Five Reasons To Remember Narayana At The End
By krishnasmercy on August 11, 2026 • ( 0 )

[Vishnu breathing]“The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.1.6)

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एतावान् साङ्ख्य-योगाभ्यां
स्व-धर्म-परिनिष्ठया
जन्म-लाभः परः पुंसाम्
अन्ते नारायण-स्मृतिः

etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyāṁ
sva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayā
janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām
ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ

The terms can get a little confusing, at times. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada translates the Sanskrit of “bhakti-yoga” as “Krishna consciousness.” Of course, there is no translation which is completely accurate or all-encompassing, but this version has specific relevance to the period at hand. Dharma is the way of life. Dharma is the essence of something. Dharma is eternal, or sanatana. Unfortunately, today dharma is more commonly known as religion, which has negative connotations in many circles. Religion conjures images of fear, intimidation, corruption, and most dreaded of all, insistence. The dogmatic variety, where you have to believe just because someone says so. If you fail to submit to their threats, then you are forever condemned. No second chances. No further opportunities for redemption.

Bhakti-yoga describes a way that sanatana-dharma can be implemented. It is bhakti, or devotion. It is yoga, or connection. Since the object of devotion is all-attractive, He is known as Krishna. Since the connection requires only a purification to the most obvious indication of a living, enlightened human being, consciousness is at play. Just think of Krishna. Work for Him. Sacrifice for Him. Keep Him at the center. Most importantly, remember Krishna.

यत् करोषि यद् अश्नासि
यज् जुहोषि ददासि यत्
यत् तपस्यसि कौन्तेय
तत् कुरुष्व मद्-अर्पणम्

yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi
yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam

“O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.27)

The principal point of reference in this presentation is Bhagavad-gita, which happens to be spoken by Krishna the person. Krishna, the individual, appeared in this manifest realm some five thousand years ago. The potential confusion gets introduced when there are references to other texts, which use different names for the object of worship. For instance, Shrimad Bhagavatam recommends remembering someone known as Narayana at the end. Remembering Narayana is the highest perfection of the human existence. We should strive to achieve this goal. To remember Narayana at the end, we should remember Narayana today.

Well, Narayana happens to be the same Krishna. Perhaps with a different role, a different visual, and a limited potential for interaction, by comparison to Krishna, but Narayana is still God the person. He is also known as Vishnu. In the following review, we cover justifications for that remembrance. In other words, it might not be enough for me to accept the recommendation from an esteemed teacher. I need to know why Narayana is worth remembering, at all.

1. He is never stressed
There is an image associated with Vishnu. The location is the spiritual world known as Vaikuntha. This is not a mythical place or something to exist only within the mind. It is far, far away from this universe, beyond several layers of covering. Vaikuntha is an akshara place. It never gets dissolved. There is no known date of origin. Vaikuntha inherits the properties of its chief resident. The person who lives in Vaikuntha is also akshara.

त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं
त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम्
त्वमव्यय: शाश्वतधर्मगोप्‍ता
सनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे

tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ
tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam
tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā
sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣo mato me

“You are the supreme primal objective; You are the best in all the universes; You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest; You are the maintainer of religion, the eternal Personality of Godhead.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.18)

[Vishnu breathing]The image of Vishnu in Vaikuntha is that of rest. Vishnu has nothing to do. He is completely relaxed. He is so at peace that even if a devoted servant should visit and happen to disturb Him with a kick to the chest, there is no punishment in response. Vishnu does not get flustered. Rather, He apologizes and politely asks if the perpetrator is okay. Did they hurt their foot in the process, since Vishnu’s chest is so hard?

“My dear father, O great sage, I know that your feet are very soft, like a lotus flower, and that My chest is as hard as a thunderbolt. I am therefore afraid that you may have felt some pain by touching My chest with your feet. Let Me therefore touch your feet to relieve the pain you have suffered.” (Lord Vishnu, Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Volume 2, Chapter 34)

2. He is responsible
Vishnu lies down to rest on the trusted serpent known as Ananta Shesha Naga. Ananta creates a comfortable resting place for Vishnu. While assuming that posture of leisure, Vishnu exhales. A seemingly involuntary act creates innumerable universes. Each universe is like a bubble. Just as we see bubbles floating from the surface of the ocean or through a game played by children blowing into a stick, so the universes are floating. These universes are just as fragile, except the durations of existence are too long for the human mind to comprehend. Nevertheless, the destiny is destruction. Just how does that take place? Well, through the corresponding inhaling breath. This means that Vishnu creates and destroys universes through His breathing.

[bubble-like existence]What about maintaining? That is the intermediary step, after all. Not to fear, as Vishnu is kind enough to expand Himself to stay within each of those bubbles. There are several iterations of expansion, in fact, such that no one ever lacks His presence. This means that Vishnu is responsible. Though He is aloof from everything, He is still keeping a watchful eye. His potency is everywhere.

मया ततम् इदं सर्वं
जगद् अव्यक्त-मूर्तिना
मत्-स्थानि सर्व-भूतानि
न चाहं तेष्व् अवस्थितः

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.4)

3. He is my greatest well-wisher
One of those expansions is Paramatma. I am atma, or individual soul. Vishnu is Paramatma, or Supersoul. He is always with me. I am never lacking His presence. When I think there is no God, it means that I have forgotten Him. This forgetfulness is actually due to His influence, as well. The illusory energy of maya fools the conditioned living beings into taking the temporary as permanent, into assigning highest priority to self-interest as opposed to the wishes of Vishnu.

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
मत्तः स्मृतिर् ज्ञानम् अपोहनं च
वेदैश् च सर्वैर् अहम् एव वेद्यो
वेदान्त-कृद् वेद-विद् एव चाहम्

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.15)

Despite my forgetfulness, which is due to my desire, Vishnu stays with me. This is because He is the greatest well-wisher there can be. He is always wishing me well, no matter how long I have forgotten Him. The promise of liberation means that He is the most forgiving person. He does not carry resentment or maintain a lasting grudge.

4. He is not lacking anything
The vision of Vishnu is opulence. The general mood of interaction is known as shanta-rasa. This is appreciating from a distance, in a stance of neutrality. The aishvarya property makes us appreciate Him, since we are always drawn towards greatness. Vishnu is the only person not lacking anything. He holds beauty, wealth, strength, fame, wisdom, and renunciation to the highest degree. He holds these opulences at the same time, and there is no contradiction or interference due to overlap.

5. He can release me from the cycle of birth and death
Should I remember Vishnu? Should I consider His qualities? Should I contemplate His kindness? Should I try to measure His mercy, which is causeless? I can deliberate on the matter. I am advised to do so, as following blindly creates an untenable situation that eventually leads to dissolution of the bond. If I am confident of the path, if I have a little faith, and if I am informed on the matter, then I increase my chances of success. More important than anything else, Vishnu can rescue me from the cycle of birth and death. As He describes in Bhagavad-gita, through the words of Krishna, there is swift delivery. What more justification do I need?

ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि
मयि सन्न्यस्य मत्-पराः
अनन्येनैव योगेन
मां ध्यायन्त उपासते
तेषाम् अहं समुद्धर्ता
मृत्यु-संसार-सागरात्
भवामि न चिरात् पार्थ
मय्य् आवेशित-चेतसाम्

ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi
mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ
ananyenaiva yogena
māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate
teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā
mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt
bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha
mayy āveśita-cetasām

“For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Pritha, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 12.6-7)

In Closing:

What more to need?
With confidence to proceed.

That known as original one,
From whom everything has come.

Creating while lying at rest,
Tolerating even kick to the chest.

Expanding as Supersoul inside,
As constant companion to reside.