Divine Beings
Nara
नर
The Eternal Companion
Who was Nara?
Nara (नर): The Eternal Companion, one of the divine beings in the Mahabharata. One of the two ancient Rishis who dwell together at Badari in the mountains of Gandhamadana, practising penances that have no end, and who take birth together whenever the earth requires it.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | नर |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | The Eternal Companion |
| Faction | Divine Beings |
| Key traits | Austere, Unhurried, Invincible, Paired |
| Notable relationships | Eternal Companion: Narayana, Born as Him: Arjuna, Companion in Every Birth: Krishna |
| Featured in | 10 stories |
About Nara
One of the two ancient Rishis who dwell together at Badari in the mountains of Gandhamadana, practising penances that have no end, and who take birth together whenever the earth requires it. When the boastful king Dambhodbhava came looking for a fight, Nara took up a handful of grass blades and turned them into shafts that pierced every part of the man's body until he begged for his life. In the war on Kurukshetra he was born as Arjuna, with Narayana beside him as Krishna.
In Their Words
There is nothing of malice here and no weapon. Seek your battle elsewhere.
Nara
Traits
- Austere
- Unhurried
- Invincible
- Paired
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Nara
10 further tales on this site name Nara, in canonical reading order.
- The King Who Made Fire SickTwelve years of butter and the appetite it ruined
- The Bow Out of the WaterWhat Varuna kept until two men needed it
- The Lake Called BinduWhere Maya found Bhima's club and Arjuna's conch
- Garuda's Map of the WorldThe four directions described from a bird's back
- The Hymn Before the ConchesKrishna sends Arjuna down from the chariot to praise the goddess
- The Grandsire Names the GodDuryodhana asks why he keeps losing and gets a theology instead
- Kurukshetra Day 15: The Day the Teacher DiedFrom the Dawn Prayers to the Half-Truth at Noon
- The Weapon That Would Not Burn ThemAshwatthama's fire, and why it left two men standing
- Three Balls of MudThe Boar invents the rite for the dead, and has no one above him to offer it to
- The Departure of BhishmaThe sun turns north, and the grandsire lets go
Character Arc
- The RefusalTells a conqueror there are no weapons in this retreat
- The Handful of GrassBlades of grass find every opening in a king's armour
- The RebirthTakes human form as the son of Kunti
Key Relationships
Places in Nara's Story
Drawn from the stories Nara appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Divine Beings.