Arjuna and Sri Krishna as his charioteer in the Kurukshetra war

Nara-Narayana (Sanskrit: नर-नारायण; nara-nārāyaṇa) is broken down where Nara means human and Narayana means the Supreme Divinity, or Vishnu. In the concept of Nara-Narayana, the human soul Nara is the eternal companion of the Divine Narayana. Any human being with an awakened consciousness of divinity in him and who works overall for the welfare of humanity is a Nara-Narayana, an incarnation of Vishnu on earth working for the preservation of dharma or righteousness. Combatants Pandavas led by Dhristadyumna Kauravas led by Bhishma Commanders Arjuna Bhima Yudhishthira Nakula Sahadeva Bhishma Drona Karna Duryodhana Ashwatthama Strength 7 Akshauhinis 1,530,900 soldiers 11 Akshauhinis 2,405,700 soldiers Casualties Almost Total Only 7 survivors - the five Pandavas, Krishna, and Satyaki Almost Total Only 3 survivors... Nara can refer to: The city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan The Nara Period of the History of Japan Nara prefecture, part of the Kansai region of central Honshu, Japan Nara is a major Manchu clan. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... Narayana (नारायण; ) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu and is in many contemporary vernaculars, a common Indian name. ...   (Sanskrit) or Dhamma (Pali) is the underlying order in nature and human life and behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. ...

Monier-Williams dictionary: Nara: the primeval Man or eternal Spirit pervading the universe (always associated with Nârâyana, son of the primeval man'), both are considered either as gods or sages and accordingly called devau.'

Depiction

They are depicted jointly or separately in images. When depicted separately, Nara is portrayed with two hands and wearing deer skin while Narayana is shown on the right in the usual form of Vishnu.

The Legend

The twin form of NarNarayan Dev at the Ahmedabad Swaminarayan Temple

Sri Krishna and Arjuna are often referred to as Nara-Narayana in Mahabharat.In a previous incarnation the duo were supposedly born as the sages Nara and Narayana,and who performed great penances at the holy spot of Badrinath.
Nara and Narayana were the Fifth Avatar of Lord Vishnu. The twins were sons of Dharma and his wife Murti (Daughter Of Daksha).They live at Badrika performing severe austerities and meditation for the welfare of the world. These two inseparable sages take avatars on earth for the welfare of mankind and to punish the wicked ones.
There was an asura named ShashtraKavacha. He had got boon of having 1000 Kavachas(armours){the armours symbolizes different types of Ignorances, egos or evils); it will take 1000 Years to break each Kavacha, and the one ,who would break a Kavacha, would instantly die.
Hence, first Narayana pennaced for 1000 Yrs and Nara fought 1000 Years with ShahasrKavacha and after 1000 Years, Nara was able to break his one Kavacha. As Nara broke the Kavacha,he died. But Narayan due his penance of 1000 Yrs could get back life of Nara and Narayan starts fighting and Nara starts penance for the next 1000 years.
Nara and Narayana alternatively penace and fight for 1000 years and the cycle continued. At last, when they both were able to break 999 Kavachas. ShahastraKavacha hides himself behind the Surya with his last Kavacha due to fear that he would be killed by Nara and Narayana then. At this time, there is Pralaya on Earth due to the change of the Yuga. Thus ShashtraKavacha escapes death.
In Dwapara Yuga,he was reborn as Karna with Kavacha and Nar and Narayan as Arjun and Krishna respectively. Image File history File links NN2. ... Image File history File links NN2. ... Ahmedabad (Gujarati: , Hindi: अहमदाबाद ) is the largest city in the state of Gujarat and the seventh-largest urban agglomeration in India, with a population of almost 51 lakhs (5. ... Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan Bhagwan Swaminarayan (April 2, 1781 - 1830) was born Ghanshyam Maharaj to a brahmin family in the village of Chhapaiya, Uttar Pradesh, India. ... Krishna with Radha, 18th C Rajasthani painting Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, in IAST ) is a deity worshipped across many traditions of Hinduism. ... Krishna to Arjuna: Behold My mystic opulence! Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, arjuna) is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is the great religious, philosophical and mythological epic of India. ... , Badrinath is a Hindu holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. ... The ten avatars of Lord Vishnu, copyright BBT In Hindu philosophy, an avatar, avatara or avataram (Sanskrit: , IAST: ), most commonly refers to the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of a higher being (deva), or the Supreme Being (God) onto planet Earth. ...   (Sanskrit) or Dhamma (Pali) is the underlying order in nature and human life and behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. ... In Hinduism, Daksha, the skilled one, is an ancient creator god, one of the Prajapatis, the Rishis and the Adityas, and a son of Aditi and Brahma. ... , Badrinath is a Hindu holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. ... In Hinduism, Surya (Devanagari: सूर्य, sÅ«rya) is the chief solar deity,one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wife Aditi[1] ,in Nordics Tyr he is said to be the son of Dyaus Pitar. ... Pralaya , in Hindu theosophy , is a period of time of the cycle of existence of the planets where activity does not occur. ... Yuga (Devnāgari: युग) in Hindu philosophy refers to an epoch or era within a cycle of four ages: the Satya Yuga (or Krita Yuga), the Treta Yuga, the Dvapara Yuga and finally the Kali Yuga. ... The Dvapara Yuga is the third out of four yugas, or ages in the Hindu religion. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Birth of Urvashi

