Shloka 42

Indrajit’s Binding, Restoration by Viśalyā, and Counsel Restraining Rāvaṇa (Āraṇyaka Parva 273)

Devanagari script

आपो नारास्तत्तनव इत्यपां नाम शुश्रुम । अयन तेन चैवास्ते तेन नारायण: स्मृत:,“जल भगवान्‌का शरीर है, इसीलिये उनका नाम “नार' सुनते आये हैं। वह नार ही उनका अयन (गृह) है अथवा उसके साथ एक होकर वे रहते हैं, इसीलिये उन भगवान्‌को नारायण कहा गया है”

Transliteration

āpo nārās tattanava ity apāṃ nāma śuśruma | ayanaṃ tena caivāste tena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīmasena said: “We have heard that the waters are called ‘Nārāḥ’, for they are His very body. And since He abides in them as His resting-place—indeed, dwelling in union with them—therefore that Lord is remembered as Nārāyaṇa.”

Word by Word

आपःwaters

नाराःNaras (a name for waters/men; here: waters)

तत्that

तनवःbodies, forms

इतिthus

अपाम्of the waters

नामname

शुश्रुमwe have heard

अयनम्abode, resting-place

तेनby that / with that

चand

एवindeed, just

आस्तेdwells, remains

तेनtherefore / by that

नारायणःNārāyaṇa

स्मृतःis called/remembered

Speaker

भीमसेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīmasena

Nārāyaṇa

āpaḥ (waters)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse offers a traditional etymology of ‘Nārāyaṇa’: the waters (āpaḥ) are called ‘nārāḥ’ and are understood as the Lord’s body; since He abides in them as His ayana (abode/resting-place), He is remembered as Nārāyaṇa—highlighting divine immanence and a devotional understanding of the cosmos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīma is explaining the significance of the divine name ‘Nārāyaṇa’ by citing what has been heard in tradition (śruti/smṛti-style report), grounding reverence for the Lord in a cosmological image of God dwelling in the primordial waters.