PadmanābhaḤ (पद्मनाभ:)
The navel that contains within itself this entire Universe. The lotus in the navel of the birthless being who is “the cause of Brahmā” He, from whose Nābhi (navel) springs forth that Padma (lotus) on which is seated the four-faced secondary-creator of the world i.e. Brahmā.
This name and form of the Supreme being has a deep symbolic and allegorical meaning. “The creative faculties in humans flow from the Nābhi (navel) and manifest as Brahmā – the ‘Antaḥkaraṇa’ (अन्तःकरण) – the four-layered inner instrument of consciousness consisting of Buddhi (बुद्धि) or intellect, Manas (मनस्) corresponding roughly to the mind, Ahaṃkāra (अहंकार) the ego or the “I” and citta (चित्त), the seat of memory and feelings“[1]– the four-faced Brahmā is an allegorical reference to this and since Brahmā with his consort Sarasvatī is the creative principle and the repository of knowledge, specifically the Vedas – therefore the positioning of Brahmā on the lotus emanating from the navel of the supreme being is to be interpreted as the ‘blooming’ of the “creative/spiritual faculties”
In humans the navel is the center of gravity for sitting, standing, walking or running. It is also the meeting point of the physical and the mental – the psychosomatic (mind-body) junction-point and is crucial for harmonious functioning of the body-mind-soul complex. When faced with great danger, you get a ‘sinking-feeling’ in the “pit” of your stomach – indicative of this psychosomatic connection.
In Chakra-symbology too this region corresponds approximately to the Manipūra Chakra. The word Manipūra literally means the “city (pura) of the beautiful gem (mani)” and corresponds to the Solar plexus or the Solar center of the body and just as the governing principle in the solar-orb of the Sun is Viṣṇu, here too in the solar-center of the human body the governing principle is Padmanābhaḥ. This chakra is again the junction-point of the Prāna-Vayu and Apāna-Vayu where they become Samāna-Vayu – literally meaning balance and therefore responsible for nourishment and well-being and providing the essential fuel for the spiritual journey. It is also the junction-point from where the higher levels of human consciousness begins and the blooming of this “lotus” is crucial to access the higher levels of human consciousness – the heart, throat and other centers.[2, 3]
—-PadmanābhaḤ (पद्मनाभ:)—-
The navel that contains within itself this entire Universe. The lotus in the navel of the birthless being who is “the cause of Brahmā” He, from whose Nābhi (navel) springs forth that Padma (lotus) on which is seated the four-faced secondary-creator of the world i.e. Brahmā.
ॐ नारायणाय विद्महे। वासुदेवाय धीमहि। तन्नो विष्णु प्रचोदयात्।।
Ramesh Venkatraman 