Para Vāsudeva, Nārāyaṇa and Sādhya Nārāyaṇa:

Within the Pañcarātra tradition, the Ādi Mūrti or Para-vāsudeva is the sublime transcendental manifestation of Viṣṇu (Para), existing in the highest of His abodes referred to as Paramapada, also known as Vaikuṇṭha, in a divinely auspicious enchanting form (divya maṅgala vigraha). This form is meditated upon as catur bhuja/four armed and lounging upon Ādi Śeṣa, the primordial nāga. He is constantly accompanied, worshipped and adored by Ananta, Garuḍa, Viśvaksena and all pramukha nitya sūrīs and muktas or the ātmans who have attained the mokṣa.

He fully possesses all six ideal attributes in full completness (ṣaḍ guṇa paripūrṇa). Which are - jñāna or gnosis, aiśvarya or supremacy, śakti or potency, bala or vitality, vīrya or valor and tejas or radiance. He is ever associated with the Lakṣmī/ Śrī, and by his will and direction, she manifests herself in to kriyaśakti /power of action and bhūti śakti/ power of creation. These three śaktis and their interactions with the Para Vāsudeva give rise to the vyūhas - Vyūha of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.

Here the Vyūha Vāsudeva is the cosmic puruṣa, Saṅkarṣaṇa is the mūla prakṛti, Pradyumana is the manas or the principle of mind and Aniruddha is Ahaṅkāra or the self awareness. These vyūhas are nothing but svarūpas having manifested to highlight selcted gunas from the above mentioned ṣaḍguṇas, hence partial manifestations of Paravāsudeva. That one undivided Paravāsudeva, manifests himself in five aspects for the understanding of Baddha jīvas as para, vyūha, vibhava, antaryāmī and arcā.

Vāsudeva śabda in the word Para-Vāsudeva is defined as - sarvatra vasaiti vāsuḥ, vāsuś cāsau devaśca - He is the all pervasive Supreme Divinity. ParaVāsudeva is "mūrtīnāṁ bījam avyayam" - or the source of the all other forms and manifestations that are referred to as Viṣṇu. The Para form has been specifically manifested for the pleasure of nityas and muktas even though in reality He has no form - na te rūpaṁ nacākāram...

Paravāsudeva is Viṣṇu who is primordial, eternal without form, having taken form - rūpaṁ ādyaṁ sanātanaṁ/ viṣṇu dehamayaṁ mahaḥ. Vihagendra saṁhitā describes him as "mahaḥ parama bhāsvaram" - Absolutely pristine, untainted, unblemished and dazzling with transcendental tejas. His form is described as resplendant as sphaṭika, dvi bhuja and clad in glistening pīta paṭṭāmbara. He is paripūrṇa and sarva vyāpin. He manifests in two epochs, namely nityodita and śāntodita. Nityodita refers to when he is in his original indivisible primordial state. Śāntodita is when he starts manifesting vyūhas from his svarūpa. Śāntodita stage is four handed and he carries usual regalia - Cakra, Śaṅkha, Gadā, Padma.

He is adorned with the Kaustubha Maṇi, a manifestation of collectivity of Jīvas. And His Chest is ornamented with Śrīvatsa mark, the chinna of primordial prakṛti. His gadā is the very embodiment of mahat or the primordial consciousness. His Śaṅkha is Sāttvika Ahaṅkāra. His dhanuśa, Śārṅga is Tāmasa ahaṅkāra. His Sword Nandaka is the very ensample of jñāna. His scabbard is ajñāna. Cakra he carries is the typification of manas and the arrows for His bow are the Indriyas. Parameśvara saṁhitā describes Paravāsudeva as always associated with Śrī and Puṣṭi - " lakṣmī puṣṭyos svarūpe ca nitye ", while according to Ahirbudhnya samhita he is only with Lakṣmī - "devyā lakṣmyā samāsīnam".

Some saṁhitās also add Nīla to the list along with Śrī and Puṣṭi. According to these saṁhitās, Śrī is the icchā śakti, Puṣṭi or Bhū is Kri̱yā Śakti and Nilā is the direct Śakti behind all svarūpas of Bhagavat Līlā or Sākṣāt Śakti.

Para Vāsudeva is said to possess eight mahā śaktis. Namely: Kīrti, Śrī, Vijaya, Śraddhā, Smṛti, Medhā, Dhṛti and Kṣamā. These can be loosely translated as - fame/eminence, opulence, prevalence, assuredness, anamnesis, cognition, endurance and clemency. Svarūpa known as Ādi Mūrti is another iconic representation of Paravāsudeva. Ādi Mūrti is a depicted as Viṣṇu seated in the posture of mahārāja-līlāsana or lalitāsana, with his vāma or dakṣiṇa pāda folded, other leg stretched, his one hand resting upon Ananta Śeṣa, upon whom he is seated (śeṣa represents the principle of kāla), other hand stretched resting upon the kuñcita pāda. Five or seven hoods of Ananta will be held over Viṣṇu like a chatra.

This form is described as prvālābham or coral hued and is four handed. He is sarvābharaṇa bhūṣita and has Brahmā and Bhṛgu muni to his right, while Śiva and Mārkaṇḍeya stand to His left

Viṣṇu is popularly known as Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa-pada is defined in different ways. "āpo nārā iti proktā, ayanam sthānam asya" - essence of lifes sustenance (the primodial waters) are called nāra, one who resides in those "waters", is called Nārāyaṇa.

"nārasya jñānasya ayanam prāpya sthānam " - culmination of all knowledge held by living entities. Congregated contemplation on the four vyūhas is personified as Nārāyaṇa. He is depicted four handed, representing four vyūhas, holding śaṅkha, cakra, gadā, padma, adorned with Śrīvatsa, Kaustubha, dressed in pīta paṭṭāmbara and garlaneded with vanamālā named vaijayantī. He stands upon a śuklābja or a white lotus. His demeanor is that of Śānta and Sama sthiti - serene and equipoised. As evident from the famous dhyāna śloka - dhyeyaḥ sadā savitṛ maṇḍala ... - He is to be meditated within the orbe of Sūrya Maṇḍala. Nārāyaṇa present among the 24 vyūhāntara forms is different from this svarūpa.

Sādhya Nārāyaṇa is a Ṛṣi associated with Nara. He was born to Dharma through daughter of Dakṣa named Mūrti. Both these Ṛṣis are an incarnation of Viṣṇu. Sādhya Nārayaṇa Ṛṣi is the draṣṭā of famed "Aṣṭakṣara Nārayaṇa Mantra".

Brother Nara and Nārāyaṇa are constantly in each others company, and they reside in Badarīkāśrama. In Dvāpara, Arjuna and Krṣṇa were their partial avatāras. Padma Purāṇa says Nara is gaura in varṇa while Nārāyaṇa is śyāma. Kālikā Purāṇa states that Nara appeared from the manuṣya part of Narasiṁhāvatāra while Nārāyaṇa appeared from the siṁhārdha. Devī Bhāgavata mentions that Dharma and Mūrti had four offspring - Hari, Krṣṇa, Nara and Nārāyaṇa. Hari and Kṛṣṇa became mahāyogins, while Nara and Nārāyaṇa became tapasvī sannyasins and performed tapas in Prāleyādri. Sādhya Nārāyaṇa is the creator of the greatest among Apsarās named Ūrvaśī.

🙏 Namo Narasiṁha 🙏