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Nara-Narayana (Sanskrit: ??-??????; nara-naraya?a) is a Hindu
Hinduism

'Hinduism' is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as , a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal dharma", by its practitioners....
 deity. Nara-Narayana is the twin incarnation of god Vishnu
Vishnu

Vishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of panchadeva, and his supreme status is declared in the Hindu sacred texts like Yajurveda, the Rigveda and the Bhagavad Gita....
 on earth, working for the preservation of dharma
Dharma

The term , is an Indian Indian philosophy and Indian religions term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term....
 or righteousness. In the concept of Nara-Narayana, the human soul Nara is the eternal companion of the Divine Narayana
Narayana

Narayana or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha....
.

name "Nara-Narayana" can be broken into two Sanskrit terms, nara and Narayana.






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Nara-Narayana (Sanskrit: ??-??????; nara-naraya?a) is a Hindu
Hinduism

'Hinduism' is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as , a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal dharma", by its practitioners....
 deity. Nara-Narayana is the twin incarnation of god Vishnu
Vishnu

Vishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of panchadeva, and his supreme status is declared in the Hindu sacred texts like Yajurveda, the Rigveda and the Bhagavad Gita....
 on earth, working for the preservation of dharma
Dharma

The term , is an Indian Indian philosophy and Indian religions term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term....
 or righteousness. In the concept of Nara-Narayana, the human soul Nara is the eternal companion of the Divine Narayana
Narayana

Narayana or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha....
.

Etymology

The name "Nara-Narayana" can be broken into two Sanskrit terms, nara and Narayana. Nara
Nara

Nara can refer to:Geography* Nara, Attock, a village in Attock, Pakistan.* Nara, Jhelum, a village in Jhelum, Pakistan.* Nara, NWFP, Union Council of Abbottabad, Pakistan....
 means human, and Narayana
Narayana

Narayana or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha....
 refers to the deity of the name.

Monier-Williams dictionary says Nara is "the primeval Man or eternal Spirit pervading the universe (always associated with Narayana, "son of the primeval man"; both are considered either as gods or sages and accordingly called ????, ??? , ?????. In epic poetry, they are the sons, of Dharma
Dharma

The term , is an Indian Indian philosophy and Indian religions term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term....
 by Murti or Ahimsa and emanations of Vishnu, Arjuna
Arjuna

Arjuna, Arjun or Arjunaa is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' ....
 being identified with Nara, and Krishna
Krishna

Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the supreme being....
 with Narayana.- Mahabharata
Mahabharata

The is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetrys of History of India, the other being the '. The epic is part of the Hindu itihasa , and forms an important part of Hindu mythology....
, Harivamsa
Harivamsa

The Harivamsha is an important work of Sanskrit literature, containing 16,374 shloka, mostly in metre. The text is also known as . This text is believed as a khila to the Mahabharata and traditionally ascribed to Vyasa....
 and Purana".

Depiction

They are depicted jointly or separately in images. When depicted separately, Nara is portrayed with two hands and wearing deer skin while Narayana is shown on the right in the usual form of Vishnu.

Legends

Krishna
Krishna

Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the supreme being....
 and Arjuna
Arjuna

Arjuna, Arjun or Arjunaa is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' ....
 are often referred to as Nara-Narayana in the Mahabharata
Mahabharata

The is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetrys of History of India, the other being the '. The epic is part of the Hindu itihasa , and forms an important part of Hindu mythology....
 and are considered part incarnations of Narayana and Nara repectively, according to the Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana

The Bhagavata Purana is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hinduism literature, and is Sanskrit for "The Book of God". Its primary focus is the process of bhakti yoga, which is Sanskrit for "Union with God through devotion for Him", in which Krishna is unequivocally declared to be Svayam Bhagavan....
.

In a previous life, the duo were born as the sages Nara and Narayana, and who performed great penances at the holy spot of Badrinath
Badrinath

Badrinath is a Hinduism holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage....
. Nara and Narayana were the Fifth Avatar
Avatar

Avatar or Avatara , often translated into English as incarnation, literally means descent and usually implies a deliberate descent from higher spiritual realms to lower realms of existence for special purposes....
 of Lord Vishnu. The twins were sons of Dharma
Dharma

The term , is an Indian Indian philosophy and Indian religions term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term....
, the son of Brahma
Brahma

Brahma is the Hinduism god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedanta philosophy known as Brahman....
 and his wife Murti (Daughter Of Daksha
Daksha

In Hinduism, Daksha, "the skilled one", is an ancient creator god, one of the Prajapatis, the Rishis and the Adityas, and a son of Aditi and Brahma ....
) or Ahimsa .They live at Badrika
Badrinath

Badrinath is a Hinduism holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage....
 performing severe austerities and meditation for the welfare of the world. These two inseparable sages took avatars on earth for the welfare of mankind and to punish the wicked ones. The sages defeated a demon called Sahasrakavacha ("one with a thousand armours").

