Nara-Nārāyaṇa and Urvaśī (Bhāgavata Purāṇa)

Nara-Nārāyaṇa Urvaśī · nara-nārāyaṇa urvaśī, “Nara-Nārāyaṇa and Urvaśī”

Nara-Nārāyaṇa and Urvaśī is the Bhāgavata Purāṇa’s account of how Indra tried to break the tapas of Nārāyaṇa Maharshi at Badarikāśrama, and how the attempt ended in the coming of Urvaśī to svarga. Śrī Hari took avatāra as the twin ṛshis Nara and Nārāyaṇa, sons of Dharma and Mūrti, the daughter of Daksha. Fearing that Nārāyaṇa wished to take his place, Indra sent Manmatha, the deva of kāma, with Vasanta (the spring), the gentle breeze and the apsarās. Nārāyaṇa, who has no pride, knew what Indra had done, and at once gave the trembling company abhaya (freedom from fear) and his hospitality. Ashamed, they praised him; and Nārāyaṇa showed them women of his own service, beautiful like Lakshmīdevī, before whom the splendour of the apsarās grew pale. From among them they chose Urvaśī, foremost of the apsarās, took her to svarga and told the assembly of the devas of Nārāyaṇa’s power, and Indra was struck with wonder and fear.

The Bhāgavata tells the account twice. In Skandha 2 Brahmā tells it to Nārada among the līlā-avatāras of Śrī Hari. In Skandha 11 it is told in full: Śuka tells Parīkshit how Nārada told Vasudeva of the dialogue of King Nimi with the nine yogīśvaras, the sons of Ṛshabhadeva, and one of the yogīśvaras tells it to Nimi, as the first of the avatāras he describes. The Skanda Purāṇa tells this account too, in its Badarī Kshetra Māhātmya: Nara-Nārāyaṇa and Urvaśī (Skanda Purāṇa).

The avatāra of Nara-Nārāyaṇa

Mūrti, daughter of Daksha, was the wife of Dharma. In her Śrī Hari took avatāra as Nara and Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is the foremost of the maharshis, supremely peaceful. He taught karma-yoga, the means to the svarūpa of the ātmā that has no bond with action, and he practised it himself. He, whose feet are served by the maharshis, is present even today.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 11, Chapter 4

Maitreya Maharshi tells Vidura of their birth. Daksha, son of Brahmā, gave thirteen of his daughters to Dharma, and the thirteenth wife of Dharma, Mūrti, bore the maharshis Nara and Nārāyaṇa. At the time they were born the whole world was filled with joy and kept festival. People’s minds were freed of anger and became serene; the directions became clear and free of dust, the winds pleasant to the touch, the rivers clear and free of mud, and the mountains shone as the trees of their forests flowered and bore fruit. Drums sounded in the sky and flowers rained down; the maharshis joyfully recited stotras, the gandharvas and kinnaras sang, the apsarases danced, and Brahmā and all the devas offered their stuti. So the devas praised and worshipped Bhagavān Nara-Nārāyaṇa and received their darśana and their glance of grace. Then Nara and Nārāyaṇa went to Mount Gandhamādana. “Those Nara and Nārāyaṇa, aṃśas of Bhagavān Śrī Hari,” Maitreya says, “are these Kṛshṇa and Arjuna. They have uplifted, in order, the Yadu and the Kuru vaṃśas, and took avatāra on this earth to lessen the burden of the earth.” The devas’ stuti is given in full on Nara-Nārāyaṇa Maharshis.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 4, Chapter 1

Manmatha at Badarikāśrama

Indra came to suspect Nārāyaṇa Maharshi: “He wants to seize my place.” So he sent Manmatha with his attendants to Badarikāśrama, where Nārāyaṇa Maharshi lived. With Manmatha went the apsarās, Vasanta and Mandamāruta, the gentle breeze. Manmatha did not know Nārāyaṇa’s greatness, and he struck him with his arrows, the sidelong glances of women.

Nārāyaṇa, the Ādideva, knew the wrong deed Indra had done. He, who has no pride, spoke to those who were trembling with fear: “O Manmatha! O gentle breeze! O apsarās! Do not fear. Accept our hospitality, and make this āśrama full.” When the compassionate Deva who gives abhaya had spoken thus, Manmatha and the other devatās bowed their heads in shame.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 11, Chapter 4

The stuti of Manmatha and his company

Then they praised Nārāyaṇa:

• “O Prabhu Nārāyaṇa! In you, who are the Parabrahman, there is no change. All the great ones who delight in the ātmā and have conquered the senses bow to your lotus feet. For you to give abhaya like this is no wonder.”
• “The bhaktas who serve you pass beyond the svarga of the devatās and reach your supreme abode, Vaikuṇṭha. The devatās put many obstacles in their way, though they put none before those who offer them their portions of havis in yajña. Yet when you are the protector, the bhakta brushes the obstacles aside with ease.”
• “Some give up hunger and thirst, the cold, heat and rain that come with time, the whirlwinds, the pull of foods and the enjoyments of desire, and so pass beyond us, kāma and the rest. But then they fall under the sway of anger and waste even their tapas, which no one else could take from them.”
• “Their state is like that of a man who crosses the seven oceans with a great bundle of wealth, and then falls into the hollow made by a cow’s hoof in front of his own house and loses everything.”

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 11, Chapter 4

Nārāyaṇa shows the women, and Urvaśī is chosen

While they were praising him, Nārāyaṇa Maharshi showed them women who were serving him, well adorned and of wondrous form. Manmatha and the attendants of the devatās saw those women, beautiful like Lakshmīdevī. Before their beauty the splendour of Manmatha’s company grew pale, and the fragrance of their bodies bewildered them.

Nārāyaṇa, who rules even Brahmā and the Devadevas, said to them, as if smiling: “From among these, choose one young woman whose beauty is equal to yours. She will be an ornament to svarga itself.” They said “So be it”, accepted his command, chose Urvaśī, the foremost of the apsarās, and took her with them to svarga. In the assembly of the devatās they bowed to Indra and, while the dwellers of svarga listened, told of the power of Nārāyaṇa Maharshi. Indra was struck with wonder and with fear.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 11, Chapter 4

Per Brahmā’s account to Nārada

Brahmā tells Nārada that Śrī Hari was born of Dharma and Mūrti, the daughter of Daksha, in the form of Nara and Nārāyaṇa, and that their tapas had no equal but itself. The apsarās, who may be called the armies of Manmatha, tried to break the tapas of Nārāyaṇa, who dwells as the ātmā in all beings, and were themselves broken; and they saw apsarās like themselves, beginning with Urvaśī, come forth from him. Brahmā adds a teaching on krodha (wrath): Rudra can burn up kāma with a glance of fire. Krodha is a fire that burns with unbearable force, and few can conquer it; yet that krodha itself trembles even to enter the pure inner being of Nara-Nārāyaṇa. Where then is there room for kāma in their hearts?

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 2, Chapter 7

Sources

• Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 2, Chapter 7; Skandha 4, Chapter 1; Skandha 11, Chapter 4