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64) Sriman NaarayanAya Sri VenkatEsaaya nama :
 
The Lord who reigns at the Thirumala hills is none other than the Paramapurusha Sriman NarayaNa , this thirunaamam tells us,
which is supported by the PuraaNa slokam:
 
Maayaavee paramaanandham tyakthva Vaikuntam utthamam
Swami PushkaraNi teerE Ramayaa saha modhathE
 
The slOkam says that the glorious Lord , forsaking the blissful abode of SrIvaikuntam , resides with delight on the banks of
Swami PushkariNi with His divine consort . 
 
This is the tirunaamam glorified time and again by the Upanishad.
 
"NaarayaNa paro jyoti: Atmaa NaarayaNa: para:
 Naarayana Param Brahma, tattvam Narayana: Para:"
 
says the NaarayaNa anuvaakam, holding Him out to be the most luminiscent of all lights, the Ultimate Lord who has neither an equal nor a superior, the most exalted of concepts.
 
The word NaarayaNa has two profound purports: " Naaraanaam ayanam ya: sa NaarayaNa:--The Ultimate Brahmam, in which all beings, sentient and otherwise, find a refuge and abode. "Naaraa: yasya ayanam"--The loftiest of Lords, who resides in all beings and objects, as their Inner Dweller or Antaryaami.
 
It is this hallowed name that forms the nucleus of the most sacred and potent of Mantras, viz., the Ashtaakshara Mantra, the eight-lettered formulation that is capable of conferring not only spiritual but material benefits too on its votary. The sweep and depth of this Mantra are so vast that whole volumes have been written by eminent philosophers on its purport--Srimad Rahasyatraya Saaram of Swami Vedanta Desikan is a shining example of these.
 
Not only is this name sancified by the Shruti (Vedas), but it finds frequent mention in the Tamzih Vedam too (Divya Prabandas of Azhwars).
 
It is this Narayana who is the undisputed Master of all worlds, says Sri Nammazhwar--"NaaraNan muzhu ezhu ulagaukkum naathan". He is the embodiment of all Vedas, the essence  and the sole subject matter of the Shruti--"Veda mayan" says the Azhwar.
 
Upanishads tell us that this NaarayaNa is the Primordial Cause, from which all the created universe and its inhabitants spring forth, are sustained in and find a resting place in--"Naaraayanaat eva samutpadyantE Naaraayanaath pravartante NaarayaNe praleeyante". He was around when there was nothing else and even exalted deities like Brahma and Rudra did not come into being--"Eko ha vai NaarayaNa aseet, na Brahmaa na Eesaana:". It is from NarayaNa that the four-headed Brahmaa, charged with the creative Process, and Rudra the Destroyer, took birth--"Naarayanaat Barahmaa jaayate, Naarayanaat Rudro jaayate".
This is also confirmed by Sri Tirumazhisai Azhwar--"Naanmukhanai Naaraayanan padaitthaan, Naanmukhanum taan mukhamaai Sankaranai taan padaitthan".
 
The "Srimat" prefix ahead of NaarayaNa's name indicates the inseparable connection with Sri Mahaalakshmi. Being the repository of all that is auspicious, She intercedes with the Lord on behalf of all the sinning mortals, taking up their cause for liberation, however undeserving they are therefor. The significance of the "Sri Connection" is that the Lord, even if He wants to award us commensurate punishment for our innumerable misdeeds, is persuaded against it by His constant companion and Consort, Sri. She serves as a "Svarupa niroopaka dharmam", or the principal identifying attribute of Naarayana, without whom we would be unable to identify the Parabrahmam.



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