Chapter 6 – The Dialogue Between Vyāsa and Nārada (continues)
Sūta said:
1.) O Śaunaka, having thus heard the story of the Devarṣi’s (Nārada) birth and spiritual endeavours, Maharṣi Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, again enquired of him as follows :
Vyāsa said:
2.) When the sages (sannyāsins) who instructed you in spiritual wisdom had departed, what did you do, since you happened to be a mere child at that time?
3.) In what manner, O son of Brahmā (the self-born), did you spend the rest of your life? And how did you give up your body when the time (of your death) arrived?
4.) Oh the best of gods! How is it that (even though) Time is all-destructive, it has not shadowed your memory (of matters) pertaining to the previous birth (which belonged to the preceding Kalpa)?
Special Note : Here preceding Kalpa refers to the previous Day of Lord Brahmā, not merely the previous Manvantara (Cākṣuṣa Manvantara).
Nārada said:
5.) When the sages who instructed me in spiritual wisdom had left (on their distant journey), I proceeded to do this (what follows), tender of age as I was.
6.) My mother, a simple-minded servant, had only one child—myself (Nārada). Being deeply attached to me, her only son, she developed strong emotional bonds (becoming deeply attached out of affection to her son), seeing me as her sole support (as she had no one else).
7.) Although she desired (to provide) for my well-being, she, being not independent, was unable to do so. For all living beings are under the control of the Supreme Lord—just as a wooden doll is controlled by the puppeteer.
8.) Out of regard for her I continued to stay in that locality of the Brāhmaṇas. Being only five years of age, I had no idea then of the directions or even of regions or time.
9.) Once during the night she left her house to milk a cow. While on her way she accidentally stepped on a snake, which as fate would have it, bit the helpless woman (and this brought about her untimely end).
10.) Then, looking upon it (my mother’s death), as the grace of the Lord (that is, humbly accepting the doings of his Prarabdha Karma), God who is always caring for the well-being of his devotees, I proceeded to the northern direction.
11-14.) (While going alone) in that direction, I saw prosperous countries and capital towns, villages, habitations of cowherds and mines, villages of cultivators, habitations adjacent to hills and streams, parks, jungles and gardens.
(I saw) mountains of variegated colours due to the ores of different metals, (covered with) trees the branches of which are broken by elephants, lakes of clear water and lotus pools enjoyed by gods (and) beautified by the droning of the black-bees which are roused by wonderful warblings of the birds.
I who traversed alone such a long distance saw a vast, unbearably terrible looking forest which had cavities formed by Nala grass, (solid) bamboos, clumps of white reeds and Kuśa grass and clusters of hollow bamboos (whistling with wind) which was (as it were) a play-ground of serpents (wicked elephants) owls and jackals.
15.) I, who was physically and mentally exhausted, and was both thirsty and hungry, I bathed in the pool of a river, drank its water, rinsed my mouth with it and felt refreshed.
16.) In that forest, uninhabited by humans, I, who was seated at the foot of a Pippala tree, meditated with a collected mind on the Lord residing in my heart (Śrī Hari), as per the instructions I heard (from the sages).
17.) While I was meditating upon the lotus-like feet (of Śrī Hari) with my mind filled with devotion, and my eyes overflowing with tears for longing (to see Śrī Hari), Śrī Hari manifested himself slowly in my heart.
18.) The hair of my body stood on end due to an outburst of love, and my heart experienced a thrill of excessive joy and tranquillity. Immersed in a flood of ecstasy, O sage, I lost consciousness of both myself and the object of my perception (Śrī Hari).
19.) When I could no longer see that beautiful form of the Lord so pleasing to the mind and who is the dispeller of sorrows, I felt dejected and suddenly stood up through bewilderment.
20.) Being desirous of seeing Him (the form of the Lord) once more, I fixed the mind on my heart and searched for Him, but could not see Him. Now I felt miserable like one whose desire had not been sated.
