Nara-Narayana
Nara-Narayana are two sage-brothers in Hinduism, often seen as a partial incarnation of Vishnu on earth. They are the sons of Dharma (righteousness) and Murti. In the Mahabharata, Arjuna is identified with Nara and Krishna with Narayana. The Bhagavata Purana also tells their story. They are said to live in Badrinath in the Himalayas, where their main temple is located. The name Nara-Narayana combines Nara, meaning a male being, with Narayana, the name of Vishnu.
When shown in art, Nara and Narayana can be together or separate. Nara is usually portrayed with two hands, wearing deer skin, and Narayana appears in the usual form of Vishnu. Nara is described as fair, while Narayana is dark.
Key legends say they were born as the sons of Dharma and Murti. They helped defeat demons during the churning of the Ocean of Milk, and Nara was given an elixir by Indra for protection. They lived in Badrinath performing intense penance for a thousand years.
One tale from the Bhagavata Purana tells how Urvashi, a beautiful nymph, was created during their meditation when the gods tried to disturb them. Narayana placed a flower on his thigh, and Urvashi appeared. He sent her back to Indra and the other apsaras.
The Mahabharata includes other episodes, such as an encounter with Shiva. Shiva’s trishula pierced Narayana’s chest during a confrontation, but Narayana’s utterance of the sound Hum drove the trident away. Nara then tried to strike Shiva with a blade of grass, but Shiva broke it. Through long penance at Badarikashrama, Nara-Narayana are said to become invincible.
Some traditions say Arjuna and Krishna are the reincarnations of Nara and Narayana. In the Swaminarayan faith, they are honored as Nara-Narayana Deva, believed to influence the destinies of beings according to karma. They are said to reside at Badarikashram and to be linked to Narayana Ghat on the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, where their images were installed at the Swaminarayan temple.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:48 (CET).