Narada
Narada (Sanskrit: नारद, Nārada) is a Vedic sage, famous in Hindu traditions as a traveling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He appears in a number of Hindu texts, notably the Mahabharata telling Yudhishtira the Prahlada story the Ramayana as warning Ravan. as well as in the Puranas. Once God decided that it was time for Him to descend to earth to set matters right, most lesser Gods came down too as someone or the other to aid and enjoy a ringside view of epochal events. He is also referred to as the king of all sages or rishis, meaning Rishiraj. He was gifted with the boon of knowledge, past, present and future. Once his knowledge became a hindrance in God's designs. He was therefore cursed that although he would tell the truth and warn people, they would never believe him. In Indian texts, Narada travels to distant worlds and realms (Sanskrit: lokas). He is depicted carrying a khartal (musical instrument) and tambura with the name Mahathi and is generally regarded as one of the great masters of the ancient musical instrument. This instrument is known by the name "mahathi" which he uses to accompany his singing of hymns, prayers and mantras. In the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, he is presented as a sage with devotion to Lord Vishnu. Narada is described as both wise and mischievous in some humorous tales. Vaishnav enthusiasts depict him as a pure, elevated soul who glorifies Vishnu through his devotional songs, singing the names Hari and Narayana, and therein demonstrating bhakti yoga. The Narada Bhakti Sutra is attributed to him. He would usually make his entrance vocally chanting Narayana, Narayana before optically appearing in the scene.
Other texts named after Narada include Narada Purana and the Nāradasmṛti (pre 6th century CE text), the latter called the "juridical text par excellence" and representing the only Dharmaśāstra text which deals solely with juridical matters while ignoring those of righteous conduct and penance.
In the Mahabharata, Narada is portrayed as being conversant with the Vedas and the Upanishads and as acquainted with history and Puranas. He has mastery of the six Angas: pronunciation, grammar, prosody, terms, religious rites and astronomy. All celestial beings worship him for his knowledge - he is supposed to be well versed in all that occurred in ancient Kalpas (time cycles) and is termed to be conversant with Nyaya (logic) and the truth of moral science. He is a perfect master in re-conciliatory texts and differentiating in applying general principles to particular cases. He can swiftly interpret contraries by references to differences in situation. He is eloquent, resolute, intelligent and a possessor of powerful memory. He knows the science of morals, politics; he is skilled in drawing inference from evidence, and very proficient in distinguishing inferior things from superior ones. He is competent in judging the correctness and incorrectness of complex syllogistic statements consisting of 5 proponents. He is capable of arriving at definite conclusions about religion, wealth, pleasure and salvation. He possesses knowledge of this whole universe and everything surrounding it. He is capable of successfully answering Brihaspati himself, while arguing. He is a master of the Sankhya and Yoga systems of philosophy, conversant with sciences of war and treaty and proficient in drawing conclusions by judging things not within direct knowledge. He knows about the six sciences of treaty, war, military campaigns, maintenance of posts against the enemy and strategies of ambushes and reserves. He is a thorough master of every branch of learning. He is fond of war and music, and incapable of being repulsed by any science or any course of action.
The Bhagavata Purana describes the story of Narada's spiritual enlightenment: He was the primary source of information among Gods, and is believed to be the first journalist on Earth. In his previous birth Narada was a Gandharva (angelic being) who had been cursed to be born on an earthly planet for singing glories to the demigods instead of the Supreme Lord. He was born as the son of a maid-servant of some particularly saintly priests. The priests, being pleased with both his and his mother's service, blessed him by allowing him to eat some of their food (prasad), previously offered to their lord, Vishnu.
Gradually he received further blessings from these sages and heard them discussing many spiritual topics. After his mother died, he decided to roam the forest in search of enlightenment in understanding the 'Supreme Absolute Truth'.
Reaching a tranquil forest location, after quenching his thirst from a nearby stream, he sat under a tree in meditation (yoga), concentrating on the paramatma form of Vishnu within his heart as he had been taught by the priests he had served. After some time Narada experienced a vision wherein Narayana (Vishnu) appeared before him, smiling, and spoke "that despite having the blessing of seeing him at that very moment, Narada would not be able to see his (Vishnu's) divine form again until he died". Narayana further explained that the reason he had been given a chance to see his form was because his beauty and love would be a source of inspiration and would fuel his dormant desire to be with the lord again. After instructing Narada in this manner, Vishnu then disappeared from his sight. The boy awoke from his meditation both thrilled and disappointed.
