[Advaita-l] A vichAra on the word "nArAyaNi"

[Venkata sriram P]

Dear Subbuji,
 
“agniShOmIyAtmakaM idaM jagat” is the sAstra vAkya. That is, the entire 
Universe is the combination of Agni (Fire) and Soma (Moon).  Agni is bhOkta 
and sOma is bhOjya swarupa.   The sOma derives its bhOjya dharma from Agni
which is bhOkta. 
 
It is this Soma tattva which is responsible for Nourishment in the form of Anna 
(Food), auShadhIs (Medicinal Plants) and Sapta (7) Dhatu Vriddhi.  We can 
Refer the famous mantras of Rudra in Satarudriya as “namaH sOmAya cha..” 
and “yO rudrO agnau yO apsu ya agnau…”.  
 
The rudra being agni-abhinna tattva (viz., rudrOvA eShad agniH), pervades Himself 
In Apsu (Waters) and Plants.  Thus, the apsu becomes “apsumAn” and hence
is sacred for us for the purpose of  “udaka shanti”.  Because, the agni-dharma is 
present in “apsu”, those “sacred waters” are used for “Shaucha Kriya” as it 
burn away the sins of yajamAna.  We are aware of such power of “ApaH” when
we chant the daily sandhyAvandana mantra as “ApOhiShThA mayObhuvaH..”.
It is the agni-abhinna-rudra dharma we are invoking when we say “tAna UrjE 
dadhAtana”.  Such an Agni along with Soma when pervades the plants, 
induces medicinal qualities to the plants and thus the plants get their 
“auShadhi guNa”.  
 
Tantra Sastra extols this Agni (Bhokta) to be Siva and Soma (Bhojya) 
to be Sakti.  Siva is Dharmi and Sakti is Dharma.  This “agni-ShOmIya tattva”
in the form of dharma-dharmi bhAva is “ardhanArIshwara swarupa”.  
Such a sOma tattva is also extolled as Annapurna Devi also and to represent
Her nourishing act, She is depicted with “vessel of porridge”.  
 
Now, Harivamsa extols such a sOma tattva to be an aspect of Vishnu also.
 
//
rudraM agnimayaM vidyAt viShNu ssOmAtmakama smritaH
agni-sOmAtmakaM chaiva jagat sthAvara jangamaM
//
 
The rough translation is :
 
This entire Universe (animate & inanimate) is agni-sOmIyAtmaka.  
Rudra is the form of Agni and Vishnu is the form of Soma.
 
So, if sOma-tattva” is visualized as female, then it is “saha-dharma-chAriNi” 
of Agni and if visualized as Male, it is “saha-dharma-charaH” of Agni.  
 
BTW, the Durga Sukta also extols Goddess Durga as :
 
“nAkasya priShTamabhi saMvasAnO “vaiShNavIM” lOka iha mAdayantAM”.
 
Also,in “lalitOpAkhyAna”, at the time of the celestial marriage of Kameshwara & Kameshwari, kanyAdAna was performed by Vishnu, being Her sahOdara and She was addressed as “nArAyaNi”.  
 

Regs,
Sriram