The Sacred Name
Śrīman Nārāyaṇa (Sanskrit: श्रीमन्नारायण) is the most sacred name in Śrī Vaiṣṇava theology — it is simultaneously the name of the Supreme Being and the affirmation of His inseparable union with Śrī (Mahālakṣmī / Pirāṭṭi). Every Śrī Vaiṣṇava prayer, invocation, and scripture begins with this name.
Nārāyaṇa's Identity
Nārāyaṇa (nāra = waters/souls; ayana = abode/refuge) means 'the abode of all souls' or 'He who pervades and is the refuge of all nāras (souls).' The Nārāyaṇa Sūkta of the Yajur Veda declares Nārāyaṇa as supreme, all-pervading, and the only refuge. Rāmānuja's Śrī Bhāṣyam establishes that this Nārāyaṇa — the Lord with Śrī — is identical with the Brahman of the Upaniṣads.
'Śrīman' — Always with Śrī
The prefix 'Śrīman' (nominative form of the attribute Śrīmat, 'possessed of Śrī') is not an honorary title but a profound doctrinal statement: Nārāyaṇa is never without Śrī — they are eternally inseparable. Pirāṭṭi is His śakti (divine power), His nityayoga-patnī (eternal consort), and the purushakāra through whom souls approach Him. Dvayam opens with 'Śrīman Nārāyaṇa caraṇau' specifically to invoke this inseparability.
The Four Great Names
The four greatest names of the Supreme in the sampradāya are: Nārāyaṇa (the Aṣṭākṣara mantra), Vāsudeva (He in whom all beings dwell), Viṣṇu (the all-pervading one), and Rāma / Kṛṣṇa (the avatāra names). All point to the same Lord — Śrīman Nārāyaṇa.