Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 298: Shri Narayani (OM nArAyaNyai namaH)

In Namams 275 to365, the Divine Mother’s  many forms providing benefits to Her devotees in great details are discussed. 

The Divine Mother is female part (sakti) of the Lord Narayanan (Mahavishnu). 

Supreme Self Shiva and Mahavishnu act through the Divine Mother as Narayani. Brother Narayanan and His younger Sister the Divine Mother (Parvathi) are having the same form; She is called Narayani. She is also known as Vaishnavi is the consort of Lord Mahavishnu. 

Narayanan also means that He is in five elements (earth, heat, wind, sky and water) forms. 

Spider builds its nest from its own body yarn and lives in it. Similarly, the Brahman lives in five worldly elements created by Herself. This is true for the Divine Mother through Her unison with Shiva. So She is named Narayani. 

Narayanan also means Shiva and Mahalakshmi. Vishnu’s younger Sister is Narayani (Namam 280 “Padma nabha sahodari” with the meaning that the Divine Mother is the Vishnu’s sister). She is  Shiva’s sakti, Narayani. 

During pralaya due to the steaming clouds the universe is filled with water. This water is dried up with Rudra’s (Sun’s) heat. The Universal re-creation process starts. Sky, wind and agni. Later water and earth come up. This process is contained in Narayanan; His sister the Divine Mother is created the Brahma to do the re-creation of the universe. 

There is no difference between Narayanan and the Divine Mother. She is Shiva’s left half as in Ardhanarisvara. She is also the Sankaranarayanan and Hariharan as She is the female form of Narayanan. 

During the process of getting Amirtham (nectar) from the sea, Narayanan deceived the asurars (evil forces). He also took female form, with the Divine Mother’s blessings; to reach Shiva as had been recorded in Soundarya Lahari by sage Adi Shankara. 

Nara is water; ayana is residence or abode; Narayani is the one who has Her residence in water. 

The Divine Mother is considered identical to Lakshmi, Sarasvathi and Parvathi depending upon the context of reference. Nara also means the Self-Knowledge. So Narayani is the seat of Self-Knowledge. She is the one, who established in Self-Knowledge or Brahman. In Her, there is no difference between the adhara (support) and the adheya (the supported). Both are the Divine Mother Herself. 

Narayani resides in Nara and creates both men (Nara) and women. She is also in the female form of Narayana (Mahavishnu). 

The Mahavishnu / Narayanan/ Venkatachalapathi,

the elder brother of the Divine Mother.

 

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 18 November 2020.

 

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San Ramon, California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2.       Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3.       The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Sithbavandar.

4.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3EoRFDzDoU&t=7s