God Is Lord Nara-Nārāyaṇa - The Exemplary Ascetic Incarnation
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead frequently descends to teach human society by His own personal example. As the twin sages Lord Nara-Nārāyaṇa, the Lord appeared specifically to demonstrate the severe penance, perfect sense control, and absolute renunciation required for true self-realization.
The Fourth Līlā-avatāra
The Vedic literatures list the prominent appearances of the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Lord Nara-Nārāyaṇa is the fourth of the līlā-avatāras, descending into the family of King Dharma to exhibit the highest standard of spiritual life.
- In the fourth incarnation, the Lord became Nara and Narayana, the twin sons of the wife of King Dharma. Thus He undertook severe and exemplary penances to control the senses.
- To exhibit His personal way of austerity and penance, He (the Personality of Godhead) appeared in twin forms as Narayana and Nara in the womb of Murti, the wife of Dharma and the daughter of Daksa.
- In his book Laghu-bhagavatamrta, Srila Rupa Gosvami has enumerated the following twenty-five lila-avataras: Catuh-sana, Narada, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Hayasirsa (Hayagriva), Hamsa, Prsnigarbha, Rsabha.
- On the occasion of the appearance of Nara-Narayana, the entire world was full of joy. Everyone's mind became tranquil, and thus in all directions the air, the rivers and the mountains became pleasant.
The Exemplary Ascetic
Although He is the Supreme Lord and the source of all opulence, He accepted the austere life of a mystic sage. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Lord Nara-Nārāyaṇa resides at Badarikāśrama simply to teach the world the practical application of spiritual detachment.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead has appeared in the form of Nara-Narayana in the land of Bharata-varsa, at the place known as Badarikasrama, to favor His devotees by teaching them religion, knowledge, renunciation, spiritual power, sense control and freedom from false ego.
- His austerities and penances are exemplary practices for the human being. The incarnation of God Narayana Rsi was sitting amongst many devotees in the village known as Kalapa-grama.
- People visit the temple of Nara-Narayana at Badarikasrama just to learn how the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His incarnation as Nara-Narayana engages in austerities to teach the people of the world how to achieve self-realization.
- Nara and Narayana Rsis exhibited His (God's) renunciation.
Teaching Absolute Renunciation
True self-realization requires complete freedom from material lust. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that Lord Nara-Nārāyaṇa purposefully demonstrated how an advancing spiritualist must strictly avoid the entanglement of mundane association.
- Studying the whole scheme of disassociation from women, it appears that a woman is a stumbling block for self-realization, and the Lord appeared as Narayana to teach the principle of womanly disassociation with a vow in life.
- When the celestial beauties saw that the Lord (Nara-Narayana) can produce innumerable beauties by His mystic internal potency, there was consequently no need to be attracted by others externally.
- May Lord Narayana protect me from unnecessarily following false religious systems and falling from my duties due to madness. May the Lord in His appearance as Nara protect me from unnecessary pride.
- O Lord, O Transcendence, kindly help us by giving us the power to execute bhakti-yoga so that we can control our restless minds and fix them upon You.
The Source of Supreme Knowledge
Because Lord Nara-Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the origin of all authentic spiritual traditions. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that the Lord acts as the primeval spiritual master, receiving prayers from the demigods and disseminating Vedic knowledge.
- I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who are the original Personality of Godhead, the witness in everyone's heart, and the incarnation of Nara-Narayana Rsi in the form of a human being. O Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
- It is to be understood that the parampara system begins with the Personality of Godhead Narayana Rsi. We should remember that this Veda-stuti is narrated by Kumara Sanandana, and the narration is repeated by Narayana Rsi in Badarikasrama.
- The Lord is undoubtedly the source of all knowledge, and the messages dispatched through Uddhava to Nara-Narayana and other sages were also part of the Vedic knowledge.
- Maitreya said: O Vidura, thus the demigods worshiped with prayers the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearing as the sage Nara-Narayana. The Lord glanced upon them with mercy and then departed for Gandhamadana Hill.
Conclusion
To conquer the restless mind and the dictates of the material senses, one must seek the shelter of the supreme ascetic. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that Lord Nara-Nārāyaṇa perfectly exemplifies the arduous path of renunciation and mystic discipline required to transcend bodily illusion. By faithfully hearing the teachings of Lord Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi and meditating upon His flawless austerities at Badarikāśrama, a sincere devotee is empowered to overcome all material stumbling blocks and remain steadily fixed in pure love of God.
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