Narayana Suktam

nārāyaṇa sūktam is a profound Vedic meditation on Narayana as the supreme, all-pervading reality: the universe, the indwelling Self, the light of meditation, and the subtle presence in the heart. It is preserved in the Mahanarayana/Taittiriya Aranyaka stream of the Krishna Yajurveda and is recited devotionally as praise of Lord Narayana as well as contemplatively as an Upanishadic pointer to the Supreme Person.

The theological depth of this Vedic hymn lies in the way it unites cosmic vision with inner meditation. It does not leave Narayana only in a distant heaven; it says that whatever is seen and heard is pervaded by him, and then it directs the seeker inward to the hṛdaya, the heart-lotus, where the subtle flame reveals the paramātmā.

ōṃ sa̠ha nā̍vavatu । sa̠ha nau̍ bhunaktu । sa̠ha vī̠rya̍-ṅkaravāvahai ।
tē̠ja̠svinā̠vadhī̍tamastu̠ mā vi̍dviṣā̠vahai̎ ॥
ōṃ śānti̠-śśānti̠-śśānti̍ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
May the Lord protect us both; may he nourish us both. May we work together with strength. May our study be radiant and fruitful. May we not hate each other. May there be peace, peace, peace.

[dhā̠tā pu̠rastā̠dyamu̍dāja̠hāra̍ । śa̠kraḥ pravi̠dvān-pra̠diśa̠śchata̍sraḥ ।
tamē̠vaṃ vi̠dvāna̠mṛta̍ i̠ha bha̍vati । nānyaḥ panthā̠ aya̍nāya vidyatē ॥]

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The Creator proclaimed this in the beginning, and Indra, knowing it, spread it through the four directions: one who knows that Supreme in this way becomes immortal here; there is no other path to the final goal.

ōm ॥ sa̠ha̠sra̠śīr̍ṣa-ndē̠vaṃ̠ vi̠śvākṣa̍ṃ vi̠śvaśa̍mbhuvam ।
viśva̍-nnā̠rāya̍ṇa-ndē̠va̠ma̠kṣara̍-mpara̠ma-mpa̠dam ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Narayana is the radiant divine being with countless heads and all-seeing vision, the source of the universe's welfare. The universe itself is Narayana, the imperishable supreme goal.

vi̠śvata̠ḥ para̍mānni̠tya̠ṃ vi̠śva-nnā̍rāya̠ṇagṃ ha̍rim ।
viśva̍mē̠vēda-mpuru̍ṣa̠-stadviśva-mupa̍jīvati ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Narayana Hari is eternal and beyond the universe, yet this whole universe is that Purusha. The universe lives by him and depends upon him.

pati̠ṃ viśva̍syā̠tmēśva̍ra̠gṃ̠ śāśva̍tagṃ śi̠va-ma̍chyutam ।
nā̠rāya̠ṇa-mma̍hājñē̠ya̠ṃ vi̠śvātmā̍na-mpa̠rāya̍ṇam ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Narayana is the lord of the universe, the inner ruler, eternal, auspicious, unfailing, the great reality to be known, the Self of all, and the supreme refuge.

nā̠rāya̠ṇapa̍rō jyō̠ti̠rā̠tmā nā̍rāya̠ṇaḥ pa̍raḥ ।
nā̠rāya̠ṇapara̍-mbra̠hma̠ tattva-nnā̍rāya̠ṇaḥ pa̍raḥ ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Narayana is the supreme light; Narayana is the supreme Self. Narayana is supreme Brahman; Narayana is the highest truth.

nā̠rāya̠ṇapa̍rō dhyā̠tā̠ dhyā̠na-nnā̍rāya̠ṇaḥ pa̍raḥ ।
yachcha̍ ki̠ñchijja̍gatsa̠rva̠-ndṛ̠śyatē̎ śrūya̠tē-'pi̍ vā ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Narayana is the supreme meditator, and meditation itself is Narayana. Whatever exists in the entire world, seen or heard, is included in him.