21.) To me thus struggling in that lonely forest, the Lord, who is beyond speech, spoke in sublime yet soft words, as if to soothe my grief:
22.) Alas! in this birth you are not eligible to behold Me; for I am difficult of perception for those who have not attained perfection in Yoga (Devotion), and the impurities of whose heart have not yet been fully removed.
23.) It was only to arouse in you a burning desire to see Me that I have once revealed My form to you. One who longs to see Me shakes off gradually but completely all of one’s latent desires.
24.) Due to the service which you did to the saints for a short while, your mind has become firmly fixed in Me. After leaving this inferior world (the physical body), you will attain the position of my personal attendant.
25.) The thought you have thus fixed on Me shall never cease. And by My grace you will continue to remember Me, despite the creation or destruction of the world.
26.) Having said this much, that great invisible Being, the Ruler of all and omnipresent as ether, stopped short. Realizing His unique grace I for my part bowed my head to Him, the greatest of the great.
27.) Shaking off all shyness I now began to repeat the infinite and auspicious names and fixed my thoughts on the glories of the Supreme Lord. Rid of all cravings, free from pride and jealousy and content at heart, I wandered over the earth awaiting for the time (of my death).
28.) To me, who had my thoughts fixed on Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who was free from attachment and whose heart was thus purified, death came at the appointed hour like a flash of lightning, O holy sage.
29.) While I was being transferred to that pure body pertaining to the (attendant of the) Lord, (my) gross body composed of the five elements fell off, indicating the exhaustion of actions (end of Prārabdha Karma).
30.) At the end of the preceding Kalpa, when Lord Nārāyana slept on the waters of the universal Deluge, having reabsorbed the whole creation into Himself, and when Brahmā was going to enter His body and sleep there, I too (with my subtle body) entered His body with the ingoing breath.
Special Note – Temporary Dissolution (End of a Kalpa/Naimittika Pralaya): While the gross manifestations of the universe dissolve into the causal waters, Brahmā, being the secondary creator empowered by Śrī Viṣṇu, also enters into a state of latency within Śrī Viṣṇu’s being. This isn’t a complete merging as at the Mahāpralaya (cosmic dissolution), but rather a temporary absorption or resting state along with the subtle potentials of creating the universe again. This happens at the complete of 1 day of lord Brahmā, and the next day when his day begins (this is when he wakes up), the creation is brought forth again.
Do not confuse this (End of a Kalpa/Naimittika Pralaya) with the Great Dissolution (End of Brahma’s lifespan/Mahapralaya).
What is the End of Brahma’s lifespan / Mahapralaya? At Mahapralaya (End of Brahma’s lifespan), the entire cosmos, including Brahmā in his individual identity and all the subtle elements, merges completely back into the ultimate reality, which is Śrī Viṣṇu. After this, the creation does not resume for a long long time, until the creator (Śrī Viṣṇu) desires to create again. This happens at the completion of lord Brahmā’s 100 years. This is very different from End of a Kalpa / Naimittika Pralaya, which is mentioned in the above verse.
31.) At the end of one thousand revolutions of the four Yugas (Chaturyuga / Maha Yuga), when Brahmā awoke to create again by the will of the Lord, all the ṛṣis like Marīci, Aṅgirā, Atri and so on were created from the body of the Lord, and I also appeared along with them.
32.) With my vow of constant remembrance of God continuing uninterrupted, I move about inside as well as outside the three worlds (all lokas); and by the grace of Lord Mahāviṣṇu (Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa, the Primal Person) my passage is nowhere obstructed.
33.) Playing upon (to the accompaniment of) this lute (Vīṇā), gifted to me by the Lord Himself and bringing out the seven primary notes of the gamut that represent Brahma in the form of sound, I go about singing the story of Śrī Hari.
34.) As I thus sing of His glories, the Lord of delightful renown, whose feet represent all sacred places (being the origin of them all), soon reveals Himself in my heart immediately like an invitee.
