स यः स विष्णुर्यज्ञः सः।
स यः स यज्ञोऽसौ स आदित्यः॥

The Samhita portion of the Vedas is a collection of mantras.

But if you want to understand Vedic principles, then Brahmana texts is where you should look for.

Even Veda bhashyas depend greatly on the elaboration of these principles in the Brahmana texts.

स यः स विष्णुर्यज्ञः सः। स यः स यज्ञोऽसौ स आदित्यः- this is from Shatapatha Brahmana.

This mantra says- Yajna is Vishnu. Vishnu is Aditya.

These three are one and the same.

Do you know what is behind the name Satyanarayana?

Satyanarayana Puja is very popular and powerful.

Do you know who is Satyanarayana?

Surya.

How?

From the name itself.

Brahman has two states- manifest and unmanifest.

Unmanifest is called Rita (ऋत).

Manifest is called Satya, Satya because it exists for real.

Anything that exists, it has a centre.

A centre around which it exists.

A point around which the rest of it is assembled.

We have elsewhere compared this to the solid and liquid states.

Solid has a centre, liquid doesn't have a permanent centre.

Liquid's centre is the centre of the vessel that holds it.

Solid has a permanent centre.

Creation takes place through the energy called Savitragni.

Savita is surya.

Savitragni is the energy of Surya.

It is this single energy that transforms itself into various forms of energy such as heat, wind electricity and also matter in their three states: solid, liquid, and gas.

Also space.

Space does not mean void.

Space has an existence, an independent existence of its own.

It is called Akasha.

Space is what matter occupies.

Unless it is there prior to the existence of matter, how can matter occupy it?

If you have to sit on a chair, that chair has to preexist right.

You walk into a room, you are supposed to sit on a chair, that chair has to be there right, when you walk in?

So as per Shastra, Akasha is not void or blankness.

नारं जलं नारं पानीयमित्युक्तं- nara means water.

Narayana is one who has made water his path.

He moves through water.

Like how a ship moves through water, Narayana also moves through water.

Of course, Padmanabha's abode is water only, the ocean.

But why do we say that Surya moves through water?

अग्ने दिवो अर्णमच्छा जिगास्यच्छा देवाँ ऊचिषे धिष्ण्या ये।
या रोचने परस्तात्सूर्यस्य याश्चावस्तादुपतिष्ठन्त आपः॥ -says Rigveda.

सूर्यस्य परस्तात् रोचने सूर्यस्य अवस्ताच्च आपः उपतिष्ठन्ते

The world above Suryamandala is calle Rochana.

There, water is there.

Water or liquid, it need not be H2O-water.

Below Surya also, in the atmosphere also there is water.

Obviously, water vapour, in the atmosphere.

So above and below Surya, it is water or liquid.

It is through this water that Surya moves.

That is why Surya is Narayana.

Suryanarayana.

His ayana, path or abode is water.

So this is one characteristic of Vishnu or Surya.

The second is Satya, that he exists for real.

Because just like the Suryabimba has a centre, Surya exists for real, Vishnu belongs to the real world.

The world that exists around you.

The saguna aspect of the Lord.

The nirguna aspect as Brahman, Parabrahman, Paramatma is in the Rita form.

The saguna aspect is in Satya form which is for the real practical world.

That is the significance of the name Satyanarayana.

Narayana's Satya form, saguna form.

To whom you can ask for everything that is worldly.

Health, wealth, knowledge, children, good relationships, progress, car, house; everything.

Everything worldly, anything.

And once you realize the insignificance of all these, then you can ask him to take you out of all these also, to give you moksha.

To his nirguna aspect, you won't be able to ask anything.

You can only hope to merge into that aspect, with him.

This is how Satyanarayana is the saguna aspect of Mahavishnu, Parabrahma, Paramatma.

And he is none other than Surya.