Shloka 9
Avatāra-kathā — The Puruṣa, the Many Incarnations, and Kṛṣṇa as Svayam Bhagavān
तुर्ये धर्मकलासर्गे नरनारायणावृषी । भूत्वात्मोपशमोपेतमकरोद्दुश्चरं तप: ॥ ९ ॥
turye dharma-kalā-sarge nara-nārāyaṇāv ṛṣī bhūtvātmopaśamopetam akarot duścaraṁ tapaḥ
चतुर्थावतारे भगवान् धर्मपत्नीसम्भवौ नरनारायणौ ऋषी भूत्वा, आत्मोपशमसमन्वितं दुश्चरं तपः आदधे।
As King Ṛṣabha advised His sons, tapasya, or voluntary acceptance of penance for realization of the Transcendence, is the only duty of the human being; it was so done by the Lord Himself in an exemplary manner to teach us. The Lord is very kind to the forgetful souls. He therefore comes Himself and leaves behind necessary instructions and also sends His good sons as representatives to call all the conditioned souls back to Godhead. Recently, within the memory of everyone, Lord Caitanya also appeared for the same purpose: to show special favor to fallen souls of this age of iron industry. The incarnation of Nārāyaṇa is worshiped still at Badarī-nārāyaṇa, on the range of the Himālayas.
FAQs
This verse states that Nara and Nārāyaṇa appeared in the creation connected with dharma and performed extremely difficult austerities, being fully endowed with self-restraint and inner peace.
In Canto 1 Chapter 3, Sūta Gosvāmī enumerates prominent avatāras to show how the Lord repeatedly appears to protect and establish dharma; Nara-Nārāyaṇa exemplify dharma through perfect self-control and tapasya.
Cultivate steady habits—restraint of senses, simplicity, and disciplined spiritual practice—so that one’s actions become aligned with dharma rather than impulse.