The Narayana Suktam is from the Mahanarayana Upanishad (Taittiriya Aranyaka 10.13) of the Krishna Yajurveda. It is the crown text of the Pancha Suktam recited in Sri Vaishnava temple worship, declaring Narayana as the transcendent light (para jyoti), the inner self of all beings, and the ground of all existence — the Ultimate Reality beyond Brahma, Shiva, Indra, and all the gods.
Vedic svara marks: ॑ = udātta (raised pitch) | ॒ = anudātta (low pitch) | unmarked = svarita
Vedic svara marks: ॑ = udātta (raised pitch) | ॒ = anudātta (low pitch) | unmarked = svarita
13 Verses · Mahanarayana Upanishad · Taittiriya Aranyaka 10.13
सहस्र॑शीर्षं दे॒वं वि॒श्वाक्षं॑ विश्वश॒म्भुवम् ।
वि॒श्वं ना॒राय॑णं दे॒वमक्ष॑रं पर॒मं प॒दम् ॥
वि॒श्वं ना॒राय॑णं दे॒वमक्ष॑रं पर॒मं प॒दम् ॥
ಸಹಸ್ರ॑ಶೀರ್ಷಂ ದೇ॒ವಂ ವಿ॒ಶ್ವಾಕ್ಷಂ॑ ವಿಶ್ವಶ॒ಂಭುವಮ್ ।
ವಿ॒ಶ್ವಂ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಂ ದೇ॒ವಮಕ್ಷ॑ರಂ ಪರ॒ಮಂ ಪ॒ದಮ್ ॥
ವಿ॒ಶ್ವಂ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಂ ದೇ॒ವಮಕ್ಷ॑ರಂ ಪರ॒ಮಂ ಪ॒ದಮ್ ॥
He who has a thousand heads, who is the radiant deity, who has eyes everywhere (omniscient), who is the cause of wellbeing for all the worlds — that all-pervasive Narayana, the imperishable Supreme, is the ultimate refuge and highest state of existence.
वि॒श्वतः॒ पर॑मं नि॒त्यं वि॒श्वं ना॒राय॑णं ह॒रिम् ।
वि॒श्वमे॒वेदं॑ पु॒रुष॒स्तद्विश्व॒मुप॑जीवति ॥
वि॒श्वमे॒वेदं॑ पु॒रुष॒स्तद्विश्व॒मुप॑जीवति ॥
ವಿ॒ಶ್ವತಃ॒ ಪರ॑ಮಂ ನಿ॒ತ್ಯಂ ವಿ॒ಶ್ವಂ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಂ ಹ॒ರಿಮ್ ।
ವಿ॒ಶ್ವಮೇ॒ವೇದಂ॑ ಪು॒ರುಷ॒ಸ್ತದ್ವಿಶ್ವ॒ಮುಪ॑ಜೀವತಿ ॥
ವಿ॒ಶ್ವಮೇ॒ವೇದಂ॑ ಪು॒ರುಷ॒ಸ್ತದ್ವಿಶ್ವ॒ಮುಪ॑ಜೀವತಿ ॥
Narayana, who is Hari (the remover of all afflictions), is the eternal highest reality that transcends and pervades the entire universe in all directions. This entire universe is the Purusha (the Supreme Person) himself — and on that universal Narayana all beings depend for their very existence.
पतिं॒ विश्व॑स्यात्मे॒श्व॑रं शाश्व॒तं शि॑वम॒च्युतम् ।
ना॒राय॑णं म॒हाज्ञे॑यं विश्वा॒त्मानं॑ पर॒ायणम् ॥
ना॒राय॑णं म॒हाज्ञे॑यं विश्वा॒त्मानं॑ पर॒ायणम् ॥
ಪತಿಂ॒ ವಿಶ್ವ॑ಸ್ಯಾತ್ಮೇ॒ಶ್ವ॑ರಂ ಶಾಶ್ವ॒ತಂ ಶಿ॑ವಮ॒ಚ್ಯುತಮ್ ।
ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಂ ಮ॒ಹಾಜ್ಞೇ॑ಯಂ ವಿಶ್ವಾ॒ತ್ಮಾನಂ॑ ಪರ॒ಾಯಣಮ್ ॥
ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಂ ಮ॒ಹಾಜ್ಞೇ॑ಯಂ ವಿಶ್ವಾ॒ತ್ಮಾನಂ॑ ಪರ॒ಾಯಣಮ್ ॥
He is the Lord of the universe, the ruler of all individual selves, the eternal, the auspicious, the unfailing (Acyuta — who never falls). Narayana is the great object of knowledge, the inner Self of all the worlds, and the supreme refuge toward which everything ultimately moves.
