SRIMAN NARAYANEEYAM - AN INTRODUCTION

SRIMAN NARAYANEEYAM - 

INTRODUCTION

|| Peethambaram Karavirajitha Shankha Chakra

Koumodhaki Sarasijam Karuna Samudram

Radha Sahayam Athi Sundara Mandahasam

Vathalayesham Anisham Hrudhi Bhavayami ||

The Narayaneeyam, a great Sanskrit epic, is a brilliant condensation of the great epic Srimad Bhagavatam composed by Sage Vyasa in to 1034 shlokas (stanzas). Some versions of Narayaneeyam have 1036 shlokas where in the 45th Dasakam has 12 slokas instead of 10 shlokas.

In Bhagavatam, the speaker  is Sree Suka Brahmarishi and the listener is Emperor Pareekshith. However in Narayaneeyam, the poet Sri Narayana Bhattathiri himself is the speaker and Listener is Sree Guruvayoorappan himself. Every Dasakam sung by Bhattathiri was approved by Lord himself which is the speciality of this epic.

Narayaneeyam is divided into 100 Dasakams, most of which comprise ten shlokas (verses) each - with a few of them running into 11, 12 or 13 verses; the maximum number being 15 verses in Dasakam 4, and a solitary Dasakam (Dasakam 65) comprising 9 verses. The final verse of every Dasakam concludes with an invocation to the Lord of Guruvayoor to cure him of all his illnesses and protect him from all afflictions and sorrows.

The ‘Parayana' of Narayaneeyam is believed to possess the wonderful power of healing afflictions, both mental and physical, of the devotees. The personal experiences of the poet himself have proved this beyond doubt. Chanting of the hymn Narayaneeyam regularly would surely give the devotee to attain ayur, arogya, sowkyam.

------Sri Krishnarpanam------