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Naaraayaneeyam

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Naaraayaneeyam

Bhaagvat Puraan is one of the 18 main Puraan. It is divided in 12 Skandh and then in chapters. Its first 9 Skandh are devoted to Vishnu's various Avataar (incarnations), but the 10th Skandh is fully devoted to Krishn's birth and life. In fact it is the main source of Krishn's life account. Naaraayaneeyam is the 1036 stanzas summary of this Bhaagvat Puraan. Naarayaneeym has been written by a Kerala poet, Melpaathur Naaraayan Bhattathiri. He was born to a Namboodareepaaad family as their second son and lived between 1559-1632. He learnt Ved and composed many poems. He married the daughter of Shree Achyutha Pisharodi and later became his devotee and student. Once his father-in-law was suffering from severe rheumatism, he prayed God and got that disease transferred to himself. He consulted a great translator of Raamaayan of that time and he suggested to him to write about all the incarnations of Vishnu - starting from Fish. He then started writing the summary of Bhaagvat Puraan. He planned to write 100 chapters and daily wrote one chapter of 10 verses each. His younger brother wrote it down.

His first two chapters do not show anything, but its 3rd chapter certainly shows a prayer about his father-in-law's sickness and suffering, because in this chapter he prays the Lord to cure him. In one verse he says that he (father-in-law) is not able to do what he was doing. From then on the very last verse of every chapter contained a plea to God to cure him.

Its chapters 1-36 (36 chapters) are devoted to various incarnations of Vishnu; chapters 37-88 (52 chapters) tell the story of Krishn; and chapters 89-99 (11 chapters) deal with the praise of Vishnu and some philosophical concepts. The last chapter, the 100th one, describes Vishnu from His head to toe. It was completed on November 27, 1587. People believe that when recited the last chapter Melpaathur had the Darshan of Lord Guruvayurappa and he got cured of his disease. Millions of devotees have been cured by the recital of Naaraayaneeyam, and many of them have been cured of the disease of rheumatism. It is available in several languages - Malayaalam, Tamil, and English. It can be read in any language to get its benefit.

There are many sites giving this, there is one site which gives its entire text and its meaning, word by word --
(1)  www.narayaneeyam-firststep.org.
(2) www.bhagavadgitausa.com\narayaneeyam.htm
(3) www.spiritualspacewarriorsonline.blogspot.com/2009/05/narayamneeyam-english-translation.html

Shree Mad Naaraayaneeyam is the story of Lord Naaraayan. It is a work consisting of 1036 Shlok or verses, divided into 100 Dashak or chapters, each Dashak consisting of approximately 10 Shlok. Composed by Melpaathur Naaraayan Bhattathiri, it is a condensed version of Srimad Bhaagavat Mahaapuraan, which consists of 18,000 Shlok authored by Ved Vyaas (Bhagavat Arth  Sangraha) . It is said that the work has the blessings of Lord Krishn or Guruvayoorappan, the presiding Deity of the shrine of Guruvayoor.

As the story goes, the author, Melpathur Narayana Bhattatiri voluntarily transferred onto himself, the ailment of paralysis from his Guru and relative, Trikandiyur Achyut Pisharoti ritualistically, in order to save him. In the process, he himself became a paralytic. He then got himself carried to the shrine at Guruvayoor where he could take shelter at the feet of Lord Krishn and get divine intervention.

As he was continuing to suffer from excruciating pain due to his malady, he sought advice from the celebrated contemporary poet, Thunjath Ezhuthatchan, who suggested that Bhattathiri should "start with the fish". Bhattathiri, being quick to understand the implication of this suggestion, viz., that he should compose a hymn in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan giving an account of all His sportive incarnations beginning with the incarnation as Fish (Matsya Avataar), he sat at the feet of the Lord and composed this great work, one Dashak a day, with ardent devotion. At the end of the 100th day, when he had completed all the 100 Dashak, it is said that he had a glorious vision of the Lord and he was completely cured of his ailment. Bhattathiri composed Narayaneeyam when he was only 27 years old, completing it on November 27, 1587.

This work, composed in praise of Lord Krishn, and which is said to have received divine intervention at different stages, is considered to be a short and sweet substitute for Shree Mad Bhaagavat Mahapuraan and is recited by devotees all over the world as a general prayer and also as a panacea for all ailments causing impairment or loss of motor function of nerves. Innumerable devotees flock to the Guruvayoor Temple and offer worship to the Lord, reciting this hymn of prayer in the firm hope, belief and trust that they would be cured of their ailments.
Brahmhasri Sengalipuram Anantharama Deekshidar, Chembai Vydyanatha Bagavathar also had the blessing and got cured.

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta on 3/15/06
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Updated on 03/21/13