ना॒राय॑णः परो॒ ज्योति॑रात्मा ना॒राय॑णः परः ।
ना॒राय॑णः परं॒ ब्र॑ह्म तत्त्वं ना॒राय॑णः परः ॥
ना॒राय॑णः परं॒ ब्र॑ह्म तत्त्वं ना॒राय॑णः परः ॥
ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರೋ॒ ಜ್ಯೋತಿ॑ರಾತ್ಮಾ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರಃ ।
ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರಂ॒ ಬ್ರ॑ಹ್ಮ ತತ್ತ್ವಂ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರಃ ॥
ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರಂ॒ ಬ್ರ॑ಹ್ಮ ತತ್ತ್ವಂ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರಃ ॥
Narayana is the supreme light (para jyoti); the supreme Self (ātman) is Narayana. Narayana is the supreme Brahman (the Absolute); the ultimate truth (tattva) is Narayana alone — the fourfold declaration affirming Narayana as the singular ground of all metaphysical categories.
ना॒राय॑णः परो ध्या॒ता ध्यानं॑ ना॒राय॑णः परः ।
ना॒राय॑णः परं॒ प्रे॑ष्यं ना॒राय॑णः पर॒ायणः ॥
ना॒राय॑णः परं॒ प्रे॑ष्यं ना॒राय॑णः पर॒ायणः ॥
ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರೋ ಧ್ಯಾ॒ತಾ ಧ್ಯಾನಂ॑ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರಃ ।
ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರಂ॒ ಪ್ರೇ॑ಷ್ಯಂ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರ॒ಾಯಣಃ ॥
ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರಂ॒ ಪ್ರೇ॑ಷ್ಯಂ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಪರ॒ಾಯಣಃ ॥
The supreme meditator (dhyātā) is Narayana; the supreme meditation (dhyāna) is Narayana. The supreme object of service and devotion (preṣya) is Narayana; and the supreme final goal (parāyaṇa) is Narayana — the meditator, the act, and the object are all one.
यच्च॑ कि॒ञ्चिज्ज॒गत्स॒र्वं दृ॒श्यते॑ श्रूय॒तेऽपि॑ वा ।
अन्त॒र्बहि॑श्च तत्स॒र्वं व्या॑प्य ना॒राय॑णः स्थितः ॥
अन्त॒र्बहि॑श्च तत्स॒र्वं व्या॑प्य ना॒राय॑णः स्थितः ॥
ಯಚ್ಚ॑ ಕಿ॒ಂಚಿಜ್ಜ॒ಗತ್ಸ॒ರ್ವಂ ದೃ॒ಶ್ಯತೇ॑ ಶ್ರೂಯ॒ತೇऽಪಿ॑ ವಾ ।
ಅನ್ತ॒ರ್ಬಹಿ॑ಶ್ಚ ತತ್ಸ॒ರ್ವಂ ವ್ಯಾ॑ಪ್ಯ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಸ್ಥಿತಃ ॥
ಅನ್ತ॒ರ್ಬಹಿ॑ಶ್ಚ ತತ್ಸ॒ರ್ವಂ ವ್ಯಾ॑ಪ್ಯ ನಾ॒ರಾಯ॑ಣಃ ಸ್ಥಿತಃ ॥
Whatever there is in this entire universe — all that is seen and all that is heard — Narayana pervades it all, within and without, and abides in it. He is the inner thread (antaryāmi) within all existence and the all-encompassing reality beyond it.
अन॑न्तम॒व्ययं॑ क॒विं स॒मुद्रेन्तं॑ विश्वश॒म्भुवम् ।
पद्म॑कोशप्रती॒काशं॑ हृद॒यं चाप्यधो॑मुखम् ॥
पद्म॑कोशप्रती॒काशं॑ हृद॒यं चाप्यधो॑मुखम् ॥
ಅನ॑ನ್ತಮ॒ವ್ಯಯಂ॑ ಕ॒ವಿಂ ಸ॒ಮುದ್ರೇನ್ತಂ॑ ವಿಶ್ವಶ॒ಂಭುವಮ್ ।
ಪದ್ಮ॑ಕೋಶಪ್ರತೀ॒ಕಾಶಂ॑ ಹೃದ॒ಯಂ ಚಾಪ್ಯಧೋ॑ಮುಖಮ್ ॥
ಪದ್ಮ॑ಕೋಶಪ್ರತೀ॒ಕಾಶಂ॑ ಹೃದ॒ಯಂ ಚಾಪ್ಯಧೋ॑ಮುಖಮ್ ॥
That infinite, imperishable, all-knowing seer (kavi) whose domain ends at the ocean, who is the cause of wellbeing for all the worlds — the human heart resembles a lotus bud (padma-kosha), facing downward, within which He dwells as the supreme inner light.
