Narayaniyam is a medieval Sanskrit text, comprising a summary study in poetic form of the Bhagavata Purana. It was composed by Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, (1560-1666 A.D.) one of the celebrated Sanskrit poets in Kerala. Even though the Narayaneeyam was completed as early as 1586 A.D., it appeared in print only after more than 250 years. The Bhagavata Purana is a major Hindu scripture consisting of about 18,000 verses, mainly devoted to the worship of Krishna.

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3. saalvO bhaiShmii vivaahe yadubalavijitaH chandrachuuDaadvimaanaM
vindan saubhaM samaayii tvayi vasati kuruumstvatpuriimabhyabhaankshiit |
pradyumnastaM nirundhannikhilayadubhaTairnyagrahiidugra viiryaM
tasyaamaatyaM dyumantaM vyajani cha samaraH saptavimshatyahaantam ||
During Thy sojourn in Indraprastha, Thy city, Dwaraka, was invaded by Salva, who
after tasting defeat by the Yadava army during the wedding of Rukmini, had obtained
from Lord Siva, an aerial vehicle by name Saubha, and was also endowed with
magical powers. Pradyumna, with the entire Yadava army, repelled the attack and, in
the ensuing battle that lasted for 27 days, killed his (Salva's) powerful minister,
Dyuman.

4. taavattvaM raamashaalii tvaritamupagataH khaNDita praayasainyaM
saubheshaM taM nyarundhaaH sa cha kila gadayaashaarngamabhramshayatte |
maayaataataM vyahimsiidapi tava puratastattvayaapi kshaNaardhaM
naaj~naayiityaahureke tadidamavamataM vyaasa eva nyaShedhiit ||
Returning quickly to Dwaraka along with Balarama, Thou didst join battle with Salva. In
that battle, when Salva knocked down Thy bow, Sarnga, with his mace, and, further,
staged an illusive killing of Thy father, by killing a likeness of his, created by his
magical powers, it is held by some that Thou wert, for a monment, taken aback; but,
Sage Vyasa, has refuted this canard.

5. kshiptvaa saubhaM gadaa chuurNitamudakanidhau mankshu saalve(a)pi chakreNOtkR^
itte dantavaktraH prasabhamabhipatannabhyamunchadgadaaM te |
kaumOdakyaa hatO(a)saavapi sukR^itanidhishchaidyavat praapadaikyaM
sarveShaameSha puurvaM tvayi dhR^ita manasaaM mOkshaNaarthO(a)vataaraH ||
When, after pulverising the aerial vehicle, Saubha, with Thy mace and consigning the
pieces to the sea, Thou didst quickly behead Salva with Thy disc, Dantavaktra attacked
Thee by hitting Thee violently with his mace. Then, Thou didst, with Thy mace, kill him
too, that repository of good deeds, and like Sisupala, he too attained union with Thee.
The purpose of this incarnation of Thine as Krishna was the final deliverance of all
those whose minds were set on Thee for long.

6. tvayyaayaate(a)tha jaate kila kurusadasi dyuutake sanyataayaaH
krandantyaa yaaj~nasenyaaH sakaruNamakR^ithaashchelamaalaamanantaam |
annaanta praapta sharvaamshaja muni chakita draupadii chintitO(a)tha
praaptaH shaakaannamashnan munigaNamakR^ithaastR^iptimantaM vanaante ||
During Thy absence, (when Thou wert away in Dwaraka), a fraudulent game of dice
took place in the Kaurava court, to which Draupadi was dragged by her tresses,
weeping and wailing loudly. Then, Thou didst, out of great compassion, endow her with
an endless garment (to foil her disrobing by Dussasana). Again, when Draupadi,
finding herself in a predicament of being unable to provide food to Sage Durvasa (a
part incarnation of Siva) who had arrived when the food had been exhausted, and
fearing his curse, prayed to Thee for succour, Thou didst promptly reach her side and,
by eating a bit of leaf left in the cooking vessel, assuage the hunger of Durvasa and the
sages accompanying him.

7. yuddhOdyOge(a)tha mantre milati sati vR^itaH phalgunena tvamekaH
kauravye dattasainyaH karipuramagamO dautyakR^it paaNDavaartham |
bhiiShmadrONaadi maanye tava khalu vachane dhikkR^ite kauraveNa
vyaavR^iNvan vishvaruupaM muni sadasi puriiM kshObhayitvaagatO(a)bhuuH ||
Soon after, when consultations and preparations for the impending war were under
way, granting Arjuna's prayer for Thy assistance, Thou didst entrust the Yadava army
to Duryodhana, and decide to steer Arjuna's chariot without Thyself taking up arms.
When, on Thy peace mission on behalf of the Pandavas to Hastinapura, Thy words
were listened to with respect by Bhishma, Drona and others, but were spurned by
Duryodhana, Thou didst reveal Thy Cosmic Form in that assembly of sages, and, thus,
shaking the whole city, return to the Pandavas.

8. jiShNOstvaM kR^iShNa suutaH khalu samaramukhe bandhughaate dayaaluM
khinnaM taM viikshya viiraM kimidamayi sakhe nitya ekOyamaatmaa |
kO vadhyaH kO(a)tra hantaa tadiha vadhabhiyaM prOjjhya mayyarpitaatmaa
dharmyaM yuddhaM chareti prakR^itimanayathaa darshayan vishvaruupam ||
Then, O Krishna, in the capacity of Arjuna's charioteer, seeing that warrior griefstricken
and dejected at the prospect of having to kill all these relations in the
impending war, Thou didst impart to him the knowledge of the Ultimate Reality or
Truth, in these words: "O friend, what are you grieving for ? This Soul is Eternal, One
without a Second; it has neither birth nor death. That being the Reality, who is the
slayer and who is the slain ? Hence, abandoning the notion of your killing your
relations, and with your mind totally dedicated to me, get up and fight this righteous war
and do your duty as a Kshatriya." Thou didst, then, reveal to him Thy Cosmic Form,
and thereby restored his equipoise.