35.) For, this singing of the glories of Śrī Hari is (regarded) as a boat to cross the ocean of worldly existence for those whose hearts are often afflicted by yearning for enjoying (the pleasures of the world).
36.) The mind, which is repeatedly afflicted by lust and greed, cannot be fully pacified by the Yoga process of self-control and austerity (like yama and niyama, etc). Only through worshiping and serving to Lord Mukunda (the giver of liberation) can the mind be truly and permanently calmed.
Special Note – Practices like restraint, meditation, austerity (like yama and niyama), though spiritually valuable and very powerful, rely solely on efforts of the individual and their level of mental control (which is difficult to possess due to the evil effects of Kali Yuga).
People who are new to the path of Yoga, will find it very difficult to practice such disciplines due to the vulnerability of their mind. This verse in no way ridicules the power of the great 8 limbs of Yoga (of sage Patanjali), it rather, speaks about how, without devotion & surrender, even the 8 limbs of Yoga (Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi) will seem ineffective. Hence when a practitioner of the 8 limbs of Yoga begins right from the start with devotion & surrender to God, then the process of the 8 limbs of Yoga becomes more fruitful, and the practitioner would have easily attained the grace of God in this path.
37.) O sinless one, I have thus told you all that you asked me, the secret of my own birth and doings (spiritual endeavours) and the means of satisfying your soul.
Sūta said:
38.) Having thus spoken to Vyāsa (the son of Satyavatī), the divine sage Nārada bade good-bye and departed while playing upon his lute (Vīṇā), and having no object of his own to accomplish (as he is free from all personal desires).
39.) Ah! Blessed is this celestial sage (Nārada), who, while singing the glory of Śrī Viṣṇu (the Wielder of the Śārṇga bow) to the accompaniment of his lute (Vīṇā), feels not only intoxicated himself (in love for Śrī hari), but delights the unhappy world as well (the ones who are afflicted by sorrow are also delighted by his very sight).
Thus ends the sixth discourse, forming part of the story relating to the Naimiśa forest, in Book One of the great and glorious Bhāgavata Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahaṁsa-Saṁhitā (the book of the God-realized souls).
Summarization Of The Entire Chapter :
In this chapter, the sage Sūta recounts the fascinating exchange between the great Vyāsa and the divine sage Nārada. After hearing the remarkable story of Nārada’s birth and his spiritual journey, Vyāsa, filled with curiosity, inquires about the details of Nārada’s life, specifically how he, a mere child at the time, navigated his spiritual path after the sages who had taught him departed. Vyāsa also wishes to know how Nārada spent the rest of his life and how he transitioned from his physical form at the time of his death.
Nārada, with humility and wisdom, begins to narrate the story of his early years. He was just a child when his mother, a simple servant woman, passed away unexpectedly. His mother, who had only him as her child, was deeply attached to him and had always seen him as her only support in life. Though she desired to provide for him, she was unable to do so. For all living beings, as Nārada later understood, are under the supreme control of the Lord. In this way, he came to realize that his mother’s death was a result of his own Prārabdha Karma (the actions from previous lives that lead to present circumstances).
Despite the grief of losing his mother, Nārada accepted the event as the Lord’s will and, in a spirit of surrender, left the place where he had been living. At just five years old, with no understanding of time, directions, or the world, Nārada set out on his journey towards spiritual enlightenment. His travels took him through prosperous countries, bustling towns, serene villages, and dense forests. His physical body endured exhaustion, hunger, and thirst, yet he continued with unwavering determination.
In one of these forests, weary and fatigued, Nārada bathed in the waters of a river, drank its refreshing water, and sat at the foot of a Pippala tree to meditate on the Lord’s presence within his heart, as taught by the sages. It was in this moment of intense devotion that the Lord, Śrī Hari, manifested within Nārada’s heart. Overcome with love and ecstasy, Nārada’s body trembled, his heart filled with joy, and tears of longing for the Lord flowed uncontrollably. In a state of perfect surrender, Nārada lost awareness of both himself and the Lord’s form.
