Reading Notes: Narayan's Secret, Part B


Narayan with Lakshmi, his consort. Source: Flickr

  • Narayan is a God, in the image, his deep sleep represents the dissolution of the world.
  • The universe does not exist when god is sleeping, just as we are not aware of the world when we are asleep.
  • world exists and stops existing with the cycles of Narayan's sleep 
  • Greeks, Christians, Muslims, do not believe in rebirth - have chronic need to be heroes, be "saved" and to surrender to God. Hindus do not have this dillemma because of the rebirth belief.
  • we have many lives to live and in different worlds that exist.
  • ocean of milk represents possibility
  • shesha - serpant - the remainder that remains when everything is destroyed.
  • Narayan sleeps on Shesha - when he sleeps, time is still
  • Shesha - Adi Shesha or Ananta Shesha, primal or endless remainder
  • World exists when Narayan is asleep but no one is aware of its existence
  • no observation w/o observer. Observer = Narayan
  • consciousness = uncreased paper, beins to crumble when we come to our senses. World becomes impure
  • consciousness = Brahma - lotus stalk from Narayan's naval
  • Narayan's awakening - creation of the world
  • Lakshmi = Narayan's consort - goddess of wealth - nourishes mankind - Go-mata
  • Gopal - keeper of the cow
  • awake Narayan = Vishnu
  • Narad - Rishi - a sage
  • Tumbar - celestial musician
  • restless Narad = cause of troubles - like provoking people, causes anger, insecurity
  • Hanuman - trouble shooter - when world awakens, troubles begin. up to mind to come up with a solution
  • Garuda - Vishnu's carrier - Hawk
  • Vishnu transforms into humans to make things right
  • creation is a result of awareness
  • with each creation, something is destroyed
  • Pralaya - the end of the world
  • death is a comma, not a full stop
  • soul cannot be destroyed
  • lotus blooms when Narayan awakens - flower or Brahma
  • Right side of body - soul and intellect
  • left side of body - movement, matter, emotions
Bibliography: Pattanaik, Devdutt.  Narayan's Secret. Source.

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