Every day, in the depth of meditation, we witness Narayana emerging from Ekarnava—the cosmic sea of consciousness. Ekarnava is not an ordinary ocean; it is the primordial, wave-less expanse, the silent substratum from which all existence arises. It is the state of Nirvikalpa Dhyana, where the mind dissolves and only pure awareness remains. In this inner vision, Narayana appears not as a distant deity but as a sattvik, luminous, and loving presence—beautiful, peaceful, and radiating all divine qualities. His emergence is not from turbulence but from absolute stillness. He symbolizes the liberating force within meditation, an image of cosmic order and divine peace that gently calms the mind.
In this vast ocean of consciousness, Narayana performs a sacred task—he destroys the demons that produce evil ripples in the cosmic sea. These demons are not literal beings but represent chaotic thoughts, restless emotions, and egoic patterns that disturb the stillness of the inner ocean. When the mind is scattered, the cosmic Ekarnava becomes agitated, like a lake troubled by wind. Narayana, in the form of a meditation image, absorbs and dissolves these disturbances, restoring silence and harmony. The practice of meditation thus becomes a cosmic act, where the inner Narayana neutralizes the mental asuras—the vrittis that bind consciousness in cycles of suffering.
The journey into the Ekarnava, or cosmic ocean of formless consciousness, happens through Narayana. The meditator first focuses on the divine form—the saguna aspect—and gradually dissolves even that, entering the wave-less ocean beyond all images. Yet, Narayana himself is like a liberating wave—unlike the binding waves of mental turbulence, he is a gateway wave that carries the meditator into formlessness. On returning from this Nirvikalpa Samadhi, when the mind resumes its worldly functions, Narayana is the first to greet the seeker, symbolizing the return to dharma, compassion, and peace in daily life.
This same cosmic pattern explains why Rama and Krishna are considered avatars of Narayana. They were not avatars only in the theological sense but because their presence naturally became meditation images for millions. Their beauty, serenity, compassionate nature, practicality, spirituality and complete alignment with divine law made them easy objects of dhyana for the masses. People spontaneously visualized them, meditated upon them, and aligned their minds to divine consciousness through their forms. This is why they are called avataras of Narayana—they descended not just to perform earthly tasks but to anchor human minds in sattva and meditative absorption.
In deeper yogic symbolism, Narayana reclining on Sheshanaga in Ekarnava represents the human subtle body. The Sheshanaga (cosmic serpent) symbolizes the spine and the nervous system, with the raised hood representing the Sahasrara (crown chakra). When prana flows through the Sushumna Nadi, the central spinal channel, the breath becomes calm, and the mind enters deep meditation. Only then does Narayana appear in inner vision—resting peacefully on the serpent of the awakened kundalini. The serpent’s hood rising above Narayana is not just mythological ornamentation; it represents the pranic energy feeding the Sahasrara, allowing the mind to expand into cosmic awareness.
This ancient imagery is not mere mythology; it is psychological and yogic science hidden in symbols. When the breath becomes subtle and still, when prana ascends the spine, the mind becomes an ocean without waves—the Ekarnava of consciousness. Narayana is both the gateway and the guardian of this ocean. He destroys the demons of distraction, dissolves into the formless state, and welcomes the seeker back with peace and love when the meditative journey is complete. In this way, the images of Rama, Krishna, and Narayana reclining on Sheshanaga are not distant cosmic tales but direct representations of human spiritual anatomy and meditative experience.
Demystifying Kundalini 