Narayana = Supreme Being - Yajur Veda Australasia - Resources

1
Nåråya±a (Viß±u) is Supreme Personality of Godhead
1. Testimony from the Mahåbhårata
This Narayana, Lord of Sri, the one who resides on the Milk Ocean, relinquishing His
Serpent-couch, has come to the city of Mathura Wherever Krishna is, there is the
blessed [city of] Dvaravati. He is the Lord Himself, the ancient One and Eternal
Dharma. Those who know the Vedas and those who know the Self declare the greatminded
Krishna to be the eternal Dharma. Of all sanctifiers, Krishna is said to be the
most sanctifying, the most virtuous of the virtuous, the most auspicious among the
auspicious. The lotus-eyed God of gods, the eternal, abides as the three worlds... Hari
whose essential nature is beyond thought, abides thus. Madhusudana is there alone
(Ma. Bha. Vana., 88.24-25).
2. Testimony from the Srimad Bhagavatam
Devakî's Testimony
tvaµ såksåd viß±ur adhyåtma dîpa¿ ||
Thou art verily Viß±u the Spiritual Light.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 10 Adh. 3 ; 24.
Garga's testimony
tasmån nandåtmajo 'yaµ te nåråya±a samo gu±ai¿ ||
O Nanda! This child of yours is equal to Lord Nåråya±a Himself in respect of His qualities.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 10 Adh. 8 ; 19.
hayamedhena purußaµ paramåtmanam îßvaram |
i߆vå nåråya±aµ devaµ mokßyase'pi jagad vadhåt ||
If you (Indra) through the Horse-sacrifice; adore Nåråya±a The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the Lord and Master of all, the Soul of all souls; you will
be released from the sin of slaughtering even the whole world.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 6 Adh. 13 ; 7.
Question by Parîkßit;
iti na¿ sumahabhåga nåråya±a gu±ån prati |
saµçaya¿ sumahån jåta¿ tad bhavåµçcchettum arhati ||
O Great One (çuka) A grave doubt of this kind regarding the nature of Lord
Nåråya±a is disturbing our mind. Please be gracious enough to clear this doubt.
(Then follows the expatiation of the glory of Nåråya±a and His incarnation as K®s±a.)
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 7 Adh. 1; 3.
nåråya±a parå vedå devå nåråya± aºgajå¿ |
nåråya±a parå lokå nåråya±a parå makhå¿ || 15 ||
The Vedas owe their existence to Nåråya±a. The Devas are all aspects of Nåråya±a.
All the worlds are manifestations of Nåråya±a. All worship is inspired by Nåråya±a.

nåråya±a paro yogo nåråya±a paraµ tapa¿ |
nåråya±a paraµ jñånaµ nåråya±a parå gati¿ || 16 ||
2
All yoga has meaning in Nåråya±a only. Tapas is meaningfull only due to Nåråya±a.
Knowledge is only of Nåråya±a. The final destination of all beings is Nåråya±a.
tasyåpi dra߆ur îçasya kû†asthasya akhilåtmana¿ |
s®jyaµ s®jåmi s®ß†o 'ham îkßayai vå abhi codita¿ || 17 ||
I am a creature of that One who is the Ultimate Seer, the Eternal Lord, and the
Soul of all. By His grace and by His command, I have become the creator and am
doing the work of creation.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 2 Adh. 5 ; 15,16,17.
Akrûra's address to K®ß±a
namo'smyahaµ två akhila hetu hetuµ
nåråya±aµ purûßam ådyam avyayam ||
I prostate before Thee, the ultimate cause of all, beyond the cause-effect
relationship. I prostrate before Naraya±a the Primordial and Undecaying Person.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 10 Adh. 40 ; 1.
Akrûra uvåca;
nato 'smyahaµ tvåkhila hetuhetuµ naråya±aµ pûrußaµ ådyam avyayam |
Akrura said (To K®ß±a)
I prostrate before Thee, the Ultimate cause of all, beyond the cause and effect
relationship. Nåråya±a the primordial and indestructable Person.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 10; Adh. 40 ; 1.
Uddhava uvåca
tasmåd bhavantam anavadyam ananta påraµ
sarvajñam îçvaram aku±†¿a viku±†ha dhiß±yam |
nirvi±±a dhîraham u ha v®jinåbhitapto
nåråya±aµ nara sakhaµ çara±aµ prapadye ||
Uddhava said (to K®ß±a):
Therefore buffeted by the difficulties of worldly life and filled with disgust for the
same, I seek refuge in Thee Nåråya±a, who art the friend of the jîva — Thou who
art Pure, Infinite, Omniscient, and the Lord of all, and art established in the eternal
Vaikuntha.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 11; Adh. 7 ; 18
çrîmad bhågavåtam extolls Naraya±a/K®ß±a
Sûta uvåca;
etad va¿ kathitaµ viprå viß±oç caritam adbhutam |
bhavadbhîr yad ahaµ p®ß†o narå±åµ purußocitam || 2 ||
atra sankîrtita¿ såkßåt sarva påpa haro hari¿ |
nåråya±o h®ßîkeço bhagavån såtvatåµ pati¿ || 3 ||

