SAGE NARADA

Once sage Narada was performing a penance on the banks of Lake Manasasarovar, with the aim of obtaining Lord Siva’s grace. Mistaking his aim, and fearing that the sage might have his eye on his throne, Indra, the Lord of godly hosts, sent the celestial courtesans like Rambha, etc., to disturb Narada’s penance. But neither their dance nor their music was of any avail in enticing the sage, and they returned to paradise to report their failure to Indra.

Worried, Indra went down to Narada by himself. The sage was worshipping Lord Siva with great concentration. Seeing for himself that the sage’s purpose was the attainment of Siva’s blessings only, Indra returned to his heavenly home, with his peace of mind restored.

Narada clairvoyantly understood all that transpired: the way he was able to withstand the wiles of the heavenly damsels, convinced him that it was all due to his own individual self-control. But he could not appreciate the fact that it was Siva’s grace that saved him.

Narada then vainly told himself; “Even Lord Siva’s penance was once successfully disturbed by Cupid, but not mine”.

Glorying in such vain thoughts, Narada went up to Satya Loka to broadcast his power resisting the temptation to which he was subjected by Rambha and other damsels. The sage’s parents, Brahma and Sarasvati, were aware of his folly when he boasted to them about his self-restraint, but they also knew that their own counsel would be disregarded by their vainglorious offspring. so they kept mum, in their knowledge that eventually Vishnu and Siva would teach him a lesson in humility.

But the sage misinterpreted the silence of the Lord Creator and goddess Sarasvati, as their tacit appreciation of his ‘feat’ and prided himself on achieving this first recognition of his fame.

As Lord Siva and goddess Parvati also kept quiet, when he repeated his boasts at mount Kailasa, Narada was further assured of his greatness and thought that it was his second ‘Victory’.

Mentally worshipping Lord Vishnu, Narada informed the latter that his penance was gloriously rewarded, in that he could easily withstand the amorous advances of the celestial courtesans. He went on to proclaim that no longer the ‘Maya’ of Vishnu and Siva would have any effect on him.

Then Lord Vishnu reprimanded him: “Narada, know ‘Maya’ to be nothing but the source of all creation, the power of nature. It is dependent on Myself and Lord Siva for its efficacy. Beware of its uncanny ability to open the eyes of the vain people. You are in the habit of roaming about the three worlds (heaven, earth and the space in between). You will soon understand for yourself how the power of ‘Maya’ works its way inscrutably”.

Goddess Lakshmi smiled understandingly. However, Narada could not grasp the force of Vishnu’s words. He thought that the Lord was merely speaking in jest. Accordingly, still feeling self-important, he first went down to pay a visit to the Earth.

KALYANA DURGA

The capital of the mighty kingdom of king Silanidhi presented a splendid sight, with its sky-kissing palaces and temples made of alabaster and marble. Nature was at its best and brightest. Men and women there were the most beautiful of the human species, and looked like angels and archangels of the celestial realms.

It is difficult to describe in mere words the splendour of the city of Kalyana Durga, which attracts even the hermits who renounce the world. Everywhere the thresholds are bedecked with multi-coloured festoons; all the streets are sprinkled with perfumed waters.

Sage Narada could not make out the reason for this special decoration of an already lovely city.

King Silanidhi, seeing Narada, went forward to greet him, and received him with due honours. Seating the sage on a gem-studded throne, the king sent for his daughter Srimati.

On entering the court the princess bowed to the feet of the sage and was introduced to him by her father, with these words: “This is my daughter Srimati. She has now come of age. Tomorrow I am arranging a ‘Svayam-vara’ (wherein the suitors are assembled in the court, from among whom the girl chooses the one she likes best for her life mate) for her. You are a great seer who knows past, present and future. Kindly read her palm and tell me what destiny has in store for her. I also request you to attend the ‘Svayam-vara’ function tomorrow and see to it that the wedding is celebrated in proper great style.”

Narada’s mind was unaccountably perturbed. He appeared to be unable to withstand the onslaught of Cupid’s arrows, which were imperceptibly emanating from the wonderful good looks of Srimati. He decided upon marrying her. Telling the king that his daughter was the equal of goddess Lakshmi and would get a husband equal to Vishnu, he went back to Vaikuntha and prayed Lord Vishnu thus:

Sriyaa saata-kumbha-dyuti-snigdha-kaantyaa Dharanyaa cha durvaa-dala-syaamalaangyaa Kalatra-dvayena amunaa toshitaaya Trilokee-grihasthaaya Vishno namaste! (Aadi Sankara)

(I bow to you, Lord Vishnu, who are indeed the ‘house-holder of the three worlds; but contented with the two consorts the golden- hued goddess Lakshmi and the Durva-leaf-coloured, dusky Bhudevi).

Although Lord Vishnu realised the real purpose of Narada’s visit, he greeted the sage formally as though he knew nothing about the state of his mind.

Since there was no time to lose, the sage came directly to the print and requested the Lord to grant him his form for the duration of the ‘Svayam-vara’. Vishnu acceded to his request, and Narada returned to Kalyana Durga, and took his seat in the royal court, thinking that he was in the guise of Lord Vishnu.