9. bhaktOttamsetha bhiiShme tava dharaNi bharakshepa kR^ityaikasakte
nityaM nityaM vibhindatyayutasamadhikaM praaptasaade cha paarthe |
nishshastratvapratij~naaM vijahadarivaraM dhaarayan krOdhashaaliivaadhaavan
praa~njaliM taM natashirasamathO viikshya mOdaadapaagaaH ||
When Bhishma, the foremost of Thy devotees, who was also desirous of executing Thy
mission of mitigating the burden (of evil and injustice) on this earth, was killing more
than 10,000 soldiers day by day, and when Arjuna had also become exhausted by the
ferocity of the fighting, Thou didst charge towards Bhishma with Thy Sudarshana disc
in hand, as if enraged, and at the sight of Bhishma standing with his head bowed and
palms folded in submission to Thee, Thou didst withdraw in great joy. Thy happiness
was due to the fact that, even though Thy vow (not to take up arms in the war between
the Pandavas and Kauravas) was broken, Thou didst fulfil Thy devotee's resolution that
he would compel Thee to break Thy vow.

10. yuddhe drONasya hasti sthiraraNa bhagadatteritaM vaiShNavaastraM
vakshasyaadhatta chakrasthagita ravi mahaaH praardayat sindhuraajam |
naagaastre karNamukte kshitimavanamayan kevalaM kR^ittamauliM
tatre tatraapi paarthaM kimiva nahi bhavaan paaNDavaanaamakaarShiit ||
In the battle with Drona, Thou didst receive on Thy chest, the Narayana missile
discharged by Bhagadatta (son of Narakasura, who was fighting on the Kaurava's side
firmly seated on the only four-tusked elephant that was allowed to remain with him in
Thy battle against Narakasura) and thereby didst save Arjuna. By masking the sun's
rays with Thy disc (before sunset) Thou didst create the opportunity for Arjuna to kill
Jayadratha (and, thereby, fulfil his vow). Again, when the Naga (serpent) missile,
discharged by Karna, was speeding towards Arjuna's head, Thou didst save Arjuna by
pressing down with Thy foot Arjuna's chariot, whereby Arjuna's head was lowered
below the path of the missile, which merely broke Arjuna's crown, and his head was left
unharmed. What, indeed, hast Thou not done for the Pandavas ?

11. yuddhaadau tiirthagaamii sa khalu haladharO naimisha kshetramR^ichChan
apratyutthaayi suutakshaya kR^idatha sutaM tatpade kalpayitvaa |
yaj~naghnaM valkalaM parvaNi paridalayan snaatatiirthO raNaante
sampraaptO bhiimaduryOdhana raNamashamaM viikshya yaataH puriiM te ||
Balarama, who had left on a pilgrimage at the commencement of the hostilities, visited
the holy place of Naimisaranya, and, after killing a bard, (Suta) for failing to rise on his
approach and show due respect to him, and installing his son in his place, he also
killed the demon, Valkala, who used to hinder sacrifices every full moon and new moon
day. After completing his pilgrimage, Balarama arrived in Kurukshetra towards the end
of the war. The fight between Bhima and Duryodhana showing no signs of an early
end, he repaired to Thy city, Dwaraka.

12. samsupta draupadeya kshapaNa hata dhiyaM drauNimetya tvaduktyaa
tanmuktaM braahmamastraM samahR^ita vijayO mauliratnaM cha jahre |
uchChityai paaNDavaanaaM punarapi cha vishatyuttaraa garbhamastre
rakshannanguShThamaatraH kila jaThara magaashchakrapaaNirvibhO tvam ||
Confronting the wicked Aswatthama, who appeared to have lost his reason, because of
the enormity of his dastardly act of massacre of Draupadi's sons when they were
asleep, Arjuna, in obedience to Thy command, checked and neutralised the
Brahmastra discharged by Aswatthama, and, further, scooped out from his head, the
jewel (with which he was born). When the powerful missile again discharged by
Aswatthama, with the object of exterminating the Pandava clan, approached Uttara
(who was carrying Abhimanyu's child in her womb), Thou didst, with discus in hand,
enter the womb of Uttara, assuming the size of a thumb, and protect the foetus.

13. dharmaughaM dharmasuunOrabhidadha dakhilaM ChandamR^ityuH sa bhiiShmaH
tvaaM pashyan bhaktibhuumnaiva hi sapadi yayau niShkala brahmabhuuyam |
sanyaajyaathaashvamedhaisitrabhiratimahitair- dharmajaM puurNakaamaM
sampraaptO dvaarakaaM tvaM pavanapurapate paahi maaM sarva rOgaat ||
Bhishma (who had been vested by his father, Santanu with the power to choose the
moment of his death) instructed Yudhishtira in all the Dharmas (virtues, duties, etc)
from his bed of arrows. Then, on beholding Thee before him, that great devotee of
Thine attained the state of identity with the Supreme Brahman, through the intensity of
his devotion to Thee. Thereafter, Thou didst cause Yudhishtira to perform three very
exalted Aswamedha sacrifices, without any desire to reap the fruits thereof. Thou didst,
then, return to Dwaraka. O Lord of Guruvayur, may Thou save me from all my
ailments.