अधो॑ नि॒ष्ट्या वित॑स्त्यान्ते ना॒भ्यामु॑परि ति॒ष्ठति ।
ज्वाल॑माला॒कुलं॑ भाति विश्व॒स्याय॑तनं म॒हत् ॥
ज्वाल॑माला॒कुलं॑ भाति विश्व॒स्याय॑तनं म॒हत् ॥
ಅಧೋ॑ ನಿ॒ಷ್ಟ್ಯಾ ವಿತ॑ಸ್ತ್ಯಾನ್ತೇ ನಾ॒ಭ್ಯಾಮು॑ಪರಿ ತಿ॒ಷ್ಠತಿ ।
ಜ್ವಾಲ॑ಮಾಲಾ॒ಕುಲಂ॑ ಭಾತಿ ವಿಶ್ವ॒ಸ್ಯಾಯ॑ತನಂ ಮ॒ಹತ್ ॥
ಜ್ವಾಲ॑ಮಾಲಾ॒ಕುಲಂ॑ ಭಾತಿ ವಿಶ್ವ॒ಸ್ಯಾಯ॑ತನಂ ಮ॒ಹತ್ ॥
One vitasti (span of the hand) below the throat, one vitasti above the navel — there He stands, at the very heart centre. Blazing with garlands of flame, that great abode of the entire universe shines brilliantly within the lotus of the heart.
सन्त॑तं शि॒लाभि॑स्तु लम्ब॒त्याको॑शसन्नि॒भम् ।
तस्या॑न्ते सु॒षिरं॑ सू॒क्ष्मं तस्मि॒न्सर्वं॑ प्रति॒ष्ठितम् ॥
तस्या॑न्ते सु॒षिरं॑ सू॒क्ष्मं तस्मि॒न्सर्वं॑ प्रति॒ष्ठितम् ॥
ಸನ್ತ॑ತಂ ಶಿ॒ಲಾಭಿ॑ಸ್ತು ಲಂಬ॒ತ್ಯಾಕೋ॑ಶಸನ್ನಿ॒ಭಮ್ ।
ತಸ್ಯಾ॑ನ್ತೇ ಸು॒ಷಿರಂ॑ ಸೂ॒ಕ್ಷ್ಮಂ ತಸ್ಮಿ॒ನ್ಸರ್ವಂ॑ ಪ್ರತಿ॒ಷ್ಠಿತಮ್ ॥
ತಸ್ಯಾ॑ನ್ತೇ ಸು॒ಷಿರಂ॑ ಸೂ॒ಕ್ಷ್ಮಂ ತಸ್ಮಿ॒ನ್ಸರ್ವಂ॑ ಪ್ರತಿ॒ಷ್ಠಿತಮ್ ॥
Surrounded by arteries (nāḍis) on all sides, the heart hangs downward like a bud. At the tip of the lotus of the heart there is a subtle hollow opening — subtle and fine — and in that inner space everything in the universe is established and held.
तस्य॑ मध्ये म॒हाना॑ग्नि॒र्विश्वार्चि॒र्विश्व॑तोमुखः ।
सोग्र॑भु॒ग्विभ॑जन्ति॒ष्ठन्नाहा॑रमज॒रः क॒विः ॥
सोग्र॑भु॒ग्विभ॑जन्ति॒ष्ठन्नाहा॑रमज॒रः क॒विः ॥
ತಸ್ಯ॑ ಮಧ್ಯೇ ಮ॒ಹಾನಾ॑ಗ್ನಿ॒ರ್ವಿಶ್ವಾರ್ಚಿ॒ರ್ವಿಶ್ವ॑ತೋಮುಖಃ ।
ಸೋಗ್ರ॑ಭು॒ಗ್ವಿಭ॑ಜನ್ತಿ॒ಷ್ಠನ್ನಾಹಾ॑ರಮಜ॒ರಃ ಕ॒ವಿಃ ॥
ಸೋಗ್ರ॑ಭು॒ಗ್ವಿಭ॑ಜನ್ತಿ॒ಷ್ಠನ್ನಾಹಾ॑ರಮಜ॒ರಃ ಕ॒ವಿಃ ॥
In the centre of the heart dwells a great fire — its rays are universal, its face turns in all directions. That fire is fierce in consuming all — it distributes and metabolises all food; it is the ageless, all-knowing seer dwelling as the digestive fire within the living being.
