Shloka 9

Devanagari script

भारतेऽपि वर्षे भगवान्नरनारायणाख्य आकल्पान्तमुपचितधर्मज्ञानवैराग्यैश्वर्योपशमोपरमात्मोपलम्भनमनुग्रहायात्मवतामनुकम्पया तपोऽव्यक्तगतिश्चरति ॥ ९ ॥

Transliteration

bhārate ’pi varṣe bhagavān nara-nārāyaṇākhya ākalpāntam upacita-dharma-jñāna-vairāgyaiśvaryopaśamoparamātmopalambhanam anugrahāyātmavatām anukampayā tapo ’vyakta-gatiś carati.

Translation

In Bhārata-varṣa the Supreme Lord, known as Nara-Nārāyaṇa, appears at Badarikāśrama to show mercy to His devotees, teaching dharma, spiritual knowledge, renunciation, divine opulence, control of the senses, and the pacification of false ego; He performs austerities until the end of the age, revealing the path of self-realization.

Synonyms

• bhārate: in Bhārata (India)
• bhārate: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; स्थानवाचक

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), additive/emphatic

• varṣe: in the land/region (varṣa)
• varṣe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• nara-nārāyaṇa-ākhyaḥ: named Nara-Nārāyaṇa
• nara-nārāyaṇa-ākhyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; विशेषण; ‘nara-nārāyaṇa’ इति आख्या यस्य (नामवाचक-तत्पुरुष)

• ā-kalpa-antam: until the end of the kalpa
• ā-kalpa-antam: Kāla-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā (उपसर्ग) + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva; accusative-like adverbial sense: ‘up to the end of the kalpa’

• upacita-dharma-jñāna-vairāgya-aiśvarya-upaśama-uparama-ātma-upalambhanam: realization of the Supreme Self through accumulated dharma, knowledge, dispassion, lordship, tranquility and cessation
• upacita-dharma-jñāna-vairāgya-aiśvarya-upaśama-uparama-ātma-upalambhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upacita (कृदन्त; उप + √ci (चि) + क्त) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + vairāgya (प्रातिपदिक) + aiśvarya (प्रातिपदिक) + upaśama (प्रातिपदिक) + uparama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātma (प्रातिपदिक) + upalambhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास; ‘(upacita...) upalambhanam’ = attainment/realization characterized by accumulated dharma etc.

• anugrahāya: for (their) grace/favor
• anugrahāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; प्रयोजन/हितार्थ

• ātma-vatām: of the self-controlled
• ātma-vatām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātma (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; ‘ātma-vat’ = self-possessed/self-controlled persons

• anukampayā: by compassion
• anukampayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anukampā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• a-vyakta-gatiḥ: whose movement is unmanifest
• a-vyakta-gatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a (नञ्) + vyakta (प्रातिपदिक) + gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; विशेषण; ‘avyaktā gatiḥ’ = whose movement is unmanifest/imperceptible

• carati: practices/moves about (performs)
• carati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर्) (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

Purport

People in India may visit the temple of Nara-Nārāyaṇa at Badarikāśrama just to learn how the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His incarnation as Nara-Nārāyaṇa engages in austerities to teach the people of the world how to achieve self-realization. It is impossible to realize oneself simply by absorbing oneself in speculation and material activities. One must be very serious about self-realization and the practice of austerity. Unfortunately, the people of this Age of Kali do not even know the meaning of austerity. Under these circumstances, the Lord has appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to bestow upon the fallen souls the easiest method of self-realization, technically called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, cleansing of the dirt from the core of one’s heart. This method is extremely simple. Anyone can chant the glorious kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In this age there are different forms of so-called advanced scientific knowledge, such as anthropology, Marxism, Freudianism, nationalism and industrialism, but if we work very hard under their guidance instead of adopting the process practiced by Nara-Nārāyaṇa, we shall waste our valuable human form of life. Thus we shall certainly be cheated and misled.

Characters & Entities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

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

This verse says the Supreme Lord as Nara-Nārāyaṇa performs austerities until the end of the kalpa, compassionately guiding disciplined souls toward Paramātmā realization and the growth of dharma, knowledge, detachment, and inner peace.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī mention Nara-Nārāyaṇa in Bhārata-varṣa?

In describing Bhārata-varṣa, Śukadeva highlights it as a sacred land where the Lord Himself appears as Nara-Nārāyaṇa to exemplify tapas and to bestow spiritual mercy—especially the realization of the Supersoul.

Practical application of tapas, dharma, and vairāgya in modern life according to this shloka?

Adopt disciplined living (tapas) with steady dharma, study that deepens spiritual understanding (jñāna), and conscious detachment (vairāgya), aiming for inner calm and God-realization rather than mere external achievement.