Glories Of Narada Muni (Naradha Rishi) – With a Story!
Narada Muni (Naradha) is always in the thoughts of Lord Narayana and He does not have even a trace of selfish motives. He is a pure devotee of the Lord.
There are so many references and so many episodes where Sage Narada played an important role.
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ORIGIN OF SAGE NARADA
(1) Sage Narada, also called ‘Narada Muni’, ‘Devarshi’ etc., is considered to be one of the many Manasaputras of Brahma. Another version has it that He was born to Kasyapa Prajapathi.
(2) Narada Muni is the greatest of the many devotees of Vishnu and had full access to all Lokas (worlds, material and spiritual).
(3) Narada is also called a Trikala Vedi, one who knows the past, present and future at any given time.
(4) Narada is also called a Kalahapriya or Kalaha bhojana, one who relishes conflicts, but it is seen that all the conflicts, where He is involved or is the initiator end well with all the participants becoming humbler and wiser in that process!
(5) He guided the child Dhruva to succeed in his tapas for Vishnu. Because of Narada’s blessings, the child’s tapas fructified quickly and without the usual interruptions caused by devas (to test our fitness to rise higher in the spiritual path).
(6) He took care of Leelavathi, also called Kayadhu, wife of Hiranyakasyapa, when she was carrying Prahlada in her womb and when Hiranyakasyapa was away for tapas.
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(7) Prahlada became one of the great devotees of Vishnu thanks to the Ashtakshari Mantra that sage Narada gave him when he was still in his mother’s womb.
(8) Through Prahlada, sage Narada helped his father Hiranyakasyapa to meet his death at the hands of Vishnu in the Avatar of Narasimha. Hiranyakasyapa was of course a guard of Vaikuntha, who along with another was cursed by the sages Sanaka and Sananda etc. to become Daityas (Demons, Rakshasas …) because they obstructed the sages from meeting the Lord.
(9) Sage Narada was instrumental in Valmiki taking up the writing of Ramayana.
(10) Similarly he was instrumental in Sage Veda Vyasa taking up Srimad Bhagavatham.
(11) Sage Narada appeared to Tyagaraja and helped him become a better musician and thus through that sadhana reach Rama.
(12) Sage Narada played an important role in bringing to light the pativratya of Sati Anasuya and thus setting up the stage for the birth of the Trinity (Trimurthis) as Chandra, Datta and Durvasa respectively. Datta (Dattatreya) took the energies of the other two and continued His existence since then and is guiding all of us as Guru, helping all of us reach the Paramatma, Who is One.
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(13) Narada Muni played a great role in preventing the Atma Linga of Lord Siva from being taken by Ravana to Lanka.
The story of Maha Baleswara at Gokarna is wonderful indeed.
POWER OF THE SAINTS LIKE NARADA – STORY
Sage Narada visits the abode of Sri Vishnu.
Sri Vishnu worships the Rishi (Sage) and asks him for the reason for his visit.
Narada replies: “Bhagavan, While travelling on earth, I came across a Satsang where the main speaker was praising the benefits of Darshan of Sadhus, but I could not hear the actual benefit. So kindly tell me what is the benefit of darshan of Sadhus.”
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Sri Vishnu told Sage Narada, “Rishivar! Your question can be answered properly by an ant, which is residing in a particular tree in a particular place.”
Narada Rishi goes to the ant and asks the ant the same question. The ant, instead of replying to him, dies in his hands.
Narada is grieved and goes to Vaikuntha with the dead ant in his hand and narrates the whole episode to Sri Vishnu.
Lord tells Rishi, to go to Kailas mountain and the Mansarovar lake, where he can get the answer to his question from a Rajhans (Swan).
The rishi goes to the Mansarovar lake and seeing the bird at the other side sits down and waits for the Swan to come to this side of the lake.
He closes his eyes and is immersed in meditation on God. Suddenly, he feels something heavy in his lap.
Opening his eyes, he is agitated to see the Rajhans, dead in his lap.
He rushes to Vaikuntha with this dead bird and tells Vishnu the whole story.
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Vishnu tells him that now only a small, newly born child in Varanasi can clarify his doubt.
Narada is horrified at the suggestion and says, “Oh No! The last two times, I went near some living thing to ask, it died. I don’t want to carry the guilt of being responsible for the death of another life, that too a human child!”
Sri Vishnu assured Sage Narada that this time, he need not worry and he will not have to take any guilt. With a lot of trepidation, Sri Narada approaches the 3-day old child. Seeing the Rishi, the child claps its hands in joy and addresses him thus:
“Pl. come Oh! Rishivar! I am the ant. By the grace of your darshan, I became the Rajhans and again I had the benefit of your darshan in that life, because of which I got this human birth. Now with your darshan, I will…”
Narada did not wait there even a moment to hear the child further but vanished.
Mother Lakshmi asked Sri Mahavishnu why Sage Narada did not come back.
He replied with a smile: “Devi! He got his answer about the benefits of Sadhu Darshan!”
Hope you enjoyed this article and story.
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