The Three Meanings for the Name RAMA and the Meaning of NARAYANA

The word Rama has three meanings:

One meaning is "the only entity from which yogis attain bliss". Spiritual aspirants do not get happiness from finite, worldly objects. They want something infinite. Bliss cannot be obtained from finite objects.

The infinite object which supplies them with infinite happiness is nothing but Rama. The Ananda Sutram says infinite happiness is anandam not sukham.
Another meaning of Rama is: Rama is the most glittering entity of the entire universe. It is the first syllable of rati, that is, 'ra' or glittering.

The first letter of the word Mahidhara, is ma, meaning, the world. Hence Rama. All glittering entities get their glitter from Him, no entity posses-ses glitter of its own.

The moon gets its glitter from the earth; the earth in turn derives its glitter from the sun. The sun gets energy from the cosmological nucleus. There are countless solar systems in the cosmos and the hub of all is Parama Purusha. He is the nucleus of all energy.

Scriptures say: "Before that effulgent Supreme Entity, neither the sun shines, nor the moon nor stars nor the lightning flash, what to speak of fire. In Parama Purusha's light all other entities shine. His effulgence illuminates all entities".

The third meaning of Rama is 'Ravanasya maranam'. The first syllable of Ravanasya and the first syllable of maranam make up "Rama". Ravana means a mind that moves away from the nucleus drifting away by the centrifugal force, dissipating mental energies in all 10 directions.

He is depicted as a 10-faced demon. Ravana can be defeated or destroyed, only when one takes shelter in Rama. So one under whom Ravana automatically dies is "Rama".

The meaning of Rama and Narayana is the same. Hanuman was asked why he insisted on taking the name of Rama and not of Narayana. He replied: "I know that philosophically there is no difference between Narayana and Rama, yet I will channelise my mind towards One Entity with all my sincerity and devotion and not many.

For me there is no Narayana, there is only Rama". In spiritual parlance such a word is called Ishta mantra and the spiritual aspirants treasure their Ishta mantra.

Narayana and Rama are the same Entity; only their names differ. The word Narayan comes from nara, that has three meanings: Parama, Prakrti and devotion or bhakti.

Nara + da = Narada, the distributor of bhakti. Nara means devotion. And 'ayana' means ashraya. Narayana means Parama Purusha - the Cosmic Consciousness, the shelter of Parama Prakrti.

Is the name more powerful or the nami (named). Who is more powerful, Parama Purusha or His name? The bhava, or ideation, for an object goes together with its name. One cannot name oneself. You need somebody else to name you.
Before leaping across the ocean, Hanuman consulted Rama. Rama replied, "Go ahead, Hanuman. You can jump across the ocean. But I cannot". And Rama asked him, "How will you cross it?

"Hanuman replied, "With your power" Rama asked, "How will you get My power?" And Hanuman replied, "I will take your Name and jump". Hence the nama is more powerful than the nami. The named, before being named, remains nameless. When there were no devotees, God had no name He was nameless.

Compiled from http://spirituality.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1768814.cms