ति॒र्यगू॒र्ध्वमधः॑शायी र॒श्मय॑स्तस्य स॒न्तताः ।
सन्ता॑पयति स्वं दे॒हमा॒पाद॑तल॒मस्त॑कम् ।
तस्य॑ मध्ये व॒ह्निशि॑खा अणी॒योर्ध्वा॑ व्यव॒स्थिता ॥
सन्ता॑पयति स्वं दे॒हमा॒पाद॑तल॒मस्त॑कम् ।
तस्य॑ मध्ये व॒ह्निशि॑खा अणी॒योर्ध्वा॑ व्यव॒स्थिता ॥
ತಿ॒ರ್ಯಗೂ॒ರ್ಧ್ವಮಧಃ॑ಶಾಯೀ ರ॒ಶ್ಮಯ॑ಸ್ತಸ್ಯ ಸ॒ನ್ತತಾಃ ।
ಸನ್ತಾ॑ಪಯತಿ ಸ್ವಂ ದೇ॒ಹಮಾ॒ಪಾದ॑ತಲ॒ಮಸ್ತ॑ಕಮ್ ।
ತಸ್ಯ॑ ಮಧ್ಯೇ ವ॒ಹ್ನಿಶಿ॑ಖಾ ಅಣೀ॒ಯೋರ್ಧ್ವಾ॑ ವ್ಯವ॒ಸ್ಥಿತಾ ॥
ಸನ್ತಾ॑ಪಯತಿ ಸ್ವಂ ದೇ॒ಹಮಾ॒ಪಾದ॑ತಲ॒ಮಸ್ತ॑ಕಮ್ ।
ತಸ್ಯ॑ ಮಧ್ಯೇ ವ॒ಹ್ನಿಶಿ॑ಖಾ ಅಣೀ॒ಯೋರ್ಧ್ವಾ॑ ವ್ಯವ॒ಸ್ಥಿತಾ ॥
Its rays spread horizontally, upward, and downward — continuously filling the whole body from the soles of the feet to the crown of the head with warmth and vitality. In the centre of that inner fire stands the flame (vahni-śikhā), finer than the finest, pointing upward — the flame of pure consciousness.
नील॑तोयद॒मध्य॑स्था वि॒द्युल्ले॒खेव॑ भास्व॒रा ।
नीवार॑शूकव॒त्तन्वी॑ पी॒ता भास्व॑त्यणू॒पमा ॥
नीवार॑शूकव॒त्तन्वी॑ पी॒ता भास्व॑त्यणू॒पमा ॥
ನೀಲ॑ತೋಯದ॒ಮಧ್ಯ॑ಸ್ಥಾ ವಿ॒ದ್ಯುಲ್ಲೇ॒ಖೇವ॑ ಭಾಸ್ವ॒ರಾ ।
ನೀವಾರ॑ಶೂಕವ॒ತ್ತನ್ವೀ॑ ಪೀ॒ತಾ ಭಾಸ್ವ॑ತ್ಯಣೂ॒ಪಮಾ ॥
ನೀವಾರ॑ಶೂಕವ॒ತ್ತನ್ವೀ॑ ಪೀ॒ತಾ ಭಾಸ್ವ॑ತ್ಯಣೂ॒ಪಮಾ ॥
That flame is like a flash of lightning set in the middle of a dark blue rain cloud — brilliant, luminous, and self-effulgent. It is as slender as the awn of a wild rice grain (nīvāra-śūka), golden yellow in hue, shining with the brilliance of the subtlest atom — the atomic point of pure consciousness.
तस्याः॑ शि॒खाया॑ मध्ये पर॒मात्मा॑ व्यव॒स्थितः ।
स ब्र॑ह्मा स शि॒वः स ह॒रिः से॒न्द्रः सो॑ऽक्षरः पर॒मः स्व॒राट् ॥
स ब्र॑ह्मा स शि॒वः स ह॒रिः से॒न्द्रः सो॑ऽक्षरः पर॒मः स्व॒राट् ॥
ತಸ್ಯಾಃ॑ ಶಿ॒ಖಾಯಾ॑ ಮಧ್ಯೇ ಪರ॒ಮಾತ್ಮಾ॑ ವ್ಯವ॒ಸ್ಥಿತಃ ।
ಸ ಬ್ರ॑ಹ್ಮಾ ಸ ಶಿ॒ವಃ ಸ ಹ॒ರಿಃ ಸೇ॒ನ್ದ್ರಃ ಸೋ॑ऽಕ್ಷರಃ ಪರ॒ಮಃ ಸ್ವ॒ರಾಟ್ ॥
ಸ ಬ್ರ॑ಹ್ಮಾ ಸ ಶಿ॒ವಃ ಸ ಹ॒ರಿಃ ಸೇ॒ನ್ದ್ರಃ ಸೋ॑ऽಕ್ಷರಃ ಪರ॒ಮಃ ಸ್ವ॒ರಾಟ್ ॥
In the very centre of that supreme flame abides the Paramātman — the Supreme Self. He is Brahma; He is Shiva; He is Hari (Vishnu); He is Indra; He is the imperishable (akṣara); He is the Supreme; He is the self-luminous sovereign (svarāṭ) — all divine names and forms resolve into this one supreme reality, Narayana.