Shloka 28

Devanagari script

नरनारायणौ देवौ कथितौ नारदेन मे । धर्मात्मानौ महात्मानौ पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ,'प्रभो! देवर्षि नारदने मुझसे कहा था कि आप दोनों धर्मात्मा, महात्मा, पुराणपुरुष तथा ऋषिप्रवर साक्षात्‌ भगवान्‌ नर और नारायण हैं

Transliteration

nara-nārāyaṇau devau kathitau nāradena me | dharmātmānau mahātmānau purāṇāv ṛṣi-sattamau ||

Translation

ਦੇਵਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਨਾਰਦ ਨੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਦੋਵੇਂ ਧਰਮਾਤਮਾ, ਮਹਾਤਮਾ, ਪ੍ਰਾਚੀਨ ਪੁਰਖ ਅਤੇ ਰਿਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ—ਸਾਕਸ਼ਾਤ ਭਗਵਾਨ ਨਰ ਅਤੇ ਨਾਰਾਇਣ ਹੋ।

Word by Word

नरनारायणौNara and Narayana

देवौthe two gods

कथितौwere said/declared

नारदेनby Narada

मेto me

धर्मात्मानौthe two whose nature is dharma (righteous-souled)

महात्मानौthe two great-souled

पुराणौancient, primeval (two)

ऋषिसत्तमौthe two best of sages

Speaker

संयज उवाच

Characters & Entities

Saṁjaya

Devarṣi Nārada

Nara

Nārāyaṇa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True greatness is framed as dharma-centered: the highest exemplars are those whose nature is righteousness (dharmātmā) and who embody ancient, authoritative wisdom (purāṇa, ṛṣi-sattama). The verse also grounds ethical authority in reliable transmission—Nārada’s testimony.

What is happening in the narrative?

Saṁjaya reports what he previously heard from Devarṣi Nārada: that the revered pair Nara and Nārāyaṇa are divine, ancient, and foremost among sages—establishing their spiritual stature and credibility within the ongoing war-time narration.