Narayana Suktam
Narayana Suktam explains about meditation.
Before meditation, one has to recite this and contemplate on the meaning, which in turn will help the Sadhak reach deeper levels of meditation. In the beginning the glory of God described. It is then followed by a step by step instruction on how to direct one’s mind during meditation – where and how to meditate.
It is customary to recite Narayana Suktam along with the Purusha Sooktam. The ideas expressed in this Sooktam form the basis for meditation on the Supreme Being. Reciting this Sooktam before commencing on meditation will greatly aid in developing intense meditation.
Om Saha naavavatu, Sahanau Bhunaktu Saha Veeryam karavaavahai,
Tejasvi Navadheetamastu Ma Vidvishavahai Om Shantih Shantih Shantih
Meditation does not mean to merely sit in front of an image, stare at it, or just imagine a familiar form. First, we must try to understand where we stand in His divine presence. We must then be able to picture His resplendent beautiful form in our mind. For this reason, the following five mantras describe His glory.
Narayana Suktam Stanza 1
Om. Sahasraseersham devam vishvaksham vishvasambhuvam
Vishvam Narayanam devamaksharam paramam padam. || 1 ||
I meditate on the effulgent (devam) Supreme Being, Sriman Narayana (Narayana devam), who has thousands of heads (Sahasraseersham) and many eyes (vishvaksham). He is the producer of joy in the universe (vishvasambhuvam), is imperishable (Akshram), and supremely auspicious. He exists in the form of the universe (vishvam) and is the master of it (paramam padam).
Narayana Suktam Stanza 2
Visvathah paramaanithyam visvam narayanagm harim,
Visvamevedam purushasthadvisva mupajeevitha. || 2 ||
I meditate on Lord Sriman Narayana (Narayana), who is superior (paramath) to the universe (vishvatah), who is permanent (nityam), who exists in the form of the universe (vishvam), who is the destroyer of all sin and ignorance (harim).
Narayana Suktam Stanza 3
Pathim visvasyatmeshwaragm shaasvathagm shivamachyutham,
Narayanam mahaagneyam vishvaathmaanam paraayanam || 3 ||
I meditate on Lord Narayana who is the lord (patim) of the universe (vishvam), ruler of individual souls (aatma eshwaragm), who is permanent (shaasvathagm), imperishable (achyutham), supremely auspicious (shivam), supremely worthy of being known (mahaagneyam), the ruler of individual souls (vishva atmaanam) and who is worthy to take refuge in (paraayanam).
Narayana Suktam Stanza 4
Narayana paro jyothiraathmaa Narayanah parah
Narayanaparam brahma tatvam Narayanah parah
Narayanaparo dhyaatha, dyaanam Narayanah parah || 4 ||
Lord Narayana is the supreme light (Narayanah parah jyotih). Lord Narayana is the supreme Self (Narayanah parah aatma). Lord Narayana is the supreme Reality (Narayanah parah tatvam) and as such designated as Brahman (Narayanah parah Brahman).
He is the supreme to be meditated upon (Narayanah parah dhyaatha), and He is the Supreme meditation (Narayanah parah dyaanam). You do not have to go in search of the Lord. The Supreme Lord Narayana, complete with all the glories indicated above, is resident within our self – Antaryamin.
This is explained in the next mantra.
Narayana Suktam Stanza 5
Yaccha kinchit jagat sarvam drishyate srooyate api vaa,
Antarbahischa tat sarvam vyaapya Narayana sthitah || 5 ||
Whatever there is in this world (jagat sarvam) known through seeing (yaccha kinchit) or (api vaa) known through hearing (srooyate) is fully (tat sarvam) permeated (vyaapya) within (antah) and without (bahih cha) by Lord Narayana. He remains as the Supreme Truth.
Meditation is the final step in realizing Lord Narayana. The next mantra indicates where one’s mind should concentrate while meditating. The place for the meditation is in the region of the heart.
Narayana Suktam Stanza 6
Anantham avyayam kavigm samudrentam vishva sambhuvam,
Padmakosha pratheekaasham hridayam chaapyadho mukham || 6 ||
One should meditate upon the Supreme, the limitless (Anantam), unchanging (avyayam), all knowing (kavigm), the cause of happiness of the world (vishva sambhuvam), dwelling at the end of the sea (samudre antam) as the goal of all striving. The place for His meditation is the ether in the heart, the heart which is comparable to an inverted lotus bud (facing down). The keyword “samudre antam” is to be noted for its special significance.
