tradition, Shesha or Sheshanaag is the king of all nagas, one of the primal beings of creation, and according to the Bhagavata Purana, an Avatar of the Supreme God known as Sankarshan. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the Universe on his hoods and to constantly...
|-
|Narayana resides in Vaikuntha
on planets called Vaikunthaloka
|One of two Sankarshanas of two caturvyuhas (one from Baladeva, the second from Narayana)
|MahaVishnu is lying on
Karana Ocean and breathing
and many material universes manifest
|Garbhodakashayi Vishnu enters into
every material universe
(Brahmanda)
|Kshirodakasayi Vishnu is
in everyone's heart,
in every atom,
and on Milk ocean
|All material universes rest
on hoods of Ananta/Shesha
|}
From navel of Garbhodakashayi-Vishnu lotus sprouts out, where Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
is born. But this Brahmaloka is temporary, while Brahmalokah sanatana, planets of Supreme Personality of Godhead (here called as Brahman) are eternal - Vaikuntha planets, planets in spiritual world.
Narayana expanded Himself into caturvyuha, and that caturvyuha also expands into many other personalities of Godhead with four hands. According to position of attributes (weapons etc.) in their hands, They have different names. They hold conch-shell, club, lotus flower, sudarshana cakra in their hands in different /to be expanded/.
These four personalities - Sankarshana, Aniruddha
Aniruddha
Aniruddha , meaning "uncontrolled" or "without obstacles", was the son of Pradyumna and the grandson of Krishna. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he may be a jana avatar. The four important Vishnu extensions are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and...
, Vasudeva
Vasudeva
In Hindu itihasa , Vasudeva is the father of Krishna, the son of Shoorsen, of the Yadu and Vrishni dynasties. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu. He was a partial incarnation of Rishi Kashyap....
, Pradyumna
Pradyumna
Pradyumna is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is one in 24 Keshava Namas , praised in all pujas. It is also the only name in Sanskrit with all the 3 letters joint...
– expand themselves two times. One time - as two personalities of Godhead each (4*2), and another time - three Personalities of Godhead each (4*3). The last twelve also rule twelve months of calendar (aside from demigods which also rule 12 months in material world). So total there are 24 Personalities of Godhead, and They all expand from Narayana. There are many other planets in Vaikuntha, spiritual world, and all those planets are inhabited. Still, it is said that there is the possibility of falling away even from Vaikuntha, so one is advised to go to Goloka Vrindavana, from where there is no return. This is not usually accepted by other four Vaisnava sampradayas, but only in sampradaya which goes from Sri Caitasnya Mahaprabhu. But every Vaisnava samparadaya of their number of 5 (or four, if to say that Caitanya Sampradaya also is in Brahma sampradaya) accept that Narayana expands as caturvyuha, and from Sankarsana here comes Mahavishnu and other Personalities of Godhead - Paramatma. Controversies are encouraged to discuss so this only makes faith in Bhagavan (Vishnu, Krishna, Narayana) stronger.
Narayana, expansion of first caturvyuha, expands from Sankarshana, who is expanded from Balarama, who is expansion of Krishna. So Krishna has 64 transcendental qualities in full, but because Narayana is Personality of Godhead who is expansion of Krishna, so He has less transcendental qualities, precisely - 60 transcendental qualities in number. But other personalities have even less. Brahma and Shiva have 55 transcendental qualities, and jivaatmas, souls have 50 transcendental qualities - in minimum.
