The deeper meaning of the word जनार्दन janārdana

The deeper meaning of the word जनार्दन janārdana

Various meanings of the word janārdana available on the net are as follows:
- ‘the One who inflicts suffering (ardana) on evil men (jana)’
- ‘he to whom all devotees pray for worldly success and liberation’
- ‘the protector from negative forces’
- ‘exciting or agitating men’
- ‘he who is the original abode and protector of all living beings’
- ‘punisher of man’

(For more meanings see https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/janardana)

If we look at the meanings of each component of the word separately and their combined meaning in relation to what Krishna says of himself in the Gita, we will have a very different meaning of the word which is more satisfying than the popular meanings noted here.

The word जनार्दन is composed of two words जन and अर्दन. The word अर्दन coming from the root-sound अर्द् meaning ‘to destroy, to kill, to hurt’ etc. So अर्दन means destroying, killing, removing, bringing anything to an end.

The word जन is translated literally as people or men, as seen in words like दुर्जन (a wicked man) सज्जन (a good man) etc. If the the word जन is translated as man then there is the problem in translating the word जनार्दन. Literally, the word जनार्दन then will mean ‘the one who kills the people, or punish people’ or suggestively it will mean ‘the one destroys the sufferings of the people’ etc.

But the word जन coming from the root-sound जन् meaning ‘to create, generate, give birth’ etc. also means ‘BIRTH’. So accepting जन as ‘BIRTH’ we can translate the word जनार्दन as ‘the one who brings an end to the BIRTH itself. Bhagavan himself has no birth and he puts an end to the birth of other beings, meaning he brings an end to the cycle of birth and death of all beings. As Krishna says in the Gita (8.16) मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते — Attaining to me, O son of Kunti, one becomes free from the cycle of birth and death. To fall into the cycle of birth and death again and again, indeed, is the greatest suffering for the man. And it is जनार्दन who liberates his devotee from this suffering by taking him to his clasp.