Vedanta explains to us that the Supreme Lord is at the end of the ocean called Samsara. The raging sea of life forever boiling with tall waves of desire, anger and other consuming emotions is the Samsaara Sagara. As long as tall waves of desire, anger and other consuming emotions hold their sway, we cannot hope to reach the Supreme Being.
Meditation will be possible only after the mind fully calms down. Does it mean that only people who have given up all desires are capable of serious meditation? The answer is – yes. Meditation is practiced with the single object of realizing God belongs to the highest order.
The other kind where the meditation is done as a routine and life goes on after it is done with, is simple meditation meant to improve concentration.
Narayana Suktam Stanza 7
Adho nishtyaa vitastyaante naabhyam upari tishthati,
Jwaalamaalaakulam bhaati visvasya aayatanam mahat || 7 ||
This Rik tells us about the location of the heart. It should be known that the heart, we are talking about, is located below the Adam’s apple (nishtyaa adhah) and at a distance of a finger span (ante) above (upari) navel (naabhyam). It is shining (bhaati) with a garland of flames (Jwaalamaalaakulam).
It is the great abode (mahat aayatanam) of the Universe (visvasya).
Spiritual Heart
The heart that is being referred to here is not the organ that circulates the blood. Everyone is familiar with the location of this heart. On the contrary, what is being referred to in the Rik is the “spiritual” heart.
Three distinct features of this spiritual heart are described here.
- (a) It is just about three finger spans above the navel. The organ heart, that we are all familiar with, is also at about the same distance from the navel – but it is slightly to the left. The spiritual heart is to the right of this organ and almost at the centre.
- (b) It is shining, as if, with a garland of flames.
- (c) It is brilliant.
These special features do not apply to the organ heart. The question is whether we will reach the stage of perceiving this. Whether we do it or not, it is there for all the mankind. With an understanding that we should meditate with our heart, many people try to meditate concentrating their mind in the region of our organ heart. Try they might, till the end it will remain a futile exercise.
What we should be concentrating on is the “spiritual” heart” – the “lotus of the heart”. True meditation is possible only there. For many of us the lotus of our heart remains just a bud only. First we have to open this bud into a flower. To succeed in this, earnest efforts in terms of Japa and prayers are essential. Till he locates his spiritual center, the Sadhak will find his mind wandering. This is a challenge.
The Supreme Being, Maha Vishnu, projected out of Himself the great Universe; and having projected out of Himself the Universe, He entered into every being and everything. He is the subtle essence of all. For this reason He is called the Antaryamin. This Rik indicates the great abode of the Supreme Being in the body.
Narayana Suktam Stanza 8
Santatam shilaabhistu lambatyaa kosha sannibham
Tasyaante sushiram sookshmam tasmin sarvam pratishthitam || 8 ||
Like the bud of the lotus (aakosha sannibham), suspended in an inverted position (lambati) and surrounded by arteries (shilaabhi), is the organ –heart. In the middle of it there is a narrow space – a miniature aakash (sookshmam sushiram). Everything (sarvam) is supported (pratishthitam) in it (tasmin).
In essence, this Rik tells us that there is a miniature Aakash within the heart. Chandogya Upanishad describes this in the following manner – As large as the Universe outside, even so large is the universe within the lotus of the heart.
Within it are heaven and earth, the Sun and the Moon, the lightning and all the stars. What is present in the macrocosm is also present in the microcosm. Though old age comes to the body, the lotus of the heart does not grow old.
At the death of the body, it does not die. The lotus of the heart where Brahman exists in all His glory – that and not the body, is the true city of Brahman. Brahman dwelling therein, is untouched by any deed, ageless, deathless, free from grief, free from hunger and thirst.
Narayana Suktam Stanza 9
Tasya madhye mahaanagnir visvarchir vishvato mukhah
So agrabhug vibhajan tishthan aahaaram ajara kavih || 9 ||
In (tasya) the middle (madhye) of that (narrow space of the heart or susumna) remains the un-decaying (tishta), all knowing (kavih), omni faced (vishvato mukhah) great fire (mahaan agnir), which has flames on every side, which enjoys the food (aahaaram) first presented before it (agrabhuk) and which remains assimilating the food (vibhajan) that has been consumed.
This is the next step in getting us to be introspective. As role of fire in the space is in the external world, so is this Praana for this body.
This is the vital energy in our body. Praana performs all the tasks such as assimilation of food that has been consumed, distributing the energy consumed from the food to the various parts of the body, excreting the waste – all essential for the maintenance and growth of the body.