When the vision of the Lord disappeared, Nārada was filled with a deep sense of longing and bewilderment. In his search for the Lord, he could not perceive Him again, and his heart ached with unfulfilled desire. At that moment, the voice of the Lord, sublime and soothing, echoed in his heart, addressing his grief. The Lord explained that in this life, Nārada was not yet ready to behold His true form, for only those who have purified their hearts through intense devotion and yoga can perceive the Divine in its entirety. However, the Lord assured Nārada that the vision he had experienced was a blessing designed to awaken in him an insatiable desire to see Him again.
The Lord further reassured Nārada that due to his sincere service to the sages, his heart had become firmly attached to Him. When the time of his physical death would arrive, Nārada would attain the exalted position of being the Lord’s personal attendant, and the remembrance of the Lord’s name would never leave his heart. By the Lord’s grace, Nārada would continue to remember Him through all cycles of creation and destruction.
Having been thus blessed, Nārada continued his spiritual journey, remaining absorbed in the Lord’s remembrance. He shared how, upon the end of his earthly life, his subtle body was absorbed into the body of the Lord during the cosmic dissolution (Pralaya). When the new cycle of creation began, Nārada, along with other sages, emerged once more from the Lord’s body to resume his spiritual service. With his heart constantly fixed on the Divine, Nārada traversed the three worlds, spreading the glory of Śrī Hari through his divine music.
In his teachings, Nārada emphasized that while practices such as self-discipline, meditation, and austerities (the eight limbs of yoga) are essential, they are not sufficient in themselves to calm the mind. Only through devotion and surrender to Lord Mukunda (the giver of liberation) can the mind be permanently pacified. Nārada explained that, especially in the present age of Kali Yuga, the mind is often beset with desires and distractions, making it extremely difficult for practitioners to attain spiritual progress through self-effort alone. Therefore, devotion and surrender to the Divine are indispensable for true liberation.
Nārada concluded his teachings by revealing the secret of his own birth and spiritual endeavors to Vyāsa, offering wisdom on the path to satisfying the soul and attaining eternal peace. Having shared this divine knowledge, Nārada took his leave of Vyāsa, continuing his eternal mission of singing the glories of the Supreme Lord on his beloved Vīṇā. His very presence, singing the praises of Śrī Viṣṇu, not only filled his own heart with bliss but also brought joy and relief to the suffering world.
Short Question & Answers :
1.) What prompted Vyāsa to ask Nārada about his life and spiritual journey?
Answer: Vyāsa was deeply interested in understanding the details of Nārada’s life and spiritual endeavors, especially after hearing the story of his birth and early experiences. Vyāsa asked Nārada how he, as a child, continued his spiritual path after the sages who had instructed him departed.
2.) What were Vyāsa’s specific questions to Nārada regarding his life?
Answer: The questions asked by sage Vyāsa to sage Nārada were as follows:
- What did he do after the sages left, as he was just a child at that time?
- How did he spend the rest of his life?
- How did he give up his body when the time of death arrived?
- Despite Time being destructive, how did he retain memory of his previous birth?
3.) How did Nārada describe his life after the sages departed?
Answer: Nārada shared that after the sages departed, he stayed with his mother, a simple servant woman. His mother, being deeply attached to him, saw him as her only support, though she was unable to provide for him due to her dependence on others. Nārada explained that all beings are under the control of the Supreme Lord, and his mother’s death was a result of his own Prārabdha Karma.
4.) What happened to Nārada’s mother, and how did he react to her death?
Answer: Nārada’s mother passed away when a snake bit her while she was on her way to milk a cow. Nārada accepted her death as the Lord’s will and saw it as part of the divine plan. He humbly accepted his fate, understanding that the actions of one’s previous lives shape current circumstances.