3
Suta said: “O Learned Ones in reply to your question about what constitutes the
topic most suited to man (to listen to, to sing about and to remember) I have
narrated to you this account of the excellences and pastimes of Vishnu.
In this text (Srimad Bhagavatam) is extolled Narayana the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, who erases all sins, who is the Indweller of all beings, who is the
power that activates the senses of all and who is the protector of the devotees”.
viß±or nu vîrya ga±anåµ katamo 'rhatîha
ya¿ pårthivåni api kavir vimame rajåµsi |
SBh Sk. 12; Adh. 12 ; 2,3.
It may be possible for an intelligent and capable person to count and calculate
the number of dust particles on this earth, but not the powers and excellences of
Viß±u.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 2 Adh. 7 ; 40
Sûta said
yûyaµ dvijågrahyå bata bhûri-bhågå yac chaçvadåtmani akhilåtma bhûtam |
nåråya±aµ devamadevam îçam ajasra bhåvå bhajatå viveçya ||
O Holy ones! You are indeed fortunate beings. Worship Nåråya±a with
unwavering devotion, installing Him in your hearts. He is the Essence of all, the
Lord of all, the Ever-free, having none above Him as superior.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk.12; Adh. 12 ; 55.
ya etad devadevasya viß±o¿ karmå±i janma ca |
kîrtayec çraddhayå martya¿ sarva påpåi¿ pramucyate ||
Whoever studies and recites with faith and devotion these accounts of Viß±u's
Incarnation and Pastimes will have all his sinful tendencies destroyed.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 11; Adh. 31 ; 27
3. Testimony from the other Puranas
paråtparaµ cåparamaµ pradhånaµ paråspadaµ çuddhapadaµ viçålam |
paråtpareçaµ purußaµ purå±aµ nåråya±aµ staumi viçuddhabhåva¿ ||
With a pure mind I celebrate Nåråya±a, the supremest of the supreme, without any superior,
the Principle One, the highest goal, the holy seat, the Illustrious Purußa beyond the supreme.
The eternal One.
Varåha Purå±a 3;13
Rudra said;
viß±ureva paraµ brahma tribhedamiha pa†hyate |
veda siddhånta mårgeßu tanna jånanti mohitå¿ ||
Viß±u is verily the Supreme Being, described as threefold in the schools of the
vedic doctrines. The beguiled fools do not know this.
Varåha Purå±a ch 72 vs 4
eko nåråya±o devo devånåmîçvareçvara¿ |
paramåtmå paraµ brahma janmådyasya yato bhavet ||

4
The lord Nåråya±a alone is the omnipotent almighty of all the gods. He is the
Supreme Soul. He is the Supreme Brahman. All this world originates from Him.
Garu¥a Purå±a ch 1 vs 12
4. Testimony from the Vedas
nåråya±a¿ paraµ brahma tattvaµ nåråya±a¿ para¿ |
nåråya±a¿ paro jyotir åtmå nåråya±a¿ para¿ ||
Nåråya±a is the Supreme Reality designated as Brahman. Nåråya±a is the Highest. Nåråya±a is
the Supreme Light (described in the Upanißads). Nåråya±a is the Highest.
Mahånåråya±a Upanißad Anuvåka 13 Verse 4.
divyo devo eko nåråya±a¿
The divine Lord Nåråya±a alone is the mainstay of all creation
Subåla Upanißad VI vs 1
5. Testimony from the Tantras
nåråya±a¿ sa bhagavån åpas tasmåt
sanåtanåt åvir åsît kåra±årno nidhi¿
saµkarßa±åtmaka¿ yoga--nidråµ gatas
tasmin sahasråµça¿ svayam mahån ||
Nåråya±a is the Supreme Lord. From Him has sprung the eternal expanse of water (Causal
Ocean). Having taken the form of Saµkarßana and entering into Yogic Sleep on the Causal
Ocean He contains within Himself all the thousands of jîvåtmas.
çrî Brahma Samhita. Text 12.
eko nåråya±o deva¿ paramåtmå sanåtana¿
Nåråya±a alone is God the eternal Supreme Being
nåråya±a¿ paraµ brahma
Nåråya±a is the Supreme Brahma
Lakßmi tantra 13;18.
ahirbudhnya saµhita 4;77
6. Testimony from the Goswamis
The omniscient great God of Vaikunta (viz. Sriman Naraya±a) at once manifested Himself
before me as Sri Krishna, the eternal son of Nanda and forthwith Sri Lakshmi Devi became
Radhika followed by Bhudevi as Candravalli.
Stated by Srila Sanatana Goswami in Sri Brhat Bhagavatam®tam Part 2 Chap 4 (Vaiku±tha nama)
published by Gaudiya Ma†ha

5
Those devotees of respective incarnations of the Lord Narayana get the full liberty to serve to
their full contentment the manifestation of their choice .......These different manifestations of
Bhagavan Sri Narayana are essentially one and the same vaibhava aspects of the one Divinity.
They are one and the same though morphologically they maintain their eternal separable
existence. .... In the spiritual vision of a devotee different aspects of Sri Krsna may appear;
different sportive lands may appear. .................. The same Lord Sri Krsna of Vaiku±ta, the land
of transcendence eternally remains in his different manifestations at different holy places such
as Bhadri-dham, Sriksetra dham to the sole blissful pleasure of his single-minded devotees.
Stated by Srila Sanatana Goswami in Sri Brhat Bhagavatam®tam Part 2 Chap 4 (Vaiku±tha nama)
published by Gaudiya Matha
Meaning Of Name Nåråya±a.
çrîmad Bhågavatam Skanda 10 Adhyåya¿ 14 ; 14 --
naram ayanam yasya sa¿ nåråya±a¿
nårasya ayanaµ prav®tti¿ yasmåt sa¿
nåråya±a¿
nåraµ ayase jånåsi.
The Self, the Support of all beings
The Prompter of the actions of all from
within
the witness of the whole universe.
tåsvavåtsît svas®ß†asu sahsra parivatsarån |
tena nåråya±o nåma yadåpa¿ purßodbhavå¿ ||
The cosmic Person lay for several thousand years in those cosmic waters created by
Himself. Therefore He is known as Nåråya±a. (çrîmad Bhågavatam Sk. 2 Adh.
10;11)