Discourse of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji Bhagavatha Bhakthi Saptaha – Day 3 – Sage Narada – February 21, 1996
Written by Radhakrishna on February 21, 1996
Proofread and edited by Girishwar Brahma Saraboji Kaveripattinam on 18th June 2021
SRI SWAMIJI SPEAKS: Many understandable events took place in the Universe and they all can be termed as “AGHATITA GHATANA” (done by the Self Will of the Lord). Brahma Manasa putras (mental sons) were born by sheer will. They are MARICHI, ATRI, AANGIRASA, PULASTYA, PULAHA, KRATU, VASHISHTA, KARDAMA, DAKSHA, BHRIGU AND NARADA. They are called as Prajapathis. NARADA is one of the great prajapathis and is a Rishi. Some authorities describe him as the mind born son of Brahma from the forehead.
The Mahabharata and some puranas state that he (Narada) frustrated the scheme which Daksha (prajapathi) had formed for peopling the earth (to continue progeny) and consequently incurred the patriarch’s curse to enter again the womb of a woman and be born.
Sri Swamiji tells the story of Narada in various eons as the one who was born again and again due to the curse. He was a prideful egoistic king in some births and therefore Vishnu has to take incarnations to set Narada right. Narada was also called as NARADA BRAHMA OR DEVA BRAHMA – born to original Brahma and one of Daksha’s daughters, Priya. He is the inventor of VEENA and is considered the chief of Gandharvas and heavenly musicians. In Puranas, he is depicted as the one who travels through all the worlds. Narada appears in Vishnu Purana and Shivapuranas and Pancharatras. In later times, he is connected with the story of Krishna. He warned wicked Kamsa of the imminent incarnation of Mahavishnu.
Even Narada had to undergo innumerable tribulations in different births due to EGOISTIC PRIDEFUL NATURE. Then what is the fate of ordinary humans? Narada transforms in many births as the true Bhagavatha (devotee of Lord Vishnu) and brings out the essence of Bhakthi to the Universe. After all, the Samsara circle is mysterious indeed. We exactly do not know at what time we fall into the pit of samsara and suffer unnecessarily. This Samsara circle has no beginning and no end. Therefore it is called a ‘Chakra’, which turns continuously taking people into it.
Rishis also got into the cycle of Samsara. They were not spared. Let us take the instance of Narada. Such a great mind-born son of Brahma. Brahma advised his son Narada to marry, but Narada censured his father as a false teacher, because, devotion to Vishnu was the only truth and true means of felicity and liberation. Brahma could not argue any more with his son and thereafter cursed him to lead a life of sensuality in subjection to woman (Sri Swamiji tells four instances where Narada gets married at various times due to Vishnu Maya, illusion of Vishnu). Later at one instance, Narada retorted the curse, condemning Brahma to lust after his own daughter and he be an object unworthy of adoration. Narada has the appellations, Kali karaka, strife maker, Kapivaktra, monkey-faced, Pisuna or messenger spy and troubleshooter etc. Narada is also a great writer of laws. But Sri Swamiji sings slokas and tells us that this samsara haunted even Narada to a great extent due to EGOCENTRICITY, erudition and scholarship without devotion and surrender.
“Let fifty children be born to you” – was one of the curses of Brahma to Narada. So Narada had to take a second birth, bearing 50 children, and became a dancer teacher in a king’s court. It was the result of karma phala of Narada that he argued with Brahma and got cursed. But in many other aspects Narada did not forget his devotion to Narayana. On one of the occasions, during a celebrations of dance, Narada commits mistakes in proper dancing due to prideful nature and gets cursed again and is born for the third time as a son of a servant maid (dasi putra). There he gets purified and cleansed of Karmic effects by eating the residual food of Mahatmas and great saints who visited the Dasi’s home. By the power of their blessings on him for having eaten the uchchista prasada, he takes birth as a jnani again.
Sri Swamiji tells us at this point that we should do good, perform charity, develop charitable nature, at least seek a good birth again. We had to develop broad-mindedness in performing spiritual activities, and most importantly, develop humility. What is the use of pride or Ego before the creator himself? We have to struggle to get Sadguru’s grace or god’s grace. That does not come easily. You have to get it by merit. Narada is a Bhakta, a Jnani and a Vairagi. Does he need to marry and procreate? It was not his leela. It was the leela of Vishnu. Once Vishnu Maya sets in, no one can escape. Narada Bhakthi is free from all defects. We always practice Bhakti, which is conditioned by wants. We keep our egoistic nature and at the same time practice Bhakthi, which does not amount to true devotion.
