Etymology
The name Nārāyaṇa has profound etymological significance: nārāḥ (all beings, the waters of creation) + ayanaṃ (abode/resting-place). Thus Nārāyaṇa is:
- The one in whom all beings dwell (nārāḥ ayanam yasya saḥ)
- The one who dwells in all beings as antaryāmī
- The one who has nārās (waters/primal elements) as his body
The Nārāyaṇa Sūkta of the Yajurveda explicitly identifies Nārāyaṇa as the ultimate Brahman: nārāyaṇaṃ mahājñeyaṃ viśvātmānaṃ parāyaṇam — "Nārāyaṇa, the greatest to be known, the self of the universe, the ultimate refuge."
The Paramevara
In Rāmānuja's Vedānta, Nārāyaṇa alone is Parameśvara — the Supreme Lord. Unlike the sectarian debates about Śiva vs. Viṣṇu in popular Hinduism, Rāmānuja's Śrī Bhāṣyam establishes through scriptural reasoning that the Brahman of the Upaniṣads is specifically Nārāyaṇa-Viṣṇu, the one with the divine qualities and the divine consort Lakṣmī.
The Aṣṭākṣara
The aṣṭākṣara (eight-syllable mantra) Oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya is the central mantra of Sri Vaishnavism — the tirumantram. Each syllable and each component of this mantra has been expounded by Pillai Lokācārya in the Mumukṣuppadi across multiple prakaraṇas (sections). Chanting, contemplating, and living the meaning of this mantra is the core of Sri Vaishnava practice.