There are many ways of looking at the meaning of the word nārāyana , one of which is particularly relevant here . The word nara is used to refer to a human bing . It also means indestructible , that which always remains ( na rīyate , not destroyed ) . Nara , therefore , can only refer to that which pervades everything and is timeless which is ātmā .
Ātmā here refers to the “I” , the essence of the subject who performs various actions and enjoys various forms of experiences . This is an entirely different meaning from what we commonly understand by the word “I” . Therefore , the real meaning of the word nara , human being , is to be understood from the śāstra to be the all-pervasive and timeless ātmā , paramātmā .
That which belongs to the nara is nāram or jagat , the world . The world is born out of all-pervasive , timeless paramātmā , is sustained by paramātmā and goes back to paramātmā .
Nāra , then , is the entire world and the one who knows it (eti) is Nārāyana , the omniscient Lord , Parameśvara , with reference to the world . Therefore , the same ātmā , the nara-ātmā , the human being , is the omniscient paramātmā , Parameśvara , the Lord .
Because this omniscient Nārāyana was the one who was teaching Arjuna , everything that was taught in the Gītā is considered valid . Nārāyana is the one who knows and is also the one to be known through the Veda .
~ By Swami Dayananda Saraswati in "Introduction to Bhagavad-Gita" book
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