Shloka 6

वाराहावतारः (भूम्युद्धारः) — Varāha, the Raising of the Earth and the Recommencement of Creation

Devanagari script

आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः अयनं तस्य ताः पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः

Transliteration

āpo nārā iti proktā āpo vai narasūnavaḥ ayanaṃ tasya tāḥ pūrvaṃ tena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

The waters are called ‘nārā’, for the waters are truly the offspring of Nara. In ancient times they were His resting-place (ayana); therefore He is remembered as Nārāyaṇa, whose abode is the primordial waters.

Word by Word

• आपः: waters
• आपः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• नाराः: (called) nārā-s
• नाराः: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; (नामनिर्देश)

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle)

• प्रोक्ताः: are called
• प्रोक्ताः: क्रिया (Predicative action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रोक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्ग: प्र)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle) बहुवचन, प्रथमा; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः — 'are said/called'

• आपः: waters
• आपः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• नरसूनवः: sons of Nara
• नरसूनवः: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नरस्य सूनवः)

• अयनम्: abode, resting-place
• अयनम्: कर्ता/विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ताः: those (waters)
• ताः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (आपः प्रति)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-रूपेण)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time) — 'formerly/earlier'

• तेन: therefore, by that
• तेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is called/remembered
• स्मृतः: क्रिया (Predicative action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त; √स्मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle) पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः — 'is remembered/called'

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Etymology and cosmological implication of the name ‘Nārāyaṇa’.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: ‘Nārāyaṇa’ signifies the Lord whose resting-place is the primordial waters, indicating His precedence over creation and His sovereignty over the causal state.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Use divine names with their meanings in japa to deepen contemplation of the Lord as the ground of all states—manifest and unmanifest.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord is distinct from yet the support of the causal ‘waters’—transcendent while pervading the causal matrix as its ruler.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Nara
• Āpaḥ (primordial waters)

FAQs

What is the significance of the name ‘Nārāyaṇa’ in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse explains it etymologically: ‘nārā’ denotes the primordial waters, and ‘ayana’ means abode—so Nārāyaṇa is the Lord whose resting-place and support is the cosmic waters at the beginning of creation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the concept of ‘āpaḥ’ (waters) here?

Parāśara presents the waters as primordial and foundational to the cosmos, calling them ‘nārā’ and linking them to Nara, thereby framing creation as resting upon the Lord’s own cosmic ground.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu as Nārāyaṇa is portrayed as the Supreme Reality who contains and pervades the origin-substrate of the universe—creation rests in Him, not apart from Him.