Story of Nārāyaṇa

One of the two Ṛṣis famous as Naranārāyaṇas.

Birth.

Dharma, son of Brahmā was Nārāyaṇa’s father. Dharma married ten daughters of Dakṣa, and four sons, i.e. Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Nara and Nārāyaṇa were born to him of them. Of the four, Nara and Nārāyaṇa were inseparable sannyāsins. In the holy Badarikāśrama on the slopes of the Himālayas they did tapas to please Brahmā for a thousand years.

Nārāyaṇa’s tapas.

The whole world was, so to say, burnt by the intense tapas of Naranārāyaṇas. Indra was alarmed. Believing that their tapas was for the attainment of Indrahood and fearing his own displacement Indra went to Badarikāśrama mounted on Airāvata to break their tapas, and told them thus: "Oh ascetics, who shine like the rising sun, I am pleased with your tapas. You may choose any boon you like."

The Naranārāyaṇas did not even recognise the thunderlike voice of Indra; nor did they answer him. This increased Indra’s alarm, and he decided to disturb them with Māyā, productive of fear, desire etc. and thus break their tapas. Indra began threatening them with cruel animals created by him like wild cat, leopard tiger, lion, elephant etc. and also with aberrations created in nature like storm, rain, wild fire etc. But, none of the above affected or moved them in the least. After all, why should they be moved? You would threaten only those who are subject to desires, love of comfort, any particular object in life or likes and dislikes. Since Naranārāyaṇas had none of the above, Indra’s attempts to threaten them failed. Thus disappointed he returned to Svargaloka and after thinking for a long time he called Kāmadeva to him and spoke as follows:—"You should go, along with Rati and the spring, to Badarikāśrama. Also take with you any number of apsarā women you want. You will find Naranārāyaṇas at the āśrama performing tapas and will weaken them from their resolution by using your arrows (erotic shafts) and tempt them into erotic life. I am also deputing apsarā women like Rambhā to help you."

Kāmadeva accordingly started for Badarikāśrama accompanied by all the apsarā women. When they reached the place spring season had set in there.

Varieties of beetles flew about from flower to flower humming. Trees like the mango and Palāśa were thick with flowers. Creepers (Comparable to young women) entwined and embraced trees (lovers), the former carrying puṣpas (flowers, in the case of young women, coming of age). A fragrant breeze swept the whole region. In this erotic background Kāma and Rati, with their five arrows and accompanied by celestial women came to the āśrama, and there they began singing and dancing. The erotic flow enchanted the soul of Naranārāyaṇas. Nārāyaṇarṣi awoke from his tapas and whispered something in the ears of Nara. By now Kāmadeva had entered the presence of Naranārāyaṇas accompanied by the reputed beauties of Svarloka like Menakā, Rambhā, Tilottamā, Sukeśinī, Manoramā, Maheśvarī, Puṣpagandhā, Pramadvarā, Ghṛtācī, Candraprabhā, Somaprabhā, Vidyunmālā, Ambujākṣī and Kāñcanamālā. These beauties were accompanied by 10080 of their beautiful attendants. Naranārāyaṇas were wonder-struck to see this army of Kāma. All those great beauties stood before Naranārāyaṇas in salutation. Some of them began to sing, others to dance and yet others to take up the tunes. Nārayaṇarṣi could easily divine the reason for the show. He thought to himself thus—

"None but Devendra could have sent all these people here, and his object must be to hinder our tapas. But I shall prove to Indra that all these mean nothing to me. Let Devendra understand that I can create more beautiful ladies than these women of his here and that I am not in the least attracted by any of them here."

Thinking thus Nārāyaṇa beat gently on his thigh and immediately arose therefrom an exceptionally beautiful woman. Since that woman, the most beautiful in all the three worlds, was created from the Ūru (thigh) of Nārāyaṇa she came to be known as Urvaśī. Others were wonder-struck by this new creation. He created some other beauties also, and an equal number of other women to serve them. All of them stood before him in humble salutation.

The celestial women almost fainted with fear. In repentance they begged the munis pardon for their mistake. The munis were kindly disposed towards them. They told them that they (munis) cherished no animosity towards them, but in fact were pleased with them, and they further asked them (celestial women) to choose their boons. The munis also asked them to take Urvaśī to Devaloka as a present from them to Indra. Let the Devas prosper.

Having heard Nara speak like this the celestial women returned in great humility to Devaloka with Urvaśī and the other women. (Devī Bhāgavata, 4th Skandha).

Other information.

(i) Nara and Nārāyaṇa were two incarnations of Mahāviṣṇu. (Śānti Parva, Chapter 384)

(ii) A dark hair of Nārāyaṇarṣi was born as Kṛṣṇa and a white one as Balabhadrarāma. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 196, Verse 32).

(iii) He was a star member in Brahmā’s assembly. (Sabhā Parva, Chapter 11, verse 52)

(iv) Once he appeared before Māndhātā in the guise of Indra. (Śānti Parva, Chapter 64, Verse 14).

(v) He once fought with Śiva and won. (Śānti Parva, Chapter 382, Verse 110)

For complete details about Nārāyaṇarṣi see under Nara Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa)