Narada Jayanti Vrat Katha | Legends of Narada Jayanti

Narada Jayanti Vrat Katha

Devarshi Narada, while describing his previous birth before Lord Vedavyasa, says - "O Sage! In the previous Kalpa, I was born as the son of a Dasi, i.e., maidservant who used to serve learned Brahmins. During the rainy season, those Brahmins, Yogis, and sages stayed in one place and performed worship according to the Chaturmasya observance. From my childhood itself, I was engaged in the service of those saints. Although I was a child, I did not indulge in any kind of restlessness, was self-controlled by nature, and mostly remained silent. I had no interest in childish amusements and games, and I remained devoted to serving the sages as per their instructions. Seeing my gentle conduct, the hearts of those impartial sages melted, and they bestowed great grace upon me.

In due course of time, once, after obtaining permission from the saints, I consumed the remnants of the sanctified food left in their vessels. By doing so, all my accumulated sins of previous actions were destroyed, and my mind became pure. In this way, by continuously serving those Brahmins, saints, and Yogis, my heart became purified, and I developed an interest in their Bhajana, Puja, and Kirtana.

Dear Vyasa Ji! By the grace of those great souls devoted to singing divine pastimes, I would daily listen to the enchanting stories of Lord Krishna in Satsanga. Gradually, by attentively listening to each verse with devotion, my attachment towards the beloved feet of the Lord began to increase. O great sage! During both the Sharada and Varsha seasons, the sages sang and performed Sankirtana of the pure deeds of Shri Hari at all three times of the day, and I listened to every teaching with love. Devotion, which destroys the Rajoguna and Tamoguna of the mind, manifested in my heart.

Through the service of the saints, my sins had been destroyed. Faith arose in my heart, and control over the senses developed. I became obedient to them in thought, action, and speech. Pleased by my devotion, those compassionate sages, at the time of their departure, mercifully imparted to me that most confidential knowledge which has been spoken by the Lord Himself. Through that teaching, I came to understand the influence of the divine Maya of Lord Shri Krishna, the creator of the universe, and by knowing it, one attains the supreme state.

O truthful Vyasa Ji! Offering all actions to the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna alone is the only remedy for the threefold sufferings of this world. This is the secret knowledge that I have told you. Just as the same substance that causes disease can also cure it when used properly in treatment, similarly, although all actions bind beings in the cycle of birth and death, when those actions are dedicated to the God, their binding nature is destroyed."

Narada Ji further says - "O Brahman! When I followed the command of the Lord, then realizing this, Lord Shri Krishna bestowed upon me Self-knowledge, prosperity, and His loving devotion."

Hearing this, Satyavati Nandana Lord Vyasa asked him - "O Narada Ji! After the sages who imparted knowledge to you had departed, what did you do? At that time, your age was very young. How did you spend the rest of your life? At the time of death, how did you give up your body? O Devarshi! Time destroys all things; then how did it not erase the memory of your previous life?"

Devarshi Narada said - "O Lord! After the sages who instructed me had departed, I lived my life in the following manner, now please listen. Although I was only five years old at that time, a feeling of devotion and detachment arose in my mind. On the path of turning these thoughts into reality, my mother's affection became an obstacle. I was unable to break free from the bond of maternal love. I was my mother's only son. She was a simple woman and a maidservant, and I had no support other than her. She too was bound by attachment towards me. She was always concerned about my well-being but, being dependent, could not do much.

Bound by my mother's affection, I continued to live in that Brahmin settlement. I was only five years old and had no knowledge of direction, place, or time. Once, at night, my mother had gone to the cowshed to milk the cow. On the way, her foot touched a poisonous serpent, which bit her. What fault was there of the serpent? It was the will of Time. Due to the snakebite, my mother died. I understood that this too was a blessing of the compassionate Lord Vishnu. I did feel sorrow at my mother's death, but I was also relieved that a major obstacle in my path of renunciation had been removed. I became free from all dualities and then set out towards the north with the intention of performing penance in the forest, that is, Tapovana.

While traveling, my body and senses became weak. Hunger and thirst caused me to suffer on the way, but the power of devotion to the God suppressed all these difficulties. On the way, I saw a river and a pond. I bathed, performed Achamana, and drank water there, which removed all my fatigue. In that dense forest, I sat under a Peepal tree in meditation. According to the teachings I had heard from those great souls, I began to meditate within my heart on the form of the Supreme Being residing there. As soon as I meditated on the lotus feet of the Lord with a devotion-filled mind, tears flowed from my eyes out of intense longing for divine realization. At that very moment, the God manifested in my heart.

O Vyasa Ji! At that time, due to the surge of love, every pore of my body was thrilled with joy. My heart became extremely peaceful and cool. I became so absorbed in that bliss that I lost all awareness of myself. Upon seeing that divine form of the God, which destroys all sorrow, I became overwhelmed and stood up from my seat. I again tried to behold that form, but even after repeatedly attempting to see Him by concentrating my mind in my heart, I could not see Him again. I became restless like an unsatisfied being.

Seeing me distressed in that lonely forest, the God Himself, through Akashavani, i.e., a divine voice, spoke to me in a deep and sweet tone to console my sorrow - 'O Narada! It is unfortunate that in this birth and in this body, you will not be able to see Me again. Those whose impurities like desire have not been burnt away, whose desires are not completely subdued, such ignorant Yogis find My vision extremely difficult to attain. O sinless child! I have shown you a glimpse of My form only to awaken the longing to attain Me within your heart. A seeker endowed with such longing gradually renounces all desires of the heart completely.

By even a short period of service to the saints, your mind has become fixed in Me. Now, after giving up this body, you will become My attendant. Your firm resolve to attain Me will never be broken in any way. Even at the time of cosmic dissolution, by My grace, your memory of Me will remain.' Saying this, that all-powerful, formless Supreme Being became silent. Experiencing His grace, I bowed down to that Supreme God.

From that moment onwards, abandoning all shyness and hesitation, I began to sing and remember the divine, mysterious, and auspicious names and pastimes of the God. Desire, pride, and jealousy had already left my heart, and now I wandered the earth joyfully, awaiting the passage of time. I spent the rest of my life serving saints and engaging in devotion to the God.

O Vyasa Ji! In this way, by the grace of the Lord Vishnu, my heart became purified, attachment was destroyed, and I became devoted to Shri Krishna. After some time, just as lightning strikes suddenly, my death occurred at the appointed time. When the time came to attain the divine body of the Lord's attendant, my gross material body was destroyed as my Prarabdha Karma came to an end. Thereafter, I obtained a divine attendant form. Until the next Kalpa, I remained in that form, serving the Lord Vishnu.

At the end of the Kalpa, when Lord Narayana reclines in the waters of the cosmic ocean during dissolution, and when Brahma Ji was about to enter His heart along with the entire creation, I too entered His heart along with His breath. After the passage of a thousand Chaturyugi, when Lord Brahma awakened and desired to create the universe, I too manifested along with sages like Marichi from his senses.

Since then, by the grace of the Lord Vishnu, I move freely in Vaikuntha and all the three worlds without any obstruction. Where even sages and ascetics can't go, my movement is unobstructed everywhere, inside and outside the three worlds. By the special grace of the Lord, I observe lifelong celibacy and travel everywhere. I harmonize the seven musical notes, that is, Shadja, Rishabha, Gandhara, Madhyama, Panchama, Dhaivata, and Nishada, known as "Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni," which are the embodiment of Brahman, along with their ragas, on the Veena bestowed upon me by the Lord Vishnu, and I wander the world singing His divine pastimes.

Those Lord whose lotus feet are the source of all sacred places, whose glories I find extremely dear, whenever I sing His divine pastimes, He appears in my heart instantly, as if an invited dear one. For those whose minds are constantly restless with desires for worldly pleasures, the boat of Kirtana of the Lord Vishnu's pastimes is the easiest and best means to cross the vast ocean of worldly existence. Creatures afflicted by enemies like desire, anger, greed, and delusion do not attain the peace described in Hatha Yoga through Yama and Niyama as directly as the peace experienced through the service of Shri Krishna.

O Vyasa Ji! You are sinless! In response to your question about how I attained the status of Devarshi Narada, I have described my birth, my spiritual practice, and the means of my self-realization."

Shri Suta Ji says - "O sages headed by Shaunaka! Having spoken thus to Vyasa Ji, Devarshi Narada took permission to depart and went on his way, wandering freely while playing his Veena. Indeed, Devarshi Narada is blessed, for while singing the glories of Lord Sharangapani on his Veena, he himself remains immersed in bliss and also brings joy to the world afflicted by the threefold sufferings."