Birth of Urvashi

The Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana

The Bhagavata Purana is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hinduism literature, and is Sanskrit for "The Book of God". Its primary focus is the process of bhakti yoga, which is Sanskrit for "Union with God through devotion for Him", in which Krishna is unequivocally declared to be Svayam Bhagavan....
 tells the story of the birth of Urvashi from the sages Nara-Narayana. Once, sages Nara-Narayana were meditating in the holy shrine of Badrinath situated in the Himalayas
Himalayas

The Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow" ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau....
. Their penances and austerities alarmed the gods, so Indra
Indra

Indra is the god of War and Weather, also the King of the gods or Deva and Lord of Heaven or Swarga in Hinduism. Mentioned first as the chief deity in the sacred Hindu text of Rig Veda, Indra is bestowed with a heroic and almost brash and amorous character....
, the King of Deva
Deva (Hinduism)

Deva is the Sanskrit word for "god, deity". It can be variously interpreted as a god, spirit, demi-god, Celestial, deity or any supernatural being of high excellence....
s, sent Kamadeva
Kamadeva

Kamadeva is the Hindu deity of love. His other names include Ragavrinta , Ananga , Kandarpa , Manmatha , Manasija , Madana , Ratikanta , Pushpavan, Pushpadhanva or just Kama ....
, Vasanta
Vasanta

Vasanta can mean*Vasanta, a scouting group in the Netherlands, founded in 1933.*Vasanta was also the original name of the USS Aquamarine ....
 (spring) and apsaras (nymphs) to inspire them with passion and disturb their devotions. The sage Narayana took a flower and placed it on his thigh. Immediately there sprung from it a beautiful nymph whose charms far excelled those of the celestial nymphs, and made them return to heaven filled with shame and vexation. Narayana sent this nymph to Indra with them, and from her having been produced from the thigh (uru in Sanskrit
Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
) of the sage, she was called Urvashi.

Badrinath

According to the Srimad Bhagavatam
Bhagavata purana

The Bhagavata Purana is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hinduism literature, and is Sanskrit for "The Book of God". Its primary focus is the process of bhakti yoga, which is Sanskrit for "Union with God through devotion for Him", in which Krishna is unequivocally declared to be Svayam Bhagavan....
, "There in Badrikashram (Badrinath
Badrinath

Badrinath is a Hinduism holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage....
) the Personality of Godhead (Vishnu
Vishnu

Vishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of panchadeva, and his supreme status is declared in the Hindu sacred texts like Yajurveda, the Rigveda and the Bhagavad Gita....
), in his incarnation as the sages Nara and Narayana, had been undergoing great penance since time immemorial for the welfare of all living entities." (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.22)

In Badrinath Temple
Badrinath temple

Badrinath temple, sometimes called Badrinarayan temple, is situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state in India....
's sanctorium, to the far right side of the stone image of Badri-Vishala (or Badri-Narayana), are the images of Nara and Narayana. Also, the Nara and Narayana peaks tower over Badrinath.

Mahabharata

According to Bhandarkar, the gods Nara-Narayana must be very famous at the time of the composition of the Mahabharata
Mahabharata

The is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetrys of History of India, the other being the '. The epic is part of the Hindu itihasa , and forms an important part of Hindu mythology....
, since in the opening stanzas of different books obeisance is made to these two gods. In Vanaparvan (12. 46, 47), Krishna says to Arjuna,"O invincible one, you are Nara and I am Hari Narayana, and we, the sages Nara-Narayana, have come to this world at proper time.." In the same Parva, chapter 30 (verse 1); Shiva
Shiva

Shiva: is a major Hinduism god, and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is one of panchadeva....
 says to Arjuna "In former birth you were Nara and with Narayana as your companion, performed austerities for thousands of years at Badari".

In Swaminarayan sect

In Swaminarayan Sampraday
Swaminarayan Sampraday

Swaminarayan Sampraday , known previously as the Uddhav Sampraday, is a Hindu sect established by Bhagwan Swaminarayan . Bhagwan Swaminarayan was handed the leadership of the Uddhav Sampraday from his Guru Ramanand Swami, to continue and to propagate the teachings and philosophy of Vishishtadvaita, which originates from the Sri samprada...
 sect, Nara and Narayana, called as Nara-Narayana Deva, are again identified with Arjuna and Krishna as Swaminarayan mentions in verse 110 of the Shikshapatri
Shikshapatri

The Shikshapatri is a text of two hundred and twelve verses, written in Sanskrit by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The Shikshapatri is a key scripture to all followers of the Swaminarayan faith and is considered the basis of the faith....
. They are believed to reside at Badrikashram and to be the prime controllers of the destiny of all beings, depending on their karma
Karma

Karma is the concept of "action" or "deed" in Indian religions understood as that which causes the entire cycle of causality originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhism philosophies....
. Nara-Narayana Deva are believed to have manifested at Narayana Ghat on the banks of river Sabarmati at Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad is the largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat and one of the List of most populous metropolitan areas in India in India, with a population of approximately 52 lakhs ....
. Therefore their images
Murti

In Hinduism, a murti typically refers to an image, a deity, in which a Divine Spirit is expressed . Hindus consider a murti worthy of worship after the divine is invoked in it for the purpose of offering worship....
 were installed by Swaminarayan at the first Swaminarayan temple, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad (India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
). Followers of Swaminarayan believe that Narayana manifested himself as Swaminarayan.

See also

  • Vishnu
    Vishnu

    Vishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of panchadeva, and his supreme status is declared in the Hindu sacred texts like Yajurveda, the Rigveda and the Bhagavad Gita....
  • Narayana
    Narayana

    Narayana or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha....
  • Lakshminarayan
    Lakshminarayan

    "Laxminarayan" redirects here. For the temple, see Laxminarayan TempleLaxminarayan or Lakshmi-Narayana , also sometimes spelled Lakshminarayan, Lakshminarayana, Laxminarayana, is a name of a Hindu deity....


External links