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Nārāyaṇa Sūktam

Devanagari lyrics with meaning · composed by Vedic Rishis (Shruti) · stotra · 16 verses

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Also available in: Roman (IAST)Kannada

नारायणसूक्तम्

नारायणसूक्तम्
nārāyaṇasūktam
Nārāyaṇa Sūktam — the Vedic Hymn to Nārāyaṇa (Taittirīya Āraṇyaka), which contemplates Nārāyaṇa as the supreme Being who pervades the whole universe and dwells within the lotus of the heart. It is traditionally recited alongside the Puruṣa and Śrī Sūktas.

Verse 2 — ॐ सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै…

ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
oṃ saha nāvavatu |
saha nau bhunaktu |
saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai |
tejasvināvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai || oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||
May He protect us both; may He nourish us both; may we work together with vigour; may our study be radiant; may we never quarrel. Om, peace, peace, peace.

Verse 3 — सहस्रशीर्षं देवं विश्वाक्षं विश्वशम्भुवम् ।…

सहस्रशीर्षं देवं विश्वाक्षं विश्वशम्भुवम् ।
विश्वं नारायणं देवमक्षरं परमं पदम् ॥
sahasraśīrṣaṃ devaṃ viśvākṣaṃ viśvaśambhuvam |
viśvaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ devamakṣaraṃ paramaṃ padam ||
The thousand-headed God, whose eyes are all eyes, the source of every blessing — the universe itself is Nārāyaṇa, the God, the imperishable, the supreme goal.

Verse 4 — विश्वतः परमान्नित्यं विश्वं नारायणँ हरिम् ।…

विश्वतः परमान्नित्यं विश्वं नारायणँ हरिम् ।
विश्वमेवेदं पुरुषस्तद्विश्वमुपजीवति ॥
viśvataḥ paramānnityaṃ viśvaṃ nārāyaṇa~ harim |
viśvamevedaṃ puruṣastadviśvamupajīvati ||
Beyond the universe, eternal, is the universe as Nārāyaṇa, as Hari. All this is the Puruṣa alone, and upon Him this whole world lives.

Verse 5 — पतिं विश्वस्यात्मेश्वरँ शाश्वतँ शिवमच्युतम् ।…

पतिं विश्वस्यात्मेश्वरँ शाश्वतँ शिवमच्युतम् ।
नारायणं महाज्ञेयं विश्वात्मानं परायणम् ॥
patiṃ viśvasyātmeśvara~ śāśvata~ śivamacyutam |
nārāyaṇaṃ mahājñeyaṃ viśvātmānaṃ parāyaṇam ||
The Lord of the universe, ruler of the self, everlasting, auspicious, undecaying — Nārāyaṇa, the supremely knowable, the Self of all, the final refuge.

Verse 6 — नारायणपरो ज्योतिरात्मा नारायणः परः । नारायणपरं…

नारायणपरो ज्योतिरात्मा नारायणः परः ।
नारायणपरं ब्रह्म तत्त्वं नारायणः परः ॥
nārāyaṇaparo jyotirātmā nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ |
nārāyaṇaparaṃ brahma tattvaṃ nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ ||
Nārāyaṇa is the supreme Light; the Self is Nārāyaṇa, the supreme. Nārāyaṇa is the supreme Brahman; the Reality is Nārāyaṇa, the supreme.

Verse 7 — नारायणपरो ध्याता ध्यानं नारायणः परः । यच्च…

नारायणपरो ध्याता ध्यानं नारायणः परः ।
यच्च किञ्चिज्जगत्सर्वं दृश्यते श्रूयतेऽपि वा ॥
nārāyaṇaparo dhyātā dhyānaṃ nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ |
yacca kiñcijjagatsarvaṃ dṛśyate śrūyate'pi vā ||
Nārāyaṇa is the supreme meditator; meditation itself is Nārāyaṇa, the supreme. And whatever is seen or heard, all this world —

