Shloka 9

Avatāra-kathā — The Puruṣa, the Many Incarnations, and Kṛṣṇa as Svayam Bhagavān

Devanagari script

तुर्ये धर्मकलासर्गे नरनारायणावृषी । भूत्वात्मोपशमोपेतमकरोद्दुश्चरं तप: ॥ ९ ॥

Transliteration

turye dharma-kalā-sarge nara-nārāyaṇāv ṛṣī bhūtvātmopaśamopetam akarot duścaraṁ tapaḥ

Translation

في التجسّد الرابع تجلّى الربّ في هيئة الريشيين التوأمين نارا ونارايانا، ابني زوجة الملك دارما، فقام بتقشّف شديد وقدوةٍ سامية لضبط الحواس.

Synonyms

• turye: in the fourth (incarnation)
• turye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: turya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• dharma-kalā-sarge: in the creation of the portions of dharma
• dharma-kalā-sarge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + kalā (प्रातिपदिक) + sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dharma-kalāyāḥ sarge)

• nara-nārāyaṇau: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• nara-nārāyaṇau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• ṛṣī: the two sages
• ṛṣī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; नरा-नारायणयोः विशेषण-रूपेण

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया (having become)

• ātma-upaśama-upetam: endowed with self-restraint
• ātma-upaśama-upetam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + upaśama (प्रातिपदिक) + upeta (उपेत, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √i/ए धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (ātmani upaśamaḥ yena upetam)

• akarot: performed
• akarot: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• duścaram: difficult to perform
• duścaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duścara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तपसः विशेषणम्

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Purport

As King Ṛṣabha advised His sons, tapasya, or voluntary acceptance of penance for realization of the Transcendence, is the only duty of the human being; it was so done by the Lord Himself in an exemplary manner to teach us. The Lord is very kind to the forgetful souls. He therefore comes Himself and leaves behind necessary instructions and also sends His good sons as representatives to call all the conditioned souls back to Godhead. Recently, within the memory of everyone, Lord Caitanya also appeared for the same purpose: to show special favor to fallen souls of this age of iron industry. The incarnation of Nārāyaṇa is worshiped still at Badarī-nārāyaṇa, on the range of the Himālayas.

Characters & Entities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi and tapasya?

This verse states that Nara and Nārāyaṇa appeared in the creation connected with dharma and performed extremely difficult austerities, being fully endowed with self-restraint and inner peace.

Why does Sūta Gosvāmī describe Nara-Nārāyaṇa in the list of incarnations?

In Canto 1 Chapter 3, Sūta Gosvāmī enumerates prominent avatāras to show how the Lord repeatedly appears to protect and establish dharma; Nara-Nārāyaṇa exemplify dharma through perfect self-control and tapasya.

Practical application of self-control (ātma-upaśama) in modern life according to this shloka?

Cultivate steady habits—restraint of senses, simplicity, and disciplined spiritual practice—so that one’s actions become aligned with dharma rather than impulse.