anta̍rba̠hiścha̍ tatsa̠rva̠ṃ vyā̠pya nā̍rāya̠ṇa-ssthi̍taḥ ।
ananta̠mavyaya̍-ṅka̠vigṃ sa̍mu̠drēṃ-'ta̍ṃ vi̠śvaśa̍mbhuvam ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Narayana abides by pervading everything within and without. He is endless, undecaying, all-knowing, vast as the cosmic ocean, and the source of welfare for the universe.

pa̠dma̠kō̠śa-pra̍tīkā̠śa̠g̠ṃ hṛ̠daya̍-ñchāpya̠dhōmu̍kham ।
adhō̍ ni̠ṣṭyā vi̍tasyā̠ntē̠ nā̠bhyāmu̍pari̠ tiṣṭha̍ti ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The heart, the inner center, is described as resembling a downward-facing lotus bud, located below the throat and above the navel.

jvā̠la̠mā̠lāku̍la-mbhā̠tī̠ vi̠śvasyā̍yata̠na-mma̍hat ।
santa̍tagṃ śi̠lābhi̍stu̠ lamba̍tyākōśa̠sanni̍bham ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The heart shines as the great abode of the universe, filled as with garlands of flame, suspended by subtle channels and resembling a sheath-like bud.

tasyāntē̍ suṣi̠ragṃ sū̠kṣma-ntasmin̎ sa̠rva-mprati̍ṣṭhitam ।
tasya̠ madhyē̍ ma̠hāna̍gni-rvi̠śvārchi̍-rvi̠śvatō̍mukhaḥ ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Within that heart is a subtle space in which all is established. In its midst is a great fire, with flames extending everywhere and faces turned in all directions.

sō-'gra̍bhu̠gvibha̍janti̠ṣṭha̠-nnāhā̍ramaja̠raḥ ka̠viḥ ।
ti̠rya̠gū̠rdhvama̍dhaśśā̠yī̠ ra̠śmaya̍stasya̠ santa̍tā ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
That undecaying seer receives, digests, and distributes nourishment; his rays spread continuously sideways, upward, and downward, sustaining the whole body and the subtle field of life.

sa̠ntā̠paya̍ti sva-ndē̠hamāpā̍datala̠masta̍kaḥ ।
tasya̠ madhyē̠ vahni̍śikhā a̠ṇīyō̎rdhvā vya̠vasthi̍taḥ ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
That inner fire warms the whole body from the soles to the head. In its center stands an exceedingly subtle upward flame.

nī̠latō̍-yada̍madhya̠sthā̠-dvi̠dhyullē̍khēva̠ bhāsva̍rā ।
nī̠vāra̠śūka̍vatta̠nvī̠ pī̠tā bhā̎svatya̠ṇūpa̍mā ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The subtle flame shines like lightning in a dark rain-cloud, slender like the awn of grain, golden, radiant, and minute beyond ordinary comparison.

tasyā̎-śśikhā̠yā ma̍dhyē pa̠ramā̎tmā vya̠vasthi̍taḥ ।
sa brahma̠ sa śiva̠-ssa hari̠-ssēndra̠-ssō-'kṣa̍raḥ para̠ma-ssva̠rāṭ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
In the center of that flame is established the Supreme Self. He is Brahma, Shiva, Hari, and Indra; he is the imperishable, the supreme self-ruling Lord.

ṛtagṃ sa̠tya-mpa̍ra-mbra̠hma̠ pu̠ruṣa̍-ṅkṛṣṇa̠piṅga̍lam ।
ū̠rdhvarē̍taṃ vi̍rūpā̠kṣa̠ṃ vi̠śvarū̍pāya̠ vai namō̠ nama̍ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Repeated salutations to the universal-form Purusha, supreme Brahman, cosmic order and truth, dark-tawny and radiant, upward in power, wondrous-eyed, and all-formed.

ō-nnā̠rā̠ya̠ṇāya̍ vi̠dmahē̍ vāsudē̠vāya̍ dhīmahi ।
tannō̍ viṣṇuḥ prachō̠dayā̎t ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
May we know Narayana; we meditate on Vasudeva as the indwelling divine presence. May Vishnu inspire, guide, and illumine our understanding.

ōṃ śānti̠-śśānti̠-śśānti̍ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
May peace settle at every level: in divine forces, in the outer world, and within the mind, so that meditation on Narayana may become steady.

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