‘Paramatma Narayana’ — this name has been called a famous thief. As soon as a person hears this name, it steals (i.e., destroys) his huge burden of sins collected during many lives.

Q. Do you mean to say that as soon as the name, Narayana, enters one’s ears, immediately his entire load of sins collected during many lives will be destroyed?

A. Of course, it will be destroyed.

Q. Who is that, Narayana? What is the meaning of that name, Narayana? When one hears the name, Narayana, it reminds one of the Shalagram Shila kept on a small throne in a niche of the wall of the Puja room. Has that Narayana, represented by the Shalagram Shila, got so much power?

A. Though it is a Shalagram Shila, it is the ‘Pratima’ (image) of Narayana; it is an object of worship.

Q. How many types of ‘Pratima’ are there?

A. ‘Pratima’ is of eight types: —

It may be made of stone or wood or metal like iron or silver or gold; it may be made of earth smeared with sandalwood paste or in form of a portrait or it may be made of sand; it may be an image one worships in one’s heart or it may be full of jewels — these are the eight types of ‘Pratima’.

Q. Then the Shalagram Shila is not Narayana but only His ‘Pratima’.

A. Your father’s portrait is not your father — that is true. But Narayana’s ‘Pratima’ is not different from Narayana; because there is nothing in this world except Narayana. Therefore, Narayana’s ‘Pratima’ is also Narayana. Sri Bhagwan Shankarachrya has said:

Q. But money is necessary even for preserving this body

A. It is unnecessary for those ‘Vaishnavas’, who have taken shelter under God, to think of food and clothes. He maintains this entire world; then how can he neglect his own ‘Bhaktas’?

— I hope you do ‘Dhyana’ of Narayana seated on a throne?

Always resting in the centre of the solar system, seated on a lotus, with arms adorned by many ornaments, wearing ear-ornaments shaped like Makara fish, wearing a necklace and with body of gold, holding conch-shell, discus, mace and lotus in his four hands, Narayana is appearing resplendent — this is how He should be seen in ‘Dhyana’.

Q. Yes, I do ‘Dhyana’ in this way.

A. Then why should you remember the Shalagram Shila on the throne whenever you think of Narayana?

Q. Is it borne by the ‘Srutis’ that Narayana is in the centre of the solar system?

A. Yes, certainly. The Chandogya Upanishad says —

And the golden ‘Purusha’, who is seen in the centre of the sun, he has beard radiating ‘Jyoti’, his hair is golden, and even his toe-nails radiate ‘Jyoti’. His eyes are like lotuses fully blown by the sun, His name is ‘Ut’, as he is above all sins. He, who knows this ‘Purusha’, is relieved of all his sins.

Q. Then the ‘Purusha’, who is in the centre of the solar system is Narayana? And we worship Him in the Shalagram Shila?

A. It is not that he stays only in the solar system and in the Shalagram Shila; he stays in the eyes of every person: — And the ‘Purusha’ who is seen in the eyes — He is, Rik He is Sam, He is Yajur, He is Omkar or all the three Vedas. He has the same type of appearance with golden hair etc. As the ‘Purusha’ in the centre of the solar system has. The two songs with which the ‘Purusha’ of the sun is worshipped, ie. Rik and Sam, are the same as those with which the ‘Purusha’ inside the eye is worshipped. That one’s name and this one’s are the same. In all the world, which, after being born from Him, spread towards the nether regions, this ‘Purusha’, situated in the eyes, give them and all the people living in them their desired objects.

Therefore, the singers who sing His praises with the help of their musical instruments sing about Him. They become rich by singing about the merit of Bhagwan’s Naam and His Leela.

Q. Well, in the Upanishads also the singing of Bhagwan’s Naam and His praises accompanied by Veena have been mentioned. Does is mean that Naam Kirtan has been enjoined by the Vedas?

A. Certainly it does; now have you understood what I have said?.

Q. Please let me recapitulate the whole thing. The Narayana, who is worshipped in the Shalagram Shila, is the same as the Param Purusha Paramatma who is in the centre of the solar system. The same Narayana rests in my eyes and He gives whatever one desires. Those who sing His praises and His Naam become rich.

A. Whoever wants to become rich by getting money, he gets that. But one, who does not want material wealth, becomes rich in wealth in form of Prema (love) and attains Him.

Q. In which eye does He exist?

A. It has been said in the Srutis that He stays in the right eye and Indrani or Virat stays in the left.

Q. Then it follows that the Shalagram Shila, the Purusha living in the centre of the sun and the Purusha living in the eye are all one and the same?

A. Yes, the Shalagram is the God occupying all material objects, the Purusha living in the eye is the Atma and the Purusha living in the sun is the Parameshwar or the God who regulates other gods.

Q. Does the name of this Narayana, as soon as it is heard, destroy all sins? Please now tell me what is the meaning of the word ‘Narayana’. Please explain it by dividing it into root words.

A. ‘Narayana’ means deep Ananda i.e. Brahmananda. That Purusha whose body is Brahmananda is Narayana.

‘Narayana’ means water. He, whose abode is in water, is Narayana. At the time of the Pralaya, He, who makes water His home or abode is Narayana.

‘Narayana’ is the collection of all Purushas i.e. living beings. He who lives in the heart of every living creature as ‘Antaryami’ is Narayana.

He, who behaves like a human being, is called Nara and is Paramatma and Sanatan.

Nara means Paramatma Sanatan. From that have been born the twenty-four ‘Tattvas’. He, whose place of abode is the Brahmanda, which has all the Tattvas, just as the body is the abode of the ‘Prana’, is Narayana.

Q. What is Tattva?

A. The earth, water, fire, wind and the sky are the five Maha-bhutas (great elements); sound, touch, sight, taste and smell are the five fine (Sukshma) forms of these five Mahabhutas; ears, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose, the five Indriyas of Karma, Mind, Intellect, Heart, Ego — all these together form ‘Prakriti’. From these twenty-four ‘Tattvas’, millions of ‘Brahmandas’ (universe) have been created. There are many different varieties of these ‘Tattvas’.

Q. It follows that, because everything that is visible or invisible in this earth (creation) is His body, so He is called Narayana. Oh, how nice, how beautiful this idea is! Whatever is visible is but Narayana’s body. There is nothing but Narayana.

A. In the Matsya Purana also it has been said —

The Jnani Rishis have said that ‘Narayana’ means mass of water. He whose abode is in this water, is called Narayana.

Q. You have already said this. Please say more about it. I feel as if my heart is full of it.

A. Say —

Narayana, Narayana, Narayana —
Narayana, Narayana, Narayana.