Nārāyaṇa
Nārāyaṇa is a significant figure in Hindu mythology, primarily identified with the deities Vishnu and Krishna, though it also has associations with Brahmā and Puruṣa. The name is thought to derive from the Sanskrit words for "man" (nara) or "waters" (nāra), linking Nārāyaṇa to themes of creation and humanity. The connection between Nārāyaṇa and Vishnu was solidified in ancient texts such as the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa and the Mahābhārata, where Nārāyaṇa is depicted as a powerful ṛṣi and a protector against demons. Artistic representations often show him reclining on the serpent Śeṣa amidst the cosmic waters. Nārāyaṇa also has cultural implications beyond Hinduism; during the medieval period, he became associated with the term Satyapir, merging Hindu and Muslim influences. This fusion illustrates the adaptability of the concept across different religious contexts. Overall, Nārāyaṇa embodies a blend of divine attributes, cultural integration, and the eternal themes of creation and protection in Hindu thought.
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Nārāyaṇa
Related civilization: India.
Date: coined 1000 b.c.e. or earlier
Locale: India
Nārāyaṇa
Nārāyaṇa (naw-RAW-yah-nah) is a name applied to Brahmā, Prajāpatī, or Puruṣa, but more frequently to Vishnu (Viṣṇu) or Krishna (Kṛṣṇa). Also, it may have been a deity for the Nara-Nārāyaṇ, an aboriginal seafaring people. It is derived from nara (man), the original and eternal man, or from nāra (waters), since the primeval ocean was the first ayana.
During the period written about in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa (c. 1000-800 b.c.e.; English translation in Sacred Books of the East, 1882), Nārāyaṇa became connected with Vishnu. The Mahābhārata (400 b.c.e.-400 c.e., present form by c. 400 c.e.; The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, 1887-1896) and other texts refer to Nārāyaṇa as an ancient ṛṣi, the son of Dharma, whose task it was to destroy demons. In the epic, Nārāyaṇa as Vishnu is depicted reclining on the serpent Śeṣa and floating on waters. The Mahābhārata also speaks of white people of Śvetadvīpa who worshiped Nārāyaṇa, a thousand-rayed man-god.
During the medieval period, under Muslim influence, Nārāyaṇa became known as Satyapir (satya, or true, and pir, “saint”) and was later known as Satya-Nārāyaṇa, which was a fusion of Hindu and Muslim terms—symbolizing the union of the Muslim and Hindu dieties, Rahim and Rāma, respectively.
Bibliography
Gonda, J. Visnuism and Sivaism: A Comparison. New Delhi, India: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1996.
Singh, H. Ranbir. Influence of Vaishnavism on Literature of East India: Proceedings of a Regional Seminar Held in 1985 Under the Joint Auspices of the Sahitya Akademi. New Delhi, India: Manipur Sahitya Parishad, 1993.
Zimmer, H. Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization. New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1962.