Second Caturvyuha
| Vasudeva Vasudeva In Hindu itihasa , Vasudeva is the father of Krishna, the son of Shoorsen, of the Yadu and Vrishni dynasties. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu. He was a partial incarnation of Rishi Kashyap.... |
||
| Aniruddha Aniruddha Aniruddha , meaning "uncontrolled" or "without obstacles", was the son of Pradyumna and the grandson of Krishna. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he may be a jana avatar. The four important Vishnu extensions are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and... (Paramatma or SuperSubject for meditation for yogis Yoga Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul... . See: yoga Yoga Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul... ) |
Narayana (in center) |
Pradyumna Pradyumna Pradyumna is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is one in 24 Keshava Namas , praised in all pujas. It is also the only name in Sanskrit with all the 3 letters joint... |
| Sankarshana |
Pastime expansions from Narayana-Caturvyuha
| Personality of Godhead from second caturvyuha | related pastime forms |
|---|---|
| Vāsudeva Vasudeva In Hindu itihasa , Vasudeva is the father of Krishna, the son of Shoorsen, of the Yadu and Vrishni dynasties. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu. He was a partial incarnation of Rishi Kashyap.... |
Adhokṣaja and Puruṣottama Purushottama Purushottama means "Supreme Purusha", "Supreme Being". Purushottama is also one of the names of the Vishnu. According to the Bhagavad Geeta, Purushottam is explained as above and beyond kshar and akshar purushas or as an omni-potent cosmic being... |
| Sańkarṣaṇa | Upendra Upendra Upendra is a cine actor, director, script writer and singer. Born in a middle class family at Koteshwara near Kundapura, he belongs to Kannada speaking Kota Brahmin community. Upendra started his career off with famous director Kashinath as a writer and an assistant director... and Acyuta |
| Pradyumna Pradyumna Pradyumna is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is one in 24 Keshava Namas , praised in all pujas. It is also the only name in Sanskrit with all the 3 letters joint... |
Nṛsiḿha and Janārdana Janardana Janardana is another name of Vishnu or God and appears as the 126th name in the Vishnu sahasranama. It is also a common name of Krishna being address as such by Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita.... |
| Aniruddha Aniruddha Aniruddha , meaning "uncontrolled" or "without obstacles", was the son of Pradyumna and the grandson of Krishna. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he may be a jana avatar. The four important Vishnu extensions are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and... |
Hari Hari Hari is an Avatar, another name of and , and appears as the 650th name in the Vishnu sahasranama of Mahabharata. In Sanskrit "hari" sometimes refers to a colour, green, yellow, or fawn-coloured/khaki. It is the colour of the Sun and of Soma... and Kṛṣṇa |
Variations
- Narayanasamy
- Narayanaswamy
- Narayan
- Narayanan
- Narine
- Narayanaswami
- Narain
Religious uses
- Narayana is another name for Vishnu and appears as the 245th name in the Vishnu sahasranamaVishnu sahasranamaThe Vishnu sahasranama is a list of 1,000 names of Vishnu, one of the main forms of God in Hinduism and the personal supreme God for Vaishnavas . It is also one of the most sacred and commonly chanted stotras in Hinduism...
(See Vaishnava Theology). - Actually Narayana is not another name of Vishnu because Narayana is Vishnu himself, it is written in vedas Narayana is the original name of God from whom everything exists, it says in Bhagavat Mahapuran and Rig veda that Narayana devam adevam isham means Narayana is the only lord beyond him there is no other lord. Therefore great sages like Devarshi Narada always chants Narayan,Narayan and Sriman Narayan.It says in Rig veda that Brahma Narayanaha,Vishnu Narayanaha and Rudra Narayanaha.
- Narayan is the primeval Lord of all whom everything originates,in the Purusha Sukta mantras it is said from the Universal form of Narayana, Brahma,Vishnu and Mahesh created for creations,maintenance,and destruction of the whole cosmos and to protect religion and saints he took 21 incarnations which is mentioned in Bhagavat Mahapuran first canto. The universal form of Narayana mentioned in Maha Narayana Upanisad as Om sahasra sreesam devam vishwakhyam vishwa sambhubam, viswam Narayana devam aksharam paramam padam, means that universal form has got thousands of heads,eyes,legs etc created from Narayana who is indestructible seed and whose feet is the ultimate shelter for all
- 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 GayatriGayatriGayatri is the feminine form of , a Sanskrit word for a song or a hymn. Gayatri is a consort of Brahma and the goddess of learning. Brahma married her when there was a need for a companion during a yajna. Brahma had to start the yajna along with his wife...
mantra are the most sacred prayers by Hindus. - When doing a puja, people say the 108 names of Narayana.
A verse that confers the Devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
' subordinate status comes from the Vishnu sahasranama
Vishnu sahasranama
The Vishnu sahasranama is a list of 1,000 names of Vishnu, one of the main forms of God in Hinduism and the personal supreme God for Vaishnavas . It is also one of the most sacred and commonly chanted stotras in Hinduism...
, 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.)