For the rest of his life Narada focused on his devotion, meditation upon and worship to Vishnu. After his death Vishnu then blessed him with the spiritual form of "Narada" as he eventually became known. In many Hindu scriptures Narada is considered a saktyavesa-avatara or partial-manifestation (avatar) of God, empowered to perform miraculous tasks on Vishnu's behalf.
Narada temples are few, most prominent being Sri Narada Muni Temple at Chigateri, Karnataka.
In Mahabharata
Narada visits Yudhishthira in Maya Sabha
Narada questions Yudhishthira about his rule
While the illustrious Pandavas were seated in that Sabha along with the principal Gandharvas, there came, unto that assembly the celestial Rishi Narada, conversant with the Vedas and Upanishads, worshipped by the celestials acquainted with histories and Puranas, well-versed in all that occurred in ancient kalpas, conversant with Nyaya and the truth of moral science, possessing a complete knowledge of the six Angas (viz., pronunciation, grammar, prosody, explanation of basic terms, description of religious rites, and astronomy). He was a perfect master in reconciling contradictory texts and differentiating in applying general principles to particular cases, as also in interpreting contraries by reference to differences in situation, eloquent, resolute, intelligent, possessed of powerful memory. He was acquainted with the science of morals and politics, learned, proficient in distinguishing inferior things from superior ones, skilled in drawing inference from evidence, competent to judge of the correctness or incorrectness of syllogistic statements consisting of five propositions. He was capable of answering successively Brihaspati himself while arguing, with definite conclusions properly framed about religion, wealth, pleasure and salvation, of great soul and beholding this whole universe, above, below, and around, as if it were present before his eyes. He was master of both the Sankhya and Yoga systems of philosophy, ever desirous of humbling the celestials and Asuras by fomenting quarrels among them, conversant with the sciences of war and treaty, proficient in drawing conclusions by judging of things not within direct ken, as also in the six sciences of treaty, war, military campaigns, maintenance of posts against the enemy and stratagems by ambuscades and reserves. He was a thorough master of every branch of learning, fond of war and music, incapable of being repulsed by any science or any course, of action, and possessed of these and numberless other accomplishments. The Rishi, having wandered over the different worlds, came into that Sabha. The celestial Rishi of immeasurable splendour, endued with great energy was accompanied, by Parijata and the intelligent Raivata and Saumya and Sumukha. Possessing the speed of the mind, the Rishi came there and was filled with gladness upon beholding the Pandavas. The Brahmana, on arriving there, paid homage unto Yudhishthira by uttering blessings on him and wishing him victory. Beholding the learned Rishi arrive, the eldest of the Pandavas, conversant with all rules of duty, quickly stood up with his younger brothers. Bending low with humility, the monarch cheerfully saluted the Rishi, and gave with due ceremonies a befitting seat unto him. The king also gave him kine and the usual offerings of the Arghya including honey and the other ingredients. Conversant with every duty the monarch also worshipped the Rishi with gems and jewels with a whole heart. Receiving that worship from Yudhishthira in proper form, the Rishi became gratified. Thus worshipped by the Pandavas and the great Rishis, Narada possessing a complete mastery over the Vedas, said unto Yudhishthira the following words bearing upon religion, wealth, pleasures and salvation.
