Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 3

Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode

Devanagari script

नरनारायणौ चैव जगतो हितकाम्यया तप्येतां च तपः सौम्यौ पुराणवृषिसत्त्मौ

Transliteration

naranārāyaṇau caiva jagato hitakāmyayā tapyetāṃ ca tapaḥ saumyau purāṇavṛṣisattmau

Translation

Et Nara et Nārāyaṇa, désirant le bien du monde, accomplirent des austérités—ces êtres doux, les plus éminents parmi les sages d’autrefois.

Word by Word

• नरनारायणौ: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नरनारायणौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• हितकाम्यया: with the desire for (the world's) welfare
• हितकाम्यया: Hetu (हेतु/Cause-Motive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास (hitasyāḥ kāmyā = desire for welfare)

• तप्येताम्: they two perform austerity / practice tapas
• तप्येताम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (कर्मरूपे)

• सौम्यौ: gentle, auspicious (the two)
• सौम्यौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषण (qualifying नरा-नारायणौ)

• पुराणवृषिसत्त्मौ: the two best among the ancient sages
• पुराणवृषिसत्त्मौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण + ऋषि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (purāṇānāṃ ṛṣīṇāṃ sattamau = best among ancient sages)

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (often Pulastya narrating to Nārada in this Purāṇa)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Nara-Narayana

Key Themes

• Vaishnavism
• Lokasaṃgraha (welfare of the world)
• Tapas
• Rishi ideal

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Austerity is framed not as self-serving withdrawal but as compassion in action: spiritual discipline is undertaken for jagat-hita (the good of all beings), modeling the ethic of lokasaṃgraha.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Best classified under Vamśānucarita/Carita (narratives of exemplary divine-sage figures). It supports dharmic instruction through sacred biography rather than sarga/pratisarga cosmology.

What is the symbolic significance?

Nara (human effort) paired with Nārāyaṇa (divine principle) symbolizes that the highest welfare arises when disciplined human striving is united with the divine ground—tapas becomes a bridge between humanity and transcendence.