5.) What journey did Nārada undertake after his mother’s death?
Answer: After his mother’s death, Nārada set out on a journey alone, despite being only five years old. He traveled through various regions, seeing prosperous lands, villages, mountains, and forests. His physical body endured great fatigue, hunger, and thirst, yet he continued his travels undeterred.
6.) What spiritual experience did Nārada have while meditating in the forest?
Answer: While meditating under a Pippala tree in a remote forest, Nārada experienced a profound spiritual moment. As he focused on the Lord within his heart, Śrī Hari manifested within him. Nārada was overcome with love and joy, feeling ecstasy and bliss. His body trembled, and tears flowed from his eyes in longing for the Divine.
7.) How did Nārada react when the vision of Śrī Hari disappeared?
Answer: After the vision of the Lord faded, Nārada felt immense sorrow and longing. He searched for the Lord but could not perceive Him again. Bewildered and filled with grief, he longed to see the Lord once more.
8.) What did Śrī Hari tell Nārada when he struggled to find Him?
Answer: Śrī Hari spoke to Nārada, revealing that in this birth, he was not yet ready to behold the Lord’s true form. The Lord explained that only those with a completely purified heart through yoga and devotion can perceive Him. However, the Lord assured Nārada that He had manifested to ignite in him an insatiable desire to see Him again, and due to his service to the sages, Nārada’s heart was now firmly fixed on the Divine.
9.) What promise did Śrī Hari make to Nārada about his future?
Answer: Śrī Hari promised Nārada that, due to his devotion and service, his remembrance of the Lord would never cease. The Lord assured him that, after leaving his physical body, Nārada would attain the position of His personal attendant. Furthermore, Nārada would continue to remember the Lord through all cycles of creation and destruction, with the Lord’s grace ensuring his constant devotion.
10.) What happened when Nārada’s physical death arrived?
Answer: When the time of Nārada’s death arrived, he was in a state of complete surrender and devotion to the Lord. His physical body, which had been composed of the five elements, fell off, indicating the exhaustion of his past actions (Prārabdha Karma). His subtle body was absorbed into the body of the Lord during the cosmic dissolution, awaiting the new creation.
11.) How was Nārada involved in the process of creation after the dissolution?
Answer: After the dissolution of the universe, when Lord Brahmā was about to begin the process of creation again, Nārada, along with other sages, emerged from the body of the Lord. This was part of the new cycle of creation, and Nārada continued his spiritual service with an unwavering focus on the Divine.
12.) What did Nārada say about the importance of devotion and surrender in spiritual practice?
Answer: Nārada emphasized that while practices like austerity, meditation, and self-discipline (the eight limbs of yoga) are valuable, they are not enough to calm the mind unless combined with devotion and surrender to the Lord. He explained that in Kali Yuga, due to the impurities of the mind, such practices are ineffective unless one has the grace of the Lord. Devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate way to attain peace and liberation.
13.) What did Nārada teach Vyāsa about the means of satisfying the soul?
Answer: Nārada shared with Vyāsa the secret of his birth and spiritual endeavors, teaching that the path of constant remembrance of God and service to the Lord is the key to satisfying the soul. Through surrender and devotion, one can achieve eternal peace and liberation, transcending the struggles of worldly existence.
14.) How did Nārada depart after imparting his wisdom to Vyāsa?
Answer: After sharing his divine wisdom with Vyāsa, Nārada, playing his Vīṇā (lute), took his leave. He continued his eternal mission of singing the glories of the Supreme Lord, without any personal desires or attachments, spreading joy and spiritual bliss to the world.
15.) What is the significance of Nārada’s role in spreading the glory of Śrī Viṣṇu?
Answer: Nārada, through his eternal devotion and music, not only experiences bliss himself but also brings joy and relief to the suffering world. By singing the glories of Śrī Viṣṇu, he serves as a beacon of divine light, helping others overcome sorrow and attain spiritual fulfillment.