Once,sages Nara-narayana was meditating in the holy shrine of Badrinath situated in the Himalayas.Their penances and austerities alarmed the gods, so Indra,the King of Devas, sent Kamadeva, Vasanta(spring) and apsaras(nymphs) to inspire them with passion and disturb their devotions. The sage Narayana took the flower and placed it on his thigh. Immediately there sprung from it a beautiful nymph whose charms far excelled those of the celestial nymphs, and made them return to heaven filled with shame and vexation. Narayana sent this nymph to Indra with them, and from her having been produced from the thigh (uru in Sanskrit) of the sage, she was called Urvashi.She occupied the pride of place in Indra’s court. Urvasi was an Apsaras in Hindu mythology. ... Indra (Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र, indra) is the god of weather and war, and lord of Svargaloka in Hinduism. ... Deva can refer to: Deva (Hinduism), a Hindu deity. ... In Hinduism, Kamadeva (Kama - carnal pleasure, deva - god), also known just as Kama(The love) and Ananga (the bodyless), is the god of love and a son of Lakshmi. ... Vasanta is a scouting group in the Netherlands. ... An apsaras from the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, China. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is an old Indo-Aryan language from the Indian Subcontinent, the classical literary language of the Hindus of India[1], a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ...

Badrinath

Badrinath temple

According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, "There in Badrikashram the Personality of Godhead (Vishnu), in his incarnation as the sages Nara and Narayana, had been undergoing great penance since time immemorial for the welfare of all living entities." (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.22) , Badrinath is a Hindu holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Badrinath temple is situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttaranchal state in India. ... The Bhagavata Purana (sometimes rendered as Bhagavatha Purana), also known as the Srimad Bhagavatam, written c. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ...

In Badrinath Temple's sanctorium, To the far right side of the Murti of Badri-Vishala or Badri-Narayana (Vishnu) are the idols of Nara and Narayana. Badrinath temple is situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttaranchal state in India. ... Narayana (नारायण; ) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu and is in many contemporary vernaculars, a common Indian name. ...

Also, the Nara and Narayana peaks tower over Badrinath.

Reference

Vamana Purana

External links

• Nara Narayana

Hinduism (known as in some modern Indian languages[1]) is a religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent. ... The ten avatars of Lord Vishnu, copyright BBT In Hindu philosophy, an avatar, avatara or avataram (Sanskrit: , IAST: ), most commonly refers to the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of a higher being (deva), or the Supreme Being (God) onto planet Earth. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... Image File history File links HinduSwastika. ... Incarnation of Vishnu as a Fish, from a devotional text. ... A carving of the Kurma avatar on a pillar at the Vittala Temple, Hampi, India Kurma is also an alternative transliteration of korma. ... Varaha is the third avatar of Vishnu, a boar sent to defeat Hiranyaksha, a demon who had taken the Earth (prthivi) and carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story. ... Yoga Narasimha form at a temple in Vijayanagara, Hampi, India (man-lion) (also spelt as Narasingh, Narasinga) (नरसिंह in Devanagari) is described as the fourteenth incarnation (avatara) of Vishnu within the Puranic texts of Hinduism [1] who takes the form of half-man / half-lion, having a human torso and lower... In Hinduism, Vamana is the fifth avatar of Vishnu, a dwarf. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Bhargava Rama (Discuss) Parashurama Bhargava (Sanskrit: परशुराम भार्गव) or Parasurama (Axe-wielding Rama) is the Sixth avatar of Vishnu, belongs to the Treta yuga, and is the son of Jamadagni & Renuka. ... Lord Sri Rama (center) with wife Sita, brother Lakshmana and devotee Hanuman. ... Krishna with Radha, 18th C Rajasthani painting Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, in IAST ) is a deity worshipped across many traditions of Hinduism. ... Balarama, next to the river Yamuna. ... Standing Buddha sculpture, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ... In Hindu traditions, Kalki (Sanskrit: कल्कि Japanese: カルキ) (also rendered by some as Kalkin and Kalaki) is the tenth and final Maha Avatara (great incarnation) of Vishnu the Preserver, who will come to end the current Kali Yuga, (The Age of Darkness and Destruction). ...