Narada said,
“Is the wealth you are earning being spent on proper objects? Does your mind take pleasure in virtue? Are you enjoying the pleasures of life? Does not your mind sink under their weight? Continue you in the noble conduct consistent with religion and wealth practised by your ancestors towards the three classes of subjects, (viz., good, indifferent, and bad)? Never injure you religion for the sake of wealth, or both religion and wealth for the sake of pleasure that easily seduces? Ever devoted to the good of all, conversant as you are with the timeliness of everything, follow you religion, wealth, pleasure and salvation dividing your time judiciously? With the six attributes of kings (viz., cleverness of speech, readiness in providing means, intelligence in dealing with the foe, memory, and acquaintance with morals and politics), do you attend to the seven means (viz., sowing dissensions, chastisement, conciliation, gifts, incantations, medicine and magic)? Examine you also, after a survey of your own strength and weakness, the fourteen possessions of your foes? These are the country, forts, cars, elephants, cavalry, foot-soldiers, the principal officials of state, the zenana, food supply, computations of the army and income, the religious treatises in force, the accounts of state, the revenue, wine-shops and other secret enemies. Attend you to the eight occupations (of agriculture, trade, &c), having examined your own and your enemy's means, and having made peace with your enemies? Your seven principal officers of state (viz., the governor of the citadel, the commander of forces, the chief judge, the general in interior command, the chief priest, the chief physician, and the chief astrologer), have not, I hope, succumbed to the influence of your foes, nor have they, I hope, become idle in consequence of the wealth they have earned? They are, I hope, all obedient to you. Your counsels, I hope, are never divulged by your trusted spies in disguise, by yourself or by your ministers? You ascertain, I hope, what your friends, foes and strangers are about? Make you peace and make you war at proper times? Observe you neutrality towards strangers and persons that are neutral towards you? Have you made persons like yourself, persons that are old, continent in behaviour, capable of understanding what should be done and what should not, pure as regards birth and blood, and devoted to you, your ministers? The victories of kings can be attributed to good counsels. Is your kingdom protected by ministers learned in Sastras, keeping their counsels close? Are your foes unable to injure it? You have not become the slave of sleep? Wake you at the proper time? Conversant with pursuits yielding profit, think you, during the small hours of night, as to what you should do and what you should not do the next day? You settle nothing alone, nor take counsels with many? The counsels you have resolved upon, do not become known all over your kingdom? Commence you soon to accomplish measures of great utility that are easy of accomplishment? Such measures are never obstructed? Keep you the agriculturists not out of your sight? They do not fear to approach you? Achieve you your measures through persons that are trusted incorruptible, and possessed of practical experience? I hope, people only know the measures already accomplished by you and those that have been partially accomplished and are awaiting completion, but not those that are only in contemplation and uncommenced? Have experienced teachers capable of explaining the causes of things and learned in the science of morals and every branch of learning, been appointed to instruct the princes and the chiefs of the army? Buy you a single learned man by giving in exchange a thousand ignorant individuals? The man that is learned confer the greatest benefit in seasons of distress. Are your forts always filled with treasure, food, weapons, water, engines and instruments, as also with engineers and bowmen? Even a single minister that is intelligent, brave, with his passions under complete control, and possessed of wisdom and judgment, is capable of conferring the highest prosperity on a king or a king's son. I ask you, therefore, whether there is even one such minister with you? Seek you to know everything about the eighteen Tirthas of the foe and fifteen of your own by means of three and three spies all unacquainted with one another? Watch you all your enemies with care and attention, and unknown to them? Is the priest you honour, possessed of humility, and purity of blood, and renown, and without jealousy and illiberality? Has any well-behaved, intelligent, and guileless Brahmana, well-up in the ordinance, been employed by you in the performance of your daily rites before the sacred fire, and does he remind you in proper time as to when your homa should be performed? Is the astrologer you have employed skilled in reading physiognomy, capable of interpreting omens, and competent to neutralise the effect of the disturbances of nature? Have respectable servants been employed by you in offices that are respectable, indifferent ones in indifferent offices, and low ones in offices that are low? Have you appointed to high offices, ministers that are guileless and of well conduct for generations and above the common run? Oppress you not your people with cruel and severe punishment? Do your ministers rule your kingdom under your orders? Do your ministers ever slight you like sacrificial priests slighting men that are fallen (and incapable of performing any more sacrifices) or like wives slighting husbands that are proud and incontinent in their behaviour? Is the commander of your forces possessed of sufficient confidence, brave, intelligent, patient, well-conducted, of good birth, devoted to you, and competent? Treat you with consideration and regard the chief officers of your army that are skilled in every kind of welfare, are forward, well-behaved, and endued with prowess? Give you to your troops their sanctioned rations and pay in the appointed time? You do not oppress them by withholding these? Know you that the misery caused by arrears of pay and irregularity in the distribution of rations drive the troops to mutiny, and that is called by the learned to be one of the greatest of mischiefs? Are all the principal high-born men devoted to you, and ready with cheerfulness to lay down their lives in battle for your sake? I hope no single individual of passions uncontrolled is ever permitted by you to rule as he likes a number of concerns at the same time appertaining to the army? Is any servant of yours, who