Verse 8 — अन्तर्बहिश्च तत्सर्वं व्याप्य नारायणः स्थितः ।…

अन्तर्बहिश्च तत्सर्वं व्याप्य नारायणः स्थितः ।
अनन्तमव्ययं कविँ समुद्रेऽन्तं विश्वशम्भुवम् ॥
antarbahiśca tatsarvaṃ vyāpya nārāyaṇaḥ sthitaḥ |
anantamavyayaṃ kavi~ samudre'ntaṃ viśvaśambhuvam ||
— pervading all of it, within and without, Nārāyaṇa abides: the infinite, the changeless, the all-knowing, whose bound is the (cosmic) ocean, the source of all good.

Verse 9 — पद्मकोश प्रतीकाशँ हृदयं चाप्यधोमुखम् । अधो…

पद्मकोश प्रतीकाशँ हृदयं चाप्यधोमुखम् ।
अधो निष्ट्या वितस्यान्ते नाभ्यामुपरि तिष्ठति ॥
padmakośa pratīkāśa~ hṛdayaṃ cāpyadhomukham |
adho niṣṭyā vitasyānte nābhyāmupari tiṣṭhati ||
Like the bud of a lotus is the heart, facing downward; a span below the throat and above the navel it rests.

Verse 10 — ज्वालमालाकुलं भाति विश्वस्यायतनं महत् । सन्ततँ…

ज्वालमालाकुलं भाति विश्वस्यायतनं महत् ।
सन्ततँ शिलाभिस्तु लम्बत्याकोशसन्निभम् ॥
jvālamālākulaṃ bhāti viśvasyāyatanaṃ mahat |
santata~ śilābhistu lambatyākośasannibham ||
Wreathed in garlands of flame it shines, the great abode of the universe, held fast round about, resembling an unopened bud.

Verse 11 — तस्यान्ते सुषिरँ सूक्ष्मं तस्मिन् सर्वं…

तस्यान्ते सुषिरँ सूक्ष्मं तस्मिन् सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् ।
तस्य मध्ये महानग्निर्विश्वार्चिर्विश्वतोमुखः ॥
tasyānte suṣira~ sūkṣmaṃ tasmin sarvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam |
tasya madhye mahānagnirviśvārcirviśvatomukhaḥ ||
At its tip is a subtle opening, and in that all is established; within its centre is the great fire, its flames spread everywhere, facing in every direction.

Verse 12 — सोऽग्रभुग्विभजन्तिष्ठन्नाहारमजरः कविः ।…

सोऽग्रभुग्विभजन्तिष्ठन्नाहारमजरः कविः ।
तिर्यगूर्ध्वमधश्शायी रश्मयस्तस्य सन्तता ॥
so'grabhugvibhajantiṣṭhannāhāramajaraḥ kaviḥ |
tiryagūrdhvamadhaśśāyī raśmayastasya santatā ||
Enjoying first (of all offerings), it stands apportioning its food, the undecaying, the wise; lying athwart, above and below, its rays stretch out unbroken.

Verse 13 — सन्तापयति स्वं देहमापादतलमस्तकः । तस्य मध्ये…

सन्तापयति स्वं देहमापादतलमस्तकः ।
तस्य मध्ये वह्निशिखा अणीयोर्ध्वा व्यवस्थितः ॥
santāpayati svaṃ dehamāpādatalamastakaḥ |
tasya madhye vahniśikhā aṇīyordhvā vyavasthitaḥ ||
It warms its own body from the soles of the feet to the crown of the head; in its centre a tongue of flame, most subtle, stands pointing upward.

