Narayana

Epithet of the god Vishnu. The name is
traditionally interpreted as meaning
“resting on the waters,” based on the
claim that the word nara, which usually
means “man,” in this case means
“waters.” Narayana is the image of
Vishnu in the time of cosmic dissolution
(pralaya). He is reclining on his serpent
couch, Shesha, in the midst of the cosmic sea, with his wife, Lakshmi, seated
at his feet, and his vehicle, Garuda,
standing by. Vishnu is the sole remaining agent in the cosmos, as its beginning
and end. When the time for a new creation arrives, a lotus sprouts forth from
Narayana’s navel, which opens to reveal
the creator-god Brahma. The cycle of
creation begins anew.