Shloka 6
वाराहावतारः (भूम्युद्धारः) — Varāha, the Raising of the Earth and the Recommencement of Creation
आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः अयनं तस्य ताः पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः
āpo nārā iti proktā āpo vai narasūnavaḥ ayanaṃ tasya tāḥ pūrvaṃ tena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ
நீர்கள் ‘நாரா’ என அழைக்கப்படுகின்றன; ஏனெனில் நீர்கள் நரனின் புதல்வர்கள். முற்காலத்தில் அவையே அவனின் தங்குமிடம்/அயனம்; ஆகவே அவர் ‘நாராயணன்’ என நினைக்கப்படுகிறார்.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
FAQs
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.
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.
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.