Some Aspects of the Worship of Narayana
Summary
This article examines the worship of Narayana, a Brahmanical and folk deity, to evaluate the theory that he was originally an independent god. The author argues that while Visnu, Narayana, and Krsna-Vasudeva are eventually treated as identical in a composite deity, they belong to different historical periods. Visnu is an old Vedic deity, Krsna-Vasudeva is an epic deity, and Narayana occupies an intermediate position, first appearing in the Satapatha Brahmana. The text traces the evolution of Narayana's character through various sources. In the Rgveda, the cosmic figure Purusa is identified with Prajapati and later with Narayana in the Satapatha Brahmana. The Taittiriya Aranyaka grants Narayana supreme deity status. The Mahabharata solidifies the identification of Visnu, Narayana, and Krsna-Vasudeva, associating Narayana with Nara in a dualistic framework. The Narayaniya section of the Mahabharata details the worship of Narayana by King Vasu Uparicara according to the Satvata vidhi, a mode of worship that excluded animal sacrifice and emphasized devotion, or bhakti. The author suggests that the Satvatas, a Vrsni clan, worshipped their tribal god Narayana according to the Pancaratrika system. Consequently, King Vasu Uparicara borrowed both the deity and this specific mode of worship. The article concludes that Narayana likely preceded the worship of Vasudeva-Krsna and was the special tribal god of the Satvatas, a view supported by scholars such as Bhandarkar and Ray Chaudhuri.
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Conclusion
The article demonstrates that Narayana likely began as an independent deity, gradually merging with the older Vedic god Visnu and the epic hero Krsna-Vasudeva to form a composite god. Evidence suggests Narayana first emerged as a rsi in the Rgveda and later acquired a cosmic character through identification with the Purusa and Prajapati in the Satapatha Brahmana. The text highlights his intermediate position between the Vedic and epic periods, noting his close association with the figure of Nara, which may reflect an earlier four-form cult. Furthermore, the worship of Narayana, particularly through the Satvata and Pancaratrika modes, appears to have been adopted by King Vasu Uparicara. This implies that Narayana was likely the specific tribal god of the Satvata people, preceding and eventually merging with the Vrsni hero Vasudeva-Krsna, thereby significantly shaping the evolution of Vaisnavism.