Narayana Upanishad
Narayana Upanishad
Narayana Upanishad
nārāyaṇa upaniṣad
oṃ sa॒ha nā̭vavatu | sa॒ha naṷ bhunaktu | sa॒ha vī॒rya̭-ṅkaravāvahai |
te॒ja॒svinā॒vadhī̭tamastu॒ mā vi̭dviṣā॒vahai᳚ ||
oṃ śānti॒-śśānti॒-śśāntiḥ̭ ||
oṃ atha puruṣo ha vai nārāyaṇo-'kāmayata prajā-ssṛ̭jeye॒ti |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇātprā̭ṇo jā॒yate | mana-ssarvendri̭yāṇi॒ ca |
khaṃ-vā~yurjyotirāpaḥ pṛthivī viśva̭sya dhā॒riṇī |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇādbra̭hmā jā॒yate |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇādrṷdro jā॒yate |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇādi̭ndro jā॒yate |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇātprajāpatayaḥ pra̭jāya॒nte |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇāddvādaśādityā rudrā vasavassarvāṇi ca cha̭ndāgṃ॒si |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇādeva samṷtpadya॒nte |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇe pra̭varta॒nte |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇe pra̭līya॒nte ||
om | atha nityo nā̭rāya॒ṇaḥ | bra॒hmā nā̭rāya॒ṇaḥ |
śi॒vaśca̭ nārāya॒ṇaḥ | śa॒kraśca̭ nārāya॒ṇaḥ |
dyā॒vā॒pṛ॒thi॒vyau ca̭ nārāya॒ṇaḥ | kā॒laśca̭ nārāya॒ṇaḥ |
di॒śaśca̭ nārāya॒ṇaḥ | ū॒rdhvaśca̭ nārāya॒ṇaḥ |
a॒dhaśca̭ nārāya॒ṇaḥ | a॒nta॒rba॒hiśca̭ nārāya॒ṇaḥ |
nārāyaṇa evḙdagṃ sa॒rvam |
yadbhū॒taṃ-ya~cca॒ bhavyam᳚ |
niṣkalo nirañjano nirvikalpo nirākhyāta-śśuddho deva
eko̭ nārāya॒ṇaḥ | na dvi॒tīyo᳚sti॒ kaści̭t |
ya ḙvaṃ-ve~॒da |
sa viṣṇureva bhavati sa viṣṇurḙva bha॒vati ||
omitya̭gre vyā॒haret | nama i̭ti pa॒ścāt |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇāyetyṷpari॒ṣṭāt |
omi̭tyekā॒kṣaram | nama iti̭ dve a॒kṣare |
nā॒rā॒ya॒ṇāyeti pañcā᳚kṣarā॒ṇi |
etadvai nārāyaṇasyāṣṭākṣa̭ra-mpa॒dam |
yo ha vai nārāyaṇasyāṣṭākṣara-mpada̭madhye॒ti |
anapabravassarvamā̭yure॒ti |
vindate prā̭jāpa॒tyagṃ rāyaspoṣa̭-ṅgaupa॒tyam |
tato-'mṛtatvamaśnute tato-'mṛtatvamaśnṷta i॒ti |
ya ḙvaṃ-ve~॒da ||
pratyagānanda-mbrahma puruṣa-mpraṇava̭svarū॒pam |
akāra ukāra makā̭ra i॒ti |
tānekadhā samabharattadeta̭domi॒ti |
yamuktvā̭ mucya̭te yo॒gī॒ ja॒nma॒saṃsā̭raba॒ndhanāt |
o-nnamo nārāyaṇāyeti ma̭ntropā॒sakaḥ |
vaikuṇṭhabhuvanaloka̭-ṅgami॒ṣyati |
tadida-mpara-mpuṇḍarīkaṃ-vi~̭jñāna॒ghanam |
tasmāttadidā̭vanmā॒tram |
brahmaṇyo deva̭kīpu॒tro॒ brahmaṇyo ma̭dhusū॒danom |
sarvabhūtasthameka̭-nnārā॒yaṇam |
kāraṇarūpamakāra pa̭rabra॒hmom |
etadatharva śiro̭yo-'dhī॒te prā॒tara̭dhīyā॒no॒ rātrikṛta-mpāpa̭-nnāśa॒yati |
sā॒yama̭dhīyā॒no॒ divasakṛta-mpāpa̭-nnāśa॒yati |
mādhyandinamādityābhimukho̭-'dhīyā॒naḥ॒ pañcapātakopapātakā᳚tpramu॒cyate |
sarva veda pārāyaṇa pṷṇyaṃ-la~॒bhate |
nārāyaṇasāyujyama̭vāpno॒ti॒ nārāyaṇa sāyujyama̭vāpno॒ti |
ya ḙvaṃ-ve~॒da | ityṷpa॒niṣa̭t ||
oṃ sa॒ha nā̭vavatu | sa॒ha naṷ bhunaktu | sa॒ha vī॒rya̭-ṅkaravāvahai |
te॒ja॒svinā॒vadhī̭tamastu॒ mā vi̭dviṣā॒vahai᳚ ||
oṃ śānti॒-śśānti॒-śśāntiḥ̭ ||
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About This Stotram
Overview
The Narayana Upanishad is a minor Upanishad classified within the Krishna Yajurveda tradition that establishes Lord Narayana as the supreme Brahman, the source of all creation. The text centers on the mantra "Om Namo Narayanaya" as the primary means of spiritual realization and liberation, and describes the cosmic manifestation of the universe as proceeding from Narayana. It belongs to the Vaishnava Vedanta tradition and is used as a mantra Upanishad in daily practice.
What are the benefits of chanting Narayana Upanishad?
- Establishes the practitioner's understanding of Narayana as the ultimate reality
- Supports liberation from the cycle of birth and death through mantra recitation
- Purifies the mind through contemplation of the text's philosophical content
- Is used as a daily recitation text in Vaishnava households and temples
When is the best time to recite this?
The Narayana Upanishad is recited morning and evening. It is also recited on festivals dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Narayana, and as part of sandhyavandana practice in Vaishnava communities.
What is the historical and traditional background?
The Narayana Upanishad is one of the corpus of minor Upanishads, generally dated by scholars to between the 1st century BCE and the 3rd century CE, during a period when many deity-focused Upanishads were composed. It reflects the integration of Vedantic philosophy with Vaishnava bhakti, affirming that the personal deity Narayana and the impersonal Brahman are identical. The text is used in both the Advaita and Vaishnava Vedanta schools and is recited in Tamil Nadu and other South Indian states as part of liturgical tradition.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Narayana Suktam — the Vedic hymn from the Yajurveda that addresses the same deity and serves as a liturgical companion to this Upanishad
- Vishnu Sahasranama — the thousand-name hymn to Vishnu, recited in the same devotional context and sharing the same theological framework