[Advaita-l] Narayanaya in Advaita

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste Sridharji,

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A deity can either be God or god or bot
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Infact, i second with Sri. Subbuji regarding the interpretation of nArAyaNa sabda
There is something special (vilakSaNatva) associated with this nAma. Which is
why daNDi-sanyAsIs of sankara sampradAya perform nArAyaNa smaraNa
3 times.  The reason has been mentioned by Shri.Vidyaranya Yati in
jIvanmukti-vivEka. The nArAyaNa smaraNa is done so that they don't get 
entangled in *lOka-vAsana*. 

When grihasthAs do prostrations to sanyAsis with laukika vAsana, it is called "AraMbha". 

Usually, all the grihasthAs perform this sort of "namaskAra" with this "AraMbha" lakSaNa only.  
And it is the duty of the other person (who is receiving the namaskAra of the person) to perform "AsheervAdaM" by blessing them saying that may you accomplish all the worldly affairs and attain material prosperity.  This method of "AsheervAdaM" aggravates "lOka vAsana" which is an obstacle for sanyAsIs and hence it is pratibandhaka for the jnAna abhyAsa.  

Thus, with the constant remembrance of the nAma "nArAyaNa", they would not get 
entangled in such lOka-vAsana. 

In jIvanmukti-vivEka, it is said:

//

tAvEva AsheevAda AraMbhau muktEna tyAjau ; na cha AsheevAda AbhAvE praNamatAM nruNAM khEdaH shankaneeyaH ; lOka vAsanAbhEdayOrubhayOH parihArAya nikhilAsheervAda pratinidhitvEna NARAYANA shabda prayOgAt 

//

The yatis should reject and avoid both AraMbha and AsheervAda because they are the obstacles in the path of jnAna.  If the sanyAsi doesn't give the blessings (AsheervAda), it may hurt the sentiments of the devotee who offered Him the prostrations (namaskAram) with a laukika bhAvana (AraMbha). 
Hence, to please such a "laukika bhakta" and to escape the "lOka vAsana", the yati (sanyAsi) 
should utter "nArAyaNa" thrice.

When the sanyAsi utters the "nArAyaNa" three (3) times, he is not bound by 3 vAsanAs ie., lOka vAsana, shAstra vAsana & dEha vAsana.  And hence, yati-dharma prescribes 
"nArAyaNa smaraNa" 3 times when a laukika prostrates before them.

The most surprising aspect for me was how come the name "nArAyaNa" is prescribed for yatis when
we have other names of bhagavAn for smaraNa.  Later, I was told that that "nArAyaNa" is praNava-vAchya which points towards nirguNa-brahman unlike other names.  

regs,
sriram