Srimati entered the court. Her maids handed the garland to her. The king addressed the gathering: “Esteemed kings, my daughter is going to choose her husband by garlanding one of you. Kindly conduct yourselves with decorum and dignity, and make this function a great success”.

With due grace and bashfulness, Srimati began slowly walking round the assembly of princes, quietly observing their mien.

Accompanied by her maids, Srimati came near Narada: finding him repulsive, she proceeded on her quest. Narada could not understand the reason behind her indifference. Actually, Lord Vishnu was also in the assembly, in the form of a prince. Srimati was a great devotee bent upon making Lord Vishnu her sole life mate. By virtue of her true devotion she could detect the Lord Vishnu, who was disguised as a prince. Without wasting another moment, she instantaneously garlanded Lord Vishnu who was in the prince’s guise. Silanidhi was delighted with her choice, and felt that his life was at last sanctified perfectly. Lord Vishnu, for his part, took away Srimati along with him, and disappeared from the court. While the courtiers applauded the choice of the princess, the disappointed princes left the assembly hall with their heads bent in shame.

Narada was crestfallen. He began to cogitate: “Who was that stranger? Could it be Vishnu Himself? If so, how could He make His own boon ineffective? What harm have I done Him that He should shame me thus? If He has the right to enjoy the company of three wives, why should I be content with leading the life of a celibate? Should He thus deceive those who worship Him? True, I did boast about my self-restraint, which I thought was so inviolable as to withstand the ‘tricks’ of even Vishnu and Shiva; but should He not have overlooked my prattle as befits an elder like Him? After all, did He not forgive the follies of many a devotee of His? Indeed, it was my fault to depend on such a god. Henceforth I shall try to forget this Vishnu...

Looking at this grieving sage, the bride’s maids laughed in derision. Turning round, he asked them what became of their friend, the princess. Telling him that she was taken away to Vaikuntha by Lord Vishnu, they brought a mirror and asked him to look at his image.

To his amazement he saw the face of a monkey attached to the trunk of Vishnu. Forgetting himself in his sore disappointment, he rushed up to Vaikuntha, with an idea of cursing Vishnu.

The maids wondered among themselves why a sage should thus be struck with wild passion and a wilder wish for revenge, and went their way.

When the angry sage came up to him, Vishnu kept quiet. But goddess Lakshmi was somewhat worried.

Narada spoke out: “Lord, under the impression that you were a truthful deity I sought your assistance. But you behaved like a cad. Don’t run away with the idea that your foul play will be left unpunished. Do you think that you have done the right thing in abducting the princess whom I loved so much? Was it just on your part to provide me with a monkey’s visage and make me the laughing- stock of the entire royal court?

“For the dishonour you have subjected me to, I curse you to come to grief on account of a woman and that you then be helped out of your distress by the very monkey race when you bemoan the loss of your life mate in your human incarnation”.

Despite this imprecation, Lord Vishnu did not lose his equilibrium, but simply kept smiling.

Seeing the quiet dignity of the Lord, Narada was contrite. He realised his folly. Immediately he began begging Vishnu’s pardon: “O Lord, how can I ever be absolved of the sin of cursing you? Cut my body into pieces with your Sudarsana disc (wheel-weapon). That is the right punishment for my crime of abusing and imprecating you”. So saying he began to sob inconsolably.

Then the blessed Lord consoled him: “My dear Narada, forget the past. All that happened was the will of God Almighty whose actions are indeed inscrutable. Now you can save yourself by seeking Lord Siva’s refuge, who is the Lord of all creation. Although as ‘Rudra’ He destroys the wicked, He it is that is responsible for the re-creation of the universe at the time of Pralaya (final cataclysm), in His form of ‘Sadaa Siva’ the eternal Lord of compassion, mercy and grace.

“Even the Lord Creator, Brahma, and his consort, and myself and Goddess Lakshmi, ever pray to Him. I need not tell you that I too along with Brahma and Indra, sometimes court trouble, deluded by the mysterious ‘Maya’ of Lord Siva. None can trespass His dictates.” “O be careful and attentive. Always remain in the habit of hearing the soulful stories of Siva and in visiting His temples and praying to Him in your mind”.

Accordingly, Narada began visiting the pilgrim centres consecrated to Lord Siva. At Varanasi, he anointed His image (in the form of Visvesvara) with the sacred Ganga waters, worshipped His consort, Annapurna Devi and offered prayers to Kala Bhairava. At Sri Sailam he prayed to the divine couple’s incarnations as Lord Mallikarjuna and Goddess Bhramaramba; and at Kalahasti, as Lord Kalahastisvara and Jnana prasunambika. He worshipped the Lord’s other incarnations as Nataraja Svami at Chidambaram; and as Brihadisvara at Thanjavur. Again he paid his worshipful tribute to, and sought the forgiveness of, the godly couple in the form of Sundaresvara and Meenakshi at Madurai and of Ramalingesvara and Parvata Vardhani at Rameswaram.

At each and every temple where he offered his prayers, he vowed that he would never again be guilty of the sort of sacrilege he committed against Lord Vishnu.

Convinced that the sage was genuinely repentant, Lord Siva forgave him his sins. Verily Siva and Vishnu alone are so magnanimous as to pardon even the people who offend them.