Nararatna (नररत्न, IAST: Nararatna) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “Jewel among men; gem of humanity”. Composed of nara (man, human being) and ratna (gem, jewel), Nararatna hails Vishnu — who incarnates as Nara and who is worshipped by the highest of men — as the priceless jewel that surpasses all human excellence.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Ratna in Sanskrit signifies not merely a precious stone but the finest exemplar of any category, as in navarātna (nine gems). Nara here refers to humanity at its noblest, and together the compound proclaims that Vishnu, whether as the divine human archetype or as the supreme object of human devotion, is the most precious jewel the human realm can claim. The name also resonates with the Nara-Nārāyaṇa pair of eternal sages.

Nararatna is occasionally used as a given name in traditional Vaishnava families, conveying the aspiration that a child be a jewel among people. It is pronounced na-ra-rat-na, with equal stress on both syllables of ratna.

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Scriptural source

Nararatna appears in the Vishnu Sahasranama, among the sacred names of Vishnu.

Astrology — nakshatra, rashi & numerology

By the standard Vedic correspondence between a name’s first syllable and the lunar mansion, Nararatna aligns with the Ardra nakshatra, under the Mithuna rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 4.