Rarity of devotees of Narayana
Vedas say that devotees of Narayana, Vishnu are quite rare, and still more rare are those who are pure devotees (of Vishnu, Narayana, Krishna)."nava-kotyas tu devanam
rishayah sapta-kotayah
narayanayanah sarve
ye kecit tat-parayanah"
"There are ninety million demigod
Demigod
The term "demigod" , meaning "half-god", is commonly used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human; as such, demigods are human-god hybrids...
s and seventy million sage
Sage
- People :*A "sage" is any wise teacher, someone who imparts wisdom or the perennial philosophy, including spiritual teachers and teachers of mysticism but not necessarily with such religious connotations, so may refer to a:...
s, who are all called narayanayana, devotees of Lord Narayana. Among them, only a few are called narayana-parayana/direct devotees are called narayana-parayanas/."
Secular uses
- Among the many people with the name Narayan are the novelist R.K. Narayan, the 10th President of India K. R. NarayananK. R. NarayananKocheril Raman Narayanan , also known as K. R. Narayanan, was the tenth President of India. He was the first Dalit, and the first Malayali, to have been President....
, InfosysInfosysInfosys Limited, formerly Infosys Technologies Limited is a global technology services company headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is the second largest IT exporter in India with 133,560 employees as of March 2011. It has offices in 33 countries and development centers in India, China,...
founder and Non-Executive Chairman of the board N. R. Narayana MurthyN. R. Narayana MurthyNagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy , better known as N. R. Narayana Murthy, is an Indian industrialist and software engineer. He and six other engineers founded Infosys in 1981. Mr. Murthy served as CEO from 1981 to 2002. From 2002 to 2011, he served as Chairman...
, the political activist Jayaprakash NarayanJayaprakash NarayanJayaprakash Narayan , widely known as JP Narayan, Jayaprakash, or Loknayak, was an Indian independence activist and political leader, remembered especially for leading the opposition to Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and for giving a call for peaceful Total Revolution...
, the singer Udit NarayanUdit Narayan-Career:King of melody, Udit Narayan Jha was born on 1 December, 1955 in a village called Bhardaha in the Saptari district , Nepal. His father was Hare Krishna Jha and his mother was Bhuwaneshwari Devi.Narayan studied at P.B...
and the Indo-FijianIndians in FijiIndo-Fijians are Fijians whose ancestors came from India and various parts of South Asia, South-East Asia and Asia itself. They number 313,798 out of a total of 827,900 people living in Fiji...
stateswoman Irene Jai NarayanIrene Jai NarayanIrene Jai Narayan, was an Indian born teacher and politician, who had a significant influence on politics in Fiji. She came to Fiji, in 1959, after marrying Jai Narayan, a well known school Principal in Suva, and began her career as a teacher...
. Prithvi Narayan ShahPrithvi Narayan ShahPrithvi Narayan Shah, King of Nepal was the first king of the House of Shahs to rule Nepal. He is credited for starting the campaign for a unified Nepal, which had been divided and weakened under Malla confederacy. He was the ninth generation descendant of Dravya Shah , the founder of the ruling...
founded the kingdom of NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
- There is also song "Narayan" by The ProdigyThe ProdigyThe Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
on their The Fat of the LandThe Fat of the LandThe Fat of the Land is the third studio album by The Prodigy. The album was released by XL Recordings on 30 June 1997 and on 1 July 1997 in the United States by Maverick Records...
album, with the lyrical line "Om Namah Narayana". The song is co-composed and sung by Crispian MillsCrispian MillsCrispian Mills is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is the son of actress Hayley Mills and director Roy Boulting, the grandson of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell , nephew of Juliet Mills and Jonathan Mills, and half-brother to Jason "Ace" Lawson...
, singer and frontman of the English psychedelic rockPsychedelic rockPsychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
band Kula ShakerKula ShakerKula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band. Led by outspoken frontman Crispian Mills, the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s. The band enjoyed great commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a number of Top 10 hits on the UK Singles...
. Kula Shaker covers the song in a version named "Song of Love/Narayana" in their StrangefolkStrangefolk (album)Strangefolk is the third album by Kula Shaker, the first album since the band reformed. The album has received mixed reviews since its release...
album.
- In the video game Grand Theft Auto 2Grand Theft Auto 2Grand Theft Auto 2 is a video game that was released worldwide on October 25, 1999, by developer DMA Design , initially for the Windows operating system and the PlayStation console. The game was later ported to the Dreamcast console and the Game Boy Color. It is the sequel to 1997 hit Grand Theft...
from the Grand Theft Auto series, Narayana is the name of a neighbourhood occupied by the Hare Krishna street gang.