Verse 14 — नीलतोयदमध्यस्थाद्विद्युल्लेखेव भास्वरा ।…

नीलतोयदमध्यस्थाद्विद्युल्लेखेव भास्वरा ।
नीवारशूकवत्तन्वी पीता भास्वत्यणूपमा ॥
nīlatoyadamadhyasthādvidyullekheva bhāsvarā |
nīvāraśūkavattanvī pītā bhāsvatyaṇūpamā ||
Brilliant as a streak of lightning set in the heart of a dark rain-cloud, slender as the awn of a rice-grain, golden, radiant, subtle as an atom —

Verse 15 — तस्याः शिखाया मध्ये परमात्मा व्यवस्थितः । स…

तस्याः शिखाया मध्ये परमात्मा व्यवस्थितः ।
स ब्रह्म स शिवः स हरिः सेन्द्रः सोऽक्षरः परमः स्वराट् ॥
tasyāḥ śikhāyā madhye paramātmā vyavasthitaḥ |
sa brahma sa śivaḥ sa hariḥ sendraḥ so'kṣaraḥ paramaḥ svarāṭ ||
in the middle of that flame the Supreme Self abides. He is Brahmā, He is Śiva, He is Hari, He is Indra; He is the imperishable, the supreme, the self-luminous sovereign.

Verse 16 — ऋतँ सत्यं परं ब्रह्म पुरुषं कृष्णपिङ्गलम् ।…

ऋतँ सत्यं परं ब्रह्म पुरुषं कृष्णपिङ्गलम् ।
ऊर्ध्वरेतं विरूपाक्षं विश्वरूपाय वै नमो नमः ॥
ṛta~ satyaṃ paraṃ brahma puruṣaṃ kṛṣṇapiṅgalam |
ūrdhvaretaṃ virūpākṣaṃ viśvarūpāya vai namo namaḥ ||
The cosmic Order, the Truth, the supreme Brahman, the Puruṣa dark-and-tawny, the ever-continent, of extraordinary eyes — to Him of universal form, salutation, salutation.

Verse 17 — ॐ नारायणाय विद्महे वासुदेवाय धीमहि । तन्नो…

ॐ नारायणाय विद्महे वासुदेवाय धीमहि ।
तन्नो विष्णुः प्रचोदयात् ॥
oṃ nārāyaṇāya vidmahe vāsudevāya dhīmahi |
tanno viṣṇuḥ pracodayāt ||
Om. May we know Nārāyaṇa; for that let us meditate on Vāsudeva; may that Viṣṇu impel us onward. (the Nārāyaṇa Gāyatrī)

About Nārāyaṇa Sūktam

Nārāyaṇa Sūktam is a Sanskrit stotra, composed by Vedic Rishis (Shruti), addressed to Vishnu — a Sukta. It is presented here in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, each verse with its English meaning. Source text: sanskritdocuments.org.

The Durgā Sūktam is a Vedic hymn to the Goddess drawn from the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka and the Ṛgveda; as śruti it is anonymous, ancient revelation and wholly in the public domain.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Nārāyaṇa Sūktam and what does it mean?

Nārāyaṇa Sūktam is a Sanskrit stotra (devotional hymn), composed by Vedic Rishis (Shruti), addressed to Vishnu, of 16 verses. On Avabodhak every verse is shown with its English meaning, so you can understand the text line by line as you read.

How do I pronounce Nārāyaṇa Sūktam correctly?

Avabodhak presents Nārāyaṇa Sūktam in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada alongside IAST Roman transliteration that marks every long vowel (ā, ī, ū) and conjunct consonant. Reading the Devanagari text with the IAST line lets you follow the exact pronunciation syllable by syllable, and the guided practice mode replays it line by line.

What is the word-by-word meaning of Nārāyaṇa Sūktam?

Avabodhak pairs each verse of Nārāyaṇa Sūktam with its English meaning, and the practice view breaks lines into individual words — so you learn what each word means, not just the overall sense.

Who composed Nārāyaṇa Sūktam?

Nārāyaṇa Sūktam is attributed to Vedic Rishis (Shruti).

In which scripts can I read Nārāyaṇa Sūktam?

Nārāyaṇa Sūktam is available in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada on Avabodhak, each with English meaning and IAST transliteration.

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