Narada, the Giver of Knowledge
story told by matthew brooks
Narada with his topknot
Author's Note: The term 'Nara' means knowledge and the term 'da' means giver or imparter. Hence, Narada is the giver of knowledge. There are many different stories about Narada and the ways in which he imparts knowledge. He has a rather bad reputation among both the Gods and Demons because he tends to tell each of them the secrets of the others. I have chosen a story here that depicts a freeness with his knowledge rather than discretion when sharing it. I have used the third-person omniscient narrator storytelling style. I have kept the story as true to what i read about it as possible.
Once upon a time, Dakshabrahma had a lesson to teach to his children. He wanted to see them live out their lives happily married. He knew that if they were to follow his instructions, they would be able to live happily content domestic lives. He told them to observe a strict penance that would grant them spiritual, as well as physical, strength. After attaining these, his children would be ready to get married and enjoy their lives living with their spouses. So the children did as their father wished and went to the Himalaya Mountains to observe the penance as their father had told them.
While they were in the middle of the ritualistic behavior that their father had prescribed, who showed up but Narada. Narada saw them engrossed in their penance and felt like he had to tell them of other ways of life, rather than letting them go on blindly obeying their father's words and the path their father had set out for them. Narada addressed them all and asked them why they would go through such a strict penance merely because their father had told them to. He told them that married life can be miserable and that there is another way. He told them that the goal of the penance and life their father had laid before them was to be stuck in the unhappiness and misery of family life and that the true goal of their penance should be to renounce carnal desires and to be delivered from such worldly needs. After he imparted this knowledge, Narada left them to their own thoughts on the matter.
The children of Dakshabrahma decided that the words of Narada were true indeed. They reflected on what was told to them both by their father and by Narada, and decided that the wisdom of Narada must be the true wisdom. They continued with their penance, but with a different aim. They all vowed to never marry and to remain celibate.
Dakshabrahma was enraged when he found out what had transpired in the Himalayas. He summoned Narada and gave him a severe tongue lashing, telling Narada that he had interfered with Dakshabrahma's rights and responsibilities as a parent and his desire for seeing his children grow up to lead happily married lives. Dakshabrahma insisted that Narada had interfered and lied to him. He yelled more at Narada, telling him that he was a liar and should find something else to do with his time other than to mess in business in which he did not belong. Dakshabrahma cursed Narada to eternally remain a transient, a vagabond. Narada was pleased with this. He taunted Dakshabrahma that he was happy with the life laid out for him. Narada claimed that being a vagabond would enable him to continue meeting new people and imparting his knowledge on a daily basis.
Ever since then, Narada has been considered as a wandering seer, traveling the world and spreading his knowledge to all.
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Sources
Indian Divinity
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