Lexical Debates: Unravelling the term ‘Nārāyaṇa’ in Early Modern Polemical Works of Vedānta

Abstract The present paper examines early modern Vedāntic polemics over the referent of the term ‘Nārāyaṇa’, foregrounding debates between Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva theologians regarding the identity of the supreme deity. The present study focuses on Paravastu Vedāntācārya‘s Vedāntakaustubhā, a significant yet understudied Viśiṣṭādvaita rejoinder to Appayya Dīkṣita's Śaiva reinterpretations. The study explores how etymology, scriptural citation, and semantic strategies were employed to assert sectarian claims over divine nomenclature. A thorough examination of lexical derivations and intertextual references from Upaniṣadic and Purāṇic sources is presented in this article, shedding light on the evolution of the name Nārāyaṇa as a contested signifier. The analysis unveils that Vaiṣṇava authors exclusively assert the name for Viṣṇu, while Śaiva thinkers reinterpret it to signify Śiva or all the Trimūrtis. The article highlights the intersection of philology and theology in shaping sectarian boundaries, thus offering new insights into the intellectual history of Vedānta and the strategic role of language in religious identity formation.