Shloka 19

Nara-Nārāyaṇa Precedent and Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna; Karṇa’s Reply

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

vāsudevārjunī vīrau samavetau mahārathau | naranārāyaṇau devau pūrvadevāv iti śrutiḥ ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ഒരുമിച്ചെത്തിയ ആ രണ്ടു വീര മഹാരഥന്മാരായ വാസുദേവൻ (ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണൻ)യും അർജുനനും യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ പുരാതന ദേവദ്വയം നരനും നാരായണനും തന്നെയാണെന്ന് ശ്രുതി-പരമ്പര പ്രസിദ്ധമാക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

वासुदेवVasudeva (Krishna)

अर्जुनArjuna

वीरौtwo heroes

समवेतौassembled, come together

महारथौtwo great chariot-warriors

नरNara

नारायणNarayana

देवौtwo gods

पूर्वदेवौtwo ancient gods

इतिthus

श्रुतिःtradition; report; what is heard

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Arjuna

Nara

Nārāyaṇa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.