has accomplished well a particular business by the employment of special ability, disappointed in obtaining from you a little more regard, and an increase of food and pay? I hope you reward persons of learning and humility, and skill in every kind of knowledge with gifts of wealth and honour proportionate to their qualifications. Do you support the wives and children of men that have given their lives for you and have been distressed on your account? Cherish you with paternal affection the foe that has been weakened, or him also that has sought your shelter, having been vanquished in battle? Are you equal unto all men, and can every one approach you without fear, as if you were their mother and father? March you, without loss of time, and reflecting well upon three kinds of forces, against your foe when you hear that he is in distress? Begin you your march when the time comes, having taken into consideration all the omens you might see, the resolutions you have made, and that the ultimate victory depends upon the twelve mandalas (such as reserves, ambuscades, &c, and payment of pay to the troops in advance)? Give you gems and jewels, unto the principal officers of enemy, as they deserve, without your enemy's knowledge? Seek you to conquer your incensed foes that are slaves to their passions, having first conquered your own soul and obtained the mastery over your own senses? Before you march out against your foes, do you properly employ the four arts of reconciliation, gift (of wealth) producing disunion, and application of force? Go you out against your enemies, having first strengthened your own kingdom? Having gone out against them, exert you to the utmost to obtain victory over them? And having conquered them, seek you to protect them with care? Are your army consisting of four kinds of forces, viz., the regular troops, the allies, the mercenaries, and the irregulars, each furnished with the eight ingredients, viz., cars, elephants, horses, offices, infantry, camp-followers, spies possessing a thorough knowledge of the country, and ensigns led out against your enemies after having been well trained by superior officers? I hope you slay your foes without regarding their seasons of reaping and of famine? I hope your servants and agents in your own kingdom and in the kingdoms of your foes continue to look after their respective duties and to protect one another. I hope trusted servants have been employed by you to look after your food, the robes you wear and the perfumes you use. I hope your treasury, barns, stables arsenals, and women's apartments, are all protected by servants devoted to you and ever seeking your welfare. I hope you protect first yourself from your domestic and public servants, then from those servants of your relatives and from one another. Do your servants ever speak to you in the forenoon regarding your extravagant expenditure in respect of your drinks, sports, and women? Is your expenditure always covered by a fourth, a third or a half of your income? Cherish you always, with food and wealth, relatives, superiors, merchants, the aged, and other protégés, and the distressed? Do the accountants and clerks employed by you in looking after your income and expenditure, always appraise you every day in the forenoon of your income and expenditure? Dismiss you without fault servants accomplished in business and popular and devoted to your welfare? Do you employ superior, indifferent, and low men, after examining them well in offices they deserve? Employ you in your business persons that are thievish or open to temptation, or hostile, or minors? Persecute you your kingdom by the help of thievish or covetous men, or minors, or women? Are the agriculturists in your kingdom contented. Are large tanks and lakes constructed all over your kingdom at proper distances, without agriculture being in your realm entirely dependent on the showers of heaven? Are the agriculturists in your kingdom wanting in either seed or food? Grant you with kindness loans (of seed-grains) unto the tillers, taking only a fourth in excess of every measure by the hundred? Are the four professions of agriculture, trade, cattle-rearing, and lending at interest, carried on by honest men? Upon these depends the happiness of your people. Do the five brave and wise men, employed in the five offices of protecting the city, the citadel, the merchants, and the agriculturists, and punishing the criminals, always benefit your kingdom by working in union with one another? For the protection of your city, have the villages been made like towns, and the hamlets and outskirts of villages like villages? Are all these entirely under your supervision and sway? Are thieves and robbers that sack your town pursued by your police over the even and uneven parts of your kingdom? Console you women and are they protected in your realm? I hope you place not any confidence in them, nor divulge any secret before any of them? Having heard of any danger and having reflected on it also, lie you in the inner apartments enjoying every agreeable object? Having slept during the second and the third divisions of the night, think you of religion and profit in the fourth division wakefully. Rising from bed at the proper time and dressing yourself well, show you yourself to your people, accompanied by ministers conversant with the auspiciousness or otherwise of moments? Do men dressed in red and armed with swords and adorned with ornaments stand by your side to protect your person? Behave you like the god of justice himself unto those that deserve punishment and those that deserve worship, unto those that are dear to you and those that you like not? Seek you to cure bodily diseases by medicines and fasts, and mental illness with the advice of the aged? I hope that the physicians engaged in looking after your health are well conversant with the eight kinds of treatment and are all attached and devoted to you. Happen it ever that from covetousness or folly or pride you fail to decide between the plaintiff and the defendant who have come to you? Deprive you, through covetousness or folly, of their pensions the protégés who have sought your shelter from trustfulness or love? Do the people that inhabit your realm, bought by your foes, ever seek to raise disputes with you, uniting themselves with one another? Are those amongst your foes that are feeble always repressed by the help of troops that are strong, by the help of both counsels and troops? Are all the principal chieftains (of your empire) all devoted to you? Are they ready to lay down their lives for your sake, commanded by you?
