One of the two ऋषिस् famous as नरनारायणस् .

Birth

धर्म , son of ब्रह्मा was नारायण 's father. धर्म married ten daughters of दक्ष , and four sons, that is हरि , कृष्ण , नर and नारायण were born to him of them. Of the four, नर and नारायण were inseparable सन्न्यासिन्स् . In the holy बदरिकाश्रम on the slopes of the हिमालय s they did तपस् to please ब्रह्मा for a thousand years.

नारायण 's tapas

The whole world was, so to say, burnt by the intense tapas of नरनारायण s. Indra was alarmed. Believing that their tapas was for the attainment of Indrahood and fearing his own displacement Indra went to बदरिकाश्रम mounted on ऐरावत to break their tapas, and told them thus: "Oh ascetics, who shine like the rising sun, I am pleased with your tapas. You may choose any boon you like."

The नरनारायणस् did not even recognise the thunderlike voice of इन्द्र ; nor did they answer him. This increased इन्द्र 's alarm, and he decided to disturb them with माया , productive of fear, desire etc. and thus break their तपस् . इन्द्र began threatening them with cruel animals created by him like wild cat, leopard tiger, lion, elephant etc. and also with aberrations created in nature like storm, rain, wild fire etc. But, none of the above affected or moved them in the least. After all, why should they be moved? You would threaten only those who are subject to desires, love of comfort, any particular object in life or likes and dislikes. Since नरनारायणस् had none of the above, इन्द्र 's attempts to threaten them failed. Thus disappointed he returned to स्वर्गलोक and after thinking for a long time he called कामदेव to him and spoke as follows:-"You should go, along with रति and the spring, to बदरिकाश्रम . Also take with you any number of अप्सरा women you want. You will find नरनारायणस् at the आश्रम performing तपस् and will weaken them from their resolution by using your arrows (erotic shafts) and tempt them into erotic life. I am also deputing अप्सरा women like रम्भा to help you."

कामदेव accordingly started for बदरिकाश्रम accompanied by all the अप्सरा women. When they reached the place spring season had set in there.

Varieties of beetles flew about from flower to flower humming. Trees like the mango and पलाश were thick with flowers. Creepers (Comparable to young women) entwined and embraced trees (lovers), the former carrying पुष्पस् (flowers, in the case of young women, coming of age). A fragrant breeze swept the whole region. In this erotic background काम and रति , with their five arrows and accompanied by celestial women came to the आश्रम , and there they began singing and dancing. The erotic flow enchanted the soul of नरनारायणस् . नारायणर्षि awoke from his तपस् and whispered something in the ears of नर . By now कामदेव had entered the presence of नरनारायणस् accompanied by the reputed beauties of स्वर्लोक like मेनका , रम्भा , तिलोत्तमा , सुकेशिनी , मनोरमा , महेश्वरी , पुष्पगन्धा , प्रमद्वरा , घृताची , चन्द्रप्रभा , सोमप्रभा , विद्युन्माला , अम्बुजाक्षी and काञ्चनमाला . These beauties were accompanied by 10080 of their beautiful attendants. नरनारायणस् were wonder-struck to see this army of काम . All those great beauties stood before नरनारायणस् in salutation. Some of them began to sing, others to dance and yet others to take up the tunes. नारयणर्षि could easily divine the reason for the show. He thought to himself thus--

None but देवेन्द्र could have sent all these people here, and his object must be to hinder our तपस् . But I shall prove to इन्द्र that all these mean nothing to me. Let देवेन्द्र understand that I can create more beautiful ladies than these women of his here and that I am not in the least attracted by any of them here.

Thinking thus नारायण beat gently on his thigh and immediately arose therefrom an exceptionally beautiful woman. Since that woman, the most beautiful in all the three worlds, was created from the ऊरु (thigh) of नारायण she came to be known as उर्वशी . Others were wonder-struck by this new creation. He created some other beauties also, and an equal number of other women to serve them. All of them stood before him in humble salutation.

The celestial women almost fainted with fear. In repentance they begged the munis pardon for their mistake. The munis were kindly disposed towards them. They told them that they (munis) cherished no animosity towards them, but in fact were pleased with them, and they further asked them (celestial women) to choose their boons. The munis also asked them to take उर्वशी to देवलोक as a present from them to इन्द्र . Let the देवस् prosper.

Having heard नर speak like this the celestial women returned in great humility to देवलोक with उर्वशी and the other women. (Devī Bhāgavata, 4th Skandha) .

Other information

नर and नारायण were two incarnations of महाविष्णु . [mh-12-384-1 ] Mahābhārata • Śānti parva

A dark hair of नारायणर्षि was born as कृष्ण and a white one as बलभद्रराम . [mh-1-196-32 ] Mahābhārata • Ādi parva .

He was a star member in ब्रह्मा 's assembly. [mh-2-11-52 ] Mahābhārata • Sabhā parva

Once he appeared before मान्धाता in the guise of इन्द्र . [mh-12-64-14 ] Mahābhārata • Śānti parva .

He once fought with शिव and won. [mh-12-382-110 ] Mahābhārata • Śānti parva

For complete details about नारायणर्षि see under नर अर्जुन and कृष्ण )