As described above this Praana is situated in the narrow space of the heart. Since its tasks cover every part of the body, it is described here as seeing all sides – (vishvato mukhah)
Narayana Suktam Stanza 10
Tiryagurdhvam adhassaayi rasmayastasya santataa
Santaapayati svam deham aapaadatala mastakah
Tasya madhye vahni sikhaa aniya oordhvaa vyavasthitaa || 10 ||
The rays (rasmayah) of this Praana (tasya) spread, scattering themselves vertically (urdhvam, adhah) and horizontally (tiryak), permeate (saayi) and always (santataa) the whole body. It warms (santaapayati) up its own body (svam deham) from the sole of the feet to the crown of the head (aapaadatala mastakah).
At the center of this (tasya madhye) abides (vyavasthitaa) a tiny (aniyah) tongue of fire (vahni sikhaa) facing (oordhvam) up.
The departure of Praana from the body is called death. Soon after the departure of Praana, the body gets cold. The body is kept warm by the Praana Shakti. At the center of this fire, is the tongue shining brilliantly with its flame facing up. This tongue is the Jeevatma (or Jeeva – the individual self).
Narayana Suktam Stanza 11
Neelatoyada madhyasthaad vidyullekheva bhaasvaraa
Neevaarashookavattanvee peetaa bhaasvatyanoopamaa || 11 ||
The Jeevatma, shines (bhaasvaraa) with the colour of gold (peetaa). It is extremely thin (tanvee) as the awn of a paddy grain (neevaarashookavat) and very subtle (anu upamaa). Like a flash of lightening that flashes (vidyut lekhath eva) from the middle of a dark rain bearing cloud (neelatoyadamadhyasthaath).
Svetasvatara Upanishad and Mundaka Upanishad tell us that the Jeevatma is very subtle and self effulgent. It is also superior to the speech, mind and the sense organs. All these descriptions are efforts by our ancient sages make us realise the eternal truth.
Narayana Suktam Stanza 12
Tasyaah sikhaayaa madhye Paramaatmaa vyavastitaha
Sa Brahma Sa Sivah Sa Harih Sendrah sokshara paramah svaraat || 12 ||
Paramatma, the Supreme Reality dwells in the middle of that flame. He is Brahma. He is Shiva. He is Vishnu. He is Indra. He is eternal and self-luminous. There is no one superior to Him.
We now know where the individual self, Jeevatma, is located in the body. During the creative act, Lord Narayana, not only projects from Himself the various categories of His creation, but also enters into each one of them. He is thus Antaryamin, Sharirin (indweller) of the cosmos as a whole and every part of it including the Jeevatmans. By that, it should not be interpreted that He is contained within them. He is infinitely beyond their dimension. He is in fact, their container too.
The Sooktam describes the location in the body where the Supreme Being dwells.
Narayana Suktam Stanza 13
Ritam Satyam Param Brahma Purusham krishnapingalam
Oordhvaretam viroopaksham vishvaroopaaya vai namo namah || 13 ||
Parabrahman is the material and efficient cause of the universe (Satyam) and all the beautiful things that we see (Ritam). Salutations to Him again and again (namo namah) who has permeated every living being (Purusham), who has a complexion that is a mixture of the dark hue of Maha Vishnu and the fair complexioned Lord Shiva (Krishnapingalam), who is very auspicious (oordhvaretam), has three eyes (viroopaksham) and whose form is that of the Universe (vishvaroopaaya vai).
In this manner, the Maha Narayana Sooktam turns us into an introspective mood and takes us to the presence of the Supreme Being. After that, serving the Lord with supreme devotion is true meditation.
Narayana Suktam Stanza 14
Om Naaraayanaaya vidmahe Vaasudevaaya dheemahi
Tanno Vishnu Prachodayaath || 14 ||
This is Vishnu Gayatri. We commune with Lord Narayana and meditate on Lord Vasudeva. May that Vishnu guide and inspire us.
Om Saha naavavatu, Sahanau Bhunaktu Saha Veeryam
karavaavahai,
Tejasvi Navadheetamastu Ma Vidvishavahai
Om Shantih Shantih Shantih
Final Word
Meditation does not mean sitting in front of an image merely, stare at it or just imagine of a familiar form. First, we must try to understand where we stand in His divine presence. We must then be able to picture His resplendent beautiful form in our mind. For this reason, the following five mantras describe His glory.