- In the video game Myst III: ExileMyst III: ExileMyst III: Exile is the third title in the Myst series of first person adventure video games. While the preceding games in the series, Myst and Riven, were produced by Cyan and published by Brøderbund, Exile was developed by Presto Studios and published by Ubisoft...
, the final age to which the player travels is called Narayan. It consists of an ocean extending to the horizon, beneath a clouded sky in which float trees, suspended by bubbly "pearls" released periodically by the ocean.
- The name of the SiameseThai peopleThe Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
king NaraiNaraiSomdet Phra Narai or Somdet Phra Ramathibodi III was the king of Ayutthaya from 1656 to 1688 and arguably the most famous Ayutthayan king. His reign was the most prosperous during the Ayutthaya period and saw the great commercial and diplomatic activities with foreign nations including the...
(r. 1656-1688) is a Thai pronunciation of Narayana.
See also
- Adam KadmonAdam KadmonIn the religious writings of Kabbalah, Adam Kadmon is a phrase meaning "Primal Man". The oldest rabbinical source for the term "Adam ha-Ḳadmoni" is Num. R. x., where Adam is styled, not as usually, "Ha-Rishon" , "Ha-Kadmoni" ....
- BhagavanBhagavanBhagavan, also written Bhagwan or Bhagawan, from the Sanskrit nt-stem literally means "possessing fortune, blessed, prosperous" , and hence "illustrious, divine, venerable, holy", etc.In some traditions of Hinduism it is used to...
- BhaktiBhaktiIn Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
- Garbhodaksayi VishnuGarbhodaksayi VishnuGarbhodakśāyī Viṣṇu is second in the hierarchy of Viṣṇu Avatāras in the mahā Tattva . In Gauḍīya Vaishnavism, a school of Vaiṣṇavism, the Sātvata-tantra describes three different forms, or aspects, of Vishnu as Mahā Vishnu, Garbhodakaśāyī Vishnu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Vishnu , with each form having a...
- HariHariHari is an Avatar, another name of and , and appears as the 650th name in the Vishnu sahasranama of Mahabharata. In Sanskrit "hari" sometimes refers to a colour, green, yellow, or fawn-coloured/khaki. It is the colour of the Sun and of Soma...
- HiranyagarbhaHiranyagarbhaImage:Hinducosm Map1.svg|thumb|Click an area to go there. This is one of many material universes, Brahmāṇḍa, which expand from Mahā Viṣṇu when He breathes.|400px|alt=One Brahmāṇḍa, with Garbhodakaśāyī-Viṣṇurect 216 61 277 80 Brahma...
- Kshirodakasayi Vishnu
- Maha Vishnu
- MahavishnuMahavishnuImage:Hinducosm Map1.svg|thumb|Click an area to go there. This is one of many material universes which expand from Mahavishnu when He breathes.|300px|alt=One Brahmanda, with Garbhodakashayi-Vishnurect 216 61 277 80 Brahma...
- PanguPanguPangu was the first living being and the creator of all in Chinese mythology.- The Pangu legend:...
- Parabrahman
- Paramatma
- PaushaPaushaPausha is a month of the Hindu calendar In the Indian national calendar, Pausha is the tenth month of the year, beginning with the solstice on 22 December and ending on 20 January....
(Hindu calendar) - Sankarshana
- VaikunthaVaikuntaVaikuntha , Param Padam , or Paramapadam is the abode of Lord Vishnu. It is believed, in the tradition of Vaishnavites, to be the place of eternal bliss, exclusive to the Lord, His eternal consort, the Goddess Lakshmi, and the three-folded Serpent Sesha Naga, upon whom the Lord, and His Shakti ,...
(abode of Narayana) - VishnuVishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
- World eggWorld eggA world egg or cosmic egg is a mythological motif found in the creation myths of many cultures and civilizations. Typically, the world egg is a beginning of some sort, and the universe or some primordial being comes into existence by "hatching" from the egg, sometimes lain on the primordial waters...
External links
- Name of Narayana even at the time of death can save a great sinner, Ajamila.
- http://www.srivaishnavan.com/ans_secrets.html (See Answer #14.)