Shloka 10
Kāmyake Pāṇḍavānāṃ Bhojana-vyavasthā
Provisioning and Welfare in the Kāmyaka Forest
नरनारायणौ यौ तौ पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ । ताविमावनुजानीहि हृषीकेशधनंजयौ,“नर-नारायण नामसे प्रसिद्ध जो पुरातन मुनीश्वर हैं” वे ही श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनके रूपमें अवतीर्ण हुए हैं, यह बात आप जान लें
naranārāyaṇau yau tau purāṇāvṛṣisattamau | tāvimāv anujānīhi hṛṣīkeśa-dhanañjayau ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Know this for certain: those two ancient and foremost sages, Nara and Nārāyaṇa, have here manifested as these very two—Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa) and Dhanañjaya (Arjuna).” The statement frames Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna not merely as heroic actors but as embodiments of an enduring ascetic-divine ideal, grounding their conduct in a timeless dharmic lineage.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches recognition of a deeper, dharmic identity behind historical figures: Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are presented as manifestations of the primordial sage-pair Nara–Nārāyaṇa, implying that righteous action is sustained by the union of disciplined human endeavor (Nara/Arjuna) and divine guidance (Nārāyaṇa/Kṛṣṇa).
Vaiśampāyana identifies Kṛṣṇa (Hṛṣīkeśa) and Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) with the ancient sages Nara and Nārāyaṇa, establishing their exceptional status and legitimizing their role in the unfolding dharmic narrative.