Shloka 19
Nara-Nārāyaṇa Precedent and Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna; Karṇa’s Reply
वासुदेवार्जुनी वीरोी समवेतौ महारथौ । नरनारायणो देवौ पूर्वदेवाविति श्रुति:,परस्पर मिले हुए महार॒थी वीर श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुन पुरातन देवता नर और नारायण ही हैं; यह बात विख्यात है
vāsudevārjunī vīrau samavetau mahārathau | naranārāyaṇau devau pūrvadevāv iti śrutiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The two heroic great chariot-warriors, Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) and Arjuna, who have come together, are indeed the divine pair Nara and Nārāyaṇa—the primeval gods; thus it is affirmed by sacred tradition. The statement frames their alliance as more than political strategy: it is a dharmic convergence of divine purpose and human agency on the eve of conflict.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are not merely allies but the ancient divine pair Nara and Nārāyaṇa. This sacralizes their partnership and implies that the coming struggle is situated within a larger dharmic order, where divine guidance (Kṛṣṇa) and righteous human effort (Arjuna) act together.
In Udyoga Parva’s lead-up to war, the narrator Vaiśampāyana identifies the united presence of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna as the reappearance of Nara-Nārāyaṇa. The remark functions as an authoritative recognition—by tradition—of their extraordinary status at a critical turning point.