In the fourth Janma (birth), Narada gets the blessings of GODDESS SARASWATHY or Vani. (Sri Swamiji sang a Vani bhajan….Vani jitashuka vani) Baby Narada (Balanarada ) is blessed by
Saraswathy in this birth. He is born as Devarishi Narada. Due to a deep awareness of the past births, Narada develops potential powers. He goes to Himalayas and performed penance at the seat of Shiva. There he overcomes Sensuality and womanising. After all, in this world, the most attractive danger is woman and concomitant samsara effect. Children and struggle and whatnot? He goes before lord Shiva and prides himself as to have overcome sensuality and lust. Shiva causes another test by Vishnu Maya. Egoistic nature can be caused by penance also. Sadguru alone can remove that nature by his work.
He, Narada, threw away the sacred Veena called Mahathi. Vishnu creates illusion again to teach a lesson to Narada. In town of illusion, Narada gets married to Sreemathi and begets children and gets drowned in Samsara. He struggled a lot and realises need for devotion to Vishnu. In this story, he is blessed with a MONKEY FACE by Vishnu. Narada retorts and curses Vishnu that in another life he should only be assisted by monkeys. (refer to Ramayana).
Narada encounters Laxmi and gets cursed by her too. One day in Vishnu loka, Laxmi is walking in a respectful womanly conduct bowing her head down. Narada rudely asks her as to why she is walking with her face down and not looking directly. Vishnu again cursed him to become a woman, and in Maya, Narada became a woman forthwith. She marries a king Taladwaj and get many children. All the children die. Putra shoka (Disenchanted over the death of sons and attachment to sons and its results and the agony are explained by Sri Swamiji ). Narada remembers how he carried the dead bodies of the sons each time and how he agonised.
Do not remember the past lives. It is not necessary. It only creates further attachment to this life. It creates delusion. There was a Guru Brihaspathi and kind Matidwaja as disciple. The argument was as to why we should not remember the past lives. Guru tells his disciple that it is not necessary. Guru shows his disciple how dangerous it is in Samsara. Guru cursed the disciple to be born as female sick pig. The female pig littered and gave birth to 30 kids. Guru goes and reminds his previous birth as his disciple and asks him to come back. But the Disciple pig says….. “How can I leave all these children and come to you? I will come later….” This is the truth of illusion. Another name for Vishnu is illusion. Pray to Vishnu not to put us in illusion.
On another occasion Narada is fascinated by a girl and accepts seva from her. Tumburu, the friend of Narada, is with him. Both fight to marry her. They curse each other to become monkeys. In this way, Swamiji tells that Narada had to undergo so much to overcome sensuality and live as ascetic Rishi in many lives. It is the same Narada, who is worthy of all worship as a Brahma Rishi, gives the truth of Atman. We go from one body to another so frequently to seek Sadguru grace in some life somewhere. Our merits and demerits are accounted by Lord Vishnu. You are alone in this world. You travel alone in this world. If your sensuous nature overpowers you, it leads you to the mire of samsara. You lose shame. You become lustful and do all that is not conducive to moksha. How will Vidya come to a pupil who sleeps all the time?
Sri Swamiji tells us that we should belittle ourselves as poor jivas born in a small way. You should not have complexes. In the great eye of PARAMATMA all are one and same. God has given you now good brain and intellect. You use that to understand the great God and seek him out in this life. Do not waste this Janma. Chant the name of Lord Hari. That is the boat to take us across Samsara created out of sensuality and lust. That is the message of Narada Rishi to us. Narada wrote BHAKTHI SUTRAS (formulas relating to devotion). Narada blessed and initiated great Vyasa. Narada wrote Upanishads. Narada is the messenger of Lord. Narada has sown the seed of Bhakthi in this universe. How can we think of Lord Sri Hari without his beloved NARADA MUNI? We bow down to Narada Rishi.
Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji gave a beautiful singing discourse today on the greatness of Narada densely quoting from various authorities and Neethimala. Sri Swamiji spoke on Bhakthi sutras.
JAYA GURU DATTA.