Do you worship Brahmanas and wise men according to their merits in respect of various branches of learning? I tell you, such worship is without doubt, highly beneficial to you. Have you faith in the religion based on the three Vedas and practised by men who have gone before you? Do you carefully follow the practices that were followed by them? Are accomplished Brahmanas entertained in your house and in your presence with nutritive and excellent food, and do they also obtain pecuniary gifts at the conclusion of those feasts? Do you, with passions under complete control and with singleness of mind, strive to perform the sacrifices called Vajapeya and Pundarika with their full complement of rites? Bow you unto your relatives and superiors, the aged, the gods, the ascetics, the Brahmanas, and the tall trees (banyan) in villages, that are of so much benefit to people? Cause you ever grief or anger in any one? Do priests capable of granting you auspicious fruits ever stand by your side? Are your inclinations and practices such as I have described them, and as always enhance the duration of life and spread one's renown and as always help the cause of religion, pleasure, and profit? He who conducts himself according to this way, never finds his kingdom distressed or afflicted; and that monarch, subjugating the whole earth, enjoys a high degree of felicity. I hope, no well-behaved, pure-souled, and respected person is ever ruined and his life taken, on a false charge or theft, by your ministers ignorant of Shastras and acting from greed? I hope your ministers never from covetousness set free a real thief, knowing him to be such and having apprehended him with the booty about him? I hope your ministers are never won over by bribes, nor do they wrongly decide the disputes that arise between the rich and the poor. Do you keep yourself free from the fourteen vices of kings, viz., atheism, untruthfulness, anger, incautiousness, procrastination, non-visit to the wise, idleness, restlessness of mind, taking counsels with only one man, consultation with persons unacquainted with the science of profit, abandonment of a settled plan, divulgence of counsels, non-accomplishment of beneficial projects, and undertaking everything without reflection? By these even monarchs firmly seated on their thrones are ruined. Has your study of the Vedas, your wealth and knowledge of the Sastras and marriage been fruitful?”
After the Rishi had finished, Yudhishthira asked,
“How, O Rishi, do the Vedas, wealth, wife, and knowledge of the Shastras bear fruit?”
The Rishi answered,
“The Vedas are said to bear fruit when he that has studied them performs the Agnihotra and other sacrifices. Wealth is said to bear fruit when he that has it enjoys it himself and gives it away in charity. A wife is said to bear fruit when she is useful and when she bears children. Knowledge of the Shastras is said to bear fruit when it results in humility and good behaviour.”
