Narayana Param Brahma — the Conclusion of the Shaastras

श्री हरये नमः। Shri Haraye Namaha.

The Naaraayana Sukta of the Krshna-Yajurveda’s Taittireeya Aaranyaka says:

नारायणः परं ब्रह्म तत्त्वं नारायणः परः ।

Taittireeya Aaranyaka, Prapaathaka 10 (Maha-Naaraayana Upanishad), Anuvaaka 13 (Naaraayana Sukta), Mantra 4

“Naaraayana is Param Brahma, Naaraayana is the highest Tattva.”

But what is not well known is that this particular vaakya is actually repeated several times in the Shaastras. Following are a few references:

• Mahaabhaarata, Anushaasana Parva, Adhyaaya 186, Shloka 9 (var. Adhyaaya 124)
• Naaraayana Samhita, Adhyaaya 2, Shloka 35 (Shlokas 35-37 repeat mantras 4-5 of the Naaraayana Sukta)
• Narasimha Puraana, Adhyaaya 64, Shloka 63 (Shlokas 63-65 repeat mantras 4 and 5 of the Naaraayana Sukta)
• Padma Puraana, Uttara Khanda, Adhyaaya 226, Shloka 59 (repetition of the Naaraayana Samhita reference)

Further, the statement ‘नारायणः परं ब्रह्म’ (Naaraayana is the Supreme Brahman) occurs in the:

• Mahabharata, Shaanti Parva, Adhyaaya 46, Shloka 128 (var. Adhyaaya 47, Shloka 63)
• Brahmaanda Puraana, Paada 2, Adhyaaya 36, Shloka 40
• Shesha Samhita, Adhyaaya 2
• Jayaakhya Samhita, Adhyaaya 1, Shloka 61

When the Shaastras repeatedly declare something, it implies that it is one of their their important conclusions. Thus, it is stated:

आलोड्य सर्वशास्त्राणि विचार्य च पुनः पुनः ।
इदमेकं सुनिष्पन्नं ध्येयो नारायणः सदा ॥

Mahaabhaarata, Anushaasana Parva, Adhyaaya 186, Shloka 13 (Quoted by Shripaada Madhvacharya, in the Mahaabhaarata Taatparya Nirnaya, Adhyaaya 2, Shloka 72; Shri Vedaanta Deshika, in Rahasyatraya Saara, Chapter 24)

“Enquiring into all Shaastras and analyzing their meanings again and again, provides this conclusion — Naaraayana is always to be meditated upon.”

This shloka is also found in the:

• Narasimha Puraana, Adhyaaya 64, Shlokas 77-78
• Linga Puraana, Uttara-bhaaga, Adhyaaya 7, Shlokas 11-12
• Garuda Puraana, Aachaara Khanda, Adhyaaya 230, Shloka 1

श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु ॥