तुर्ये धर्मकलासर्गे नरनारायणावृषी । भूत्वाऽऽत्मोपशमोपेतमकरोद् दुश्चरं तप: ॥ ९॥

turye dharma-kalÄ-sarge
nara-nÄrÄyaṇÄv ṛṣī
bhÅ«tvÄtmopaÅ›amopetam
akarod duścaraṠtapaḥ

 turye - in the fourth of the line; dharma-kalÄ - wife of DharmarÄja; sarge - being born of; nara-nÄrÄyaṇau - named Nara and NÄrÄyaṇa; á¹›á¹£Ä« - sages; bhÅ«tvÄ - becoming; Ätma-upaÅ›ama - controlling the senses; upetam - for achievement of; akarot - undertook; duÅ›caram - very strenuous; tapaḥ - penance.


Text

In the fourth incarnation, the Lord became Nara and NÄrÄyaṇa, the twin sons of the wife of King Dharma. Thus He undertook severe and exemplary penances to control the senses.

Purport

As King Ṛṣabha advised His sons, tapasya, or voluntary acceptance of penance for realization of the Transcendence, is the only duty of the human being; it was so done by the Lord Himself in an exemplary manner to teach us. The Lord is very kind to the forgetful souls. He therefore comes Himself and leaves behind necessary instructions and also sends His good sons as representatives to call all the conditioned souls back to Godhead. Recently, within the memory of everyone, Lord Caitanya also appeared for the same purpose: to show special favor to fallen souls of this age of iron industry. The incarnation of NÄrÄyaṇa is worshiped still at BadarÄ«-nÄrÄyaṇa, on the range of the HimÄlayas.