The great ascetic Narada, having answered Yudhishthira thus, again asked that just ruler,
“Do the officers of your government, O king, that are paid from the taxes levied on the community, take only their just dues from the merchants that come to your territories from distant lands impelled by the desire of gain? Are the merchants treated with consideration in your capital and kingdom, capable of bringing their goods there without being deceived by the false pretexts of (both the buyers and the officers of government)? Listen you always to the words, fraught with instructions in religion and wealth, of old men acquainted with economic doctrines? Are gifts of honey and clarified butter made to the Brahmanas intended for the increase of agricultural produce, of kine, of fruits and flowers, and for the sake of virtue? Give you always, regularly unto all the artisans and artists employed by you the materials of their works and their wages for periods not more than four months? Examine you the works executed by those that are employed by you, and applaud you them before good men, and reward you them, having shewn them proper respect? Follow you the aphorisms (of the sage) in respect of every concern particularly those relating to elephants, horses, and cars? Are the aphorisms relating to the science of arms, as also those that relate to the practice of engines in warfare--so useful to towns and fortified places, studied in your court? Are you acquainted with all mysterious incantations, and with the secrets of poisons destructive of all foes? Protect you your kingdom from the fear of fire, of snakes and other animals destructive of life, of disease, and Rakshasas? As acquainted you are with every duty, cherish you like a father, the blind, the dumb, the lame, the deformed, the friendless, and ascetics that have no homes. Have you banished these six evils, viz., sleep, idleness, fear, anger, weakness of mind, and procrastination?”
The illustrious bull among the Kurus, having heard these words of that best of Brahmanas, bowed down unto him and worshipped his feet. Gratified with everything he heard, the monarch said unto Narada of celestial form,
“I shall do all that you have directed, for my knowledge has expanded under your advice!” Having said this the king acted conformably to that advice, and gained in time the whole Earth bounded by her belt of seas. Narada again spoke, saying, “That king who is thus employed in the protection of four orders, Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, passes his days here happily and attains hereafter to the region of Shakra.”
At the conclusion of Narada's words, king Yudhishthira the just worshipped him duly; and commanded by him the monarch began to reply succinctly to the questions the Rishi had asked. Yudhishthira said,
“O holy one, the truths of religion and morality you have indicated one after another, are just and proper. As regards myself, I duly observe those ordinances to the best of my power. Indeed, the acts that were properly performed by monarchs of yore are, without doubt, to be regarded as bearing proper fruit, and undertaken from solid reasons for the attainment of proper objects. We desire to walk in the virtuous path of those rulers that had, besides, their souls under complete control."
Assemblies of the Lokapalas and Brahma
Yudhishthira, having received with reverence the words of Narada and having also answered the Rishi thus, reflected for a moment. Perceiving a proper opportunity, the monarch, seated beside the Rishi, asked Narada sitting at his ease and capable of going into every world at will, in the presence of that assembly of kings, saying,
“Possessed of the speed of mind, you wander over various and many worlds created in days of yore by Brahma, beholding everything. Tell me, I ask you, if you have, O Brahmana, ever beheld before anywhere an assembly room like this of mine or superior to it!”
Hearing these words of Yudhishthira the just, Narada smilingly answered the son of Pandu in these sweet accents,
“O child, I did neither see nor hear of ever before amongst men, any assembly room built of gems and precious stones like this of yours, O Bharata. I shall, however, describe unto you the rooms of the king of the departed - Yama, of Varuna, of Indra, the King of Gods and also of Kubera who has his home in Kailasa. I shall also describe unto you the celestial Sabha of Brahma that dispels every kind of uneasiness. All these assembly rooms exhibit in their structure both celestial and human designs and present every kind of form that exists in the universe. They are ever worshipped by the gods and the Pitris, the Sadhyas, by ascetics offering sacrifices, with souls under complete command, by peaceful Munis engaged without intermission in Vedic sacrifices with presents to Brahmanas. I shall describe all these to you if you have any inclinations to listen to me!”
Thus addressed by Narada, the high-souled king Yudhishthira the just, with his brothers and all those foremost of Brahmanas seated around him, joined his hands in entreaty. The monarch then asked Narada, saying,
“Describe unto us all those assembly rooms. We desire to listen to you. O Brahmana, what are the articles with which each of the Sabhas are made of? What is the area of each, and what is the length and breadth of each? Who wait upon the Grandsire in that assembly room? And who also upon Vasava, the Lord of the celestials and upon Yama, the son of Vivaswana? Who wait upon Varuna and upon Kubera in their respective assembly rooms. Tell us all about these. We all together desire to hear you describe them. Indeed, our curiosity is great.”
Thus addressed by the son of Pandu, Narada replied, saying,
“O monarch, hear you all about those celestial assembly rooms one after another."
Then Narada described to Yudhishthira the Sabhas of Brahma, Indra, Yama, Varuna and Kubera.