Нара Нараяна: Ежелгі ақындар және Вишну құдайының бейнесі

Hindu divine sages
the 16th century ruler of the Kamata Kingdom

Naranarayana , also rendered Nara Narayana, is a Hindu duo of sage brothers. Generally regarded to be the partial incarnation (aṃśa avatara) of the preserver deity, Vishnu, on earth, Nara Narayana are described to be the sons of Dharma and Ahimsa. The Hindu scripture Mahabharata identifies the prince Arjuna with Nara, and the deity Krishna with Narayana. The legend of Nara Narayana is also told in the scripture Bhagavata Purana. Hindus believe that the pair dwells at Badrinath, where their most important temple stands.

The name "Nara Narayana" can be broken into two Sanskrit terms, Nara and Narayana. Nara means 'male being', and Narayana refers to the name of the deity Vishnu. Monier Williams dictionary says Nara is "the primeval Man or eternal Spirit pervading the universe always associated with Narayana, "son of the primeval man". In epic poetry, they are the sons of Dharma by Murti or Ahimsa, and emanations of Vishnu, Arjuna being identified with Nara, and Krishna with Narayana.

Nara Narayana 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. Nara is supposed to be depicted as fair complexioned, while Narayana is to be portrayed as dark complexioned.

The duo were born as the sages Nara Narayana to the god Dharma. They helped the defeat the demons in the Churning of the Milky Ocean and Nara was given the elixir for safeguarding by Indra. According to the Vamana Purana, the twins were sons of dharma, the son of Brahma and his wife Murti (daughter of Daksha), or Ahimsa. They lived in Badrinath for a thousand years. Once, the sages Nara Narayana were meditating in the holy shrine of Badrinath situated in the Himalayas. Their penances and austerities alarmed the devas, and so Indra, the King of the devas, sent Kamadeva, Rati, Vasanta (spring), and various apsaras (nymphs) such as Menaka and Rambha to inspire them with erotic 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 apsaras, and made them return to heaven, filled with shame and vexation. Narayana sent this nymph to Indra with them, and since she been produced from the thigh (Ūru in Sanskrit) of the sage, she was called Urvashi. Having sent back the apsaras, the divine sages continued to meditate.

According to the Mahabharata, Shiva's trishula, after laying waste to Daksha's yajna, travelled to the Badarikāśrama, where it pierced the breast of Narayana, who had been engaged in a penance. By the force of the utterance of the sound 'Hum', produced by Narayana, the trident was subsequently ejected from his breast and returned to Shiva, who was then determined to slay the sages. Nara is stated to have plucked a blade of grass from the earth, which became an axe, and discharged it towards the destroyer deity. Shiva is described to have broken this axe. In Shaiva tradition, the sage Narayana performed great penances at the holy spot of Badarikāśrama, propitiating Shiva, and becoming invincible.

According to the Bhagavata Purana, "There in Badrikashram (Badrinath) the Personality of Godhead (Vishnu), in his incarnation as the sages Nara and Narayana, had been undergoing great penance since time immemorial for the welfare of all living entities." (3.4.22). It is mentioned in the Mahabharata and Puranas that Nara Narayana performed austerities on Mount Gandhamadana, in Badrinath. In Badrinath Temple's sanctorum, Nara and Narayana are next to Badri Narayana.

Arjuna and Krishna are often referred to as Nara Narayana in the Mahabharata, and are also considered reincarnations of Nara and Narayana respectively, according to the Devi Bhagavata Purana. According to Bhandarkar, the deities of Nara Narayana must have been very popular at the time of the composition of the Mahabharata, since in the opening stanzas of various parvas (constituent books) of the epic, obeisance is made to these two devas. In Vana Parva (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 the proper time " In the same Parva, chapter 40 (verse 1); Shiva says to Arjuna — "In former birth you were Nara and with Narayana as your companion, performed austerities for thousands of years at Badari". The Mahabharata suggests that by saluting Krishna (the omniscient Narayana), his friend and the highest of all male beings Arjuna, Saraswati, and Vyasa, the orator, and destroying demonic possessions, and conquering the conscience, one should recite the epic Mahabharata.

In the Swaminarayan sect, Nara and Narayana, are called Nara Narayana Deva. They are believed to reside at Badarikashram and to be the prime controllers of the destiny of all beings, depending on their karma. Nara Narayana Deva are believed to have manifested at Narayana Ghat on the banks of river Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. Therefore, their images were installed by Swaminarayan at the first Swaminarayan temple, Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad (India). Members of this group interpret the events that took place at Badarikashram, the abode of Nara Narayana, that led to the incarnation of Swaminarayan. They believe that Narayana took birth as Swaminarayan due to a curse of sage Durvasa which he accepted at his own will. The curse led to Narayana taking the form of an avatar on Earth to destroy evil and establish ekantik dharma, religion based on morality, knowledge, detachment, and devotion.