| Narada and Vishnu Narada, always concerned with questions of existence, called upon Vishnu for guidance. “Vishnu, what is maya?” he asked. Narada watched Vishnu’s conch shell, hung loosely around his shoulder, bounce against his leg as his body shook with laugher. Vishnu placed his hand on Narada’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Do not be foolish, Narada. Question what you will, but do not ask me to teach you about maya.” Narada kept his gaze on Vishnu. “I will ask again. Vishnu, I beg, teach me about maya.” Vishnu’s smile changed to a slight frown, and the conch shell stood motionless against his body. “Even the Gods are bound by maya, Narada. How do you expect to escape what the Gods cannot?” Vishnu took his hand off Narada’s shoulder and looked toward a nearby lake. “Forgive me, Vishnu. I will ask once more. Teach me about maya.” Vishnu’s lips frowned further as he looked at Narada. “So be it. Come with me.” Vishnu led Narada to the nearby lake and stood at the water’s edge. “I must leave for now. Cleanse yourself in this lake, and I will teach you about maya.” Narada thanked him as Vishnu rose into the sky. Narada slowly entered the lake. As the water rose above his chest, he felt lightheaded. As the water rose to his jawline, Narada saw visions of bright, colorful lights. He dipped his head in the water, and the colorful lights began to attach to themselves, forming a large net. Narada no longer saw the water, only the net that grew larger and larger until it was all his vision could perceive. For what seemed like an eternity he stayed in that water, bound by the bright lights that covered his entire body. Eventually, they began to recede, and the water came back into view. Narada stepped out of the water, tired from the experience, and fell asleep at the edge of the river. Narada awoke to the sound of voices speaking over his body. He opened his eyes and saw three men, one dressed in a king’s clothing, peering over his body. “What a sad kingdom I rule over if the most beautiful woman I have ever seen lays naked at the edge of the riverbed, with no man to protect her. Tell me, beauty, what is your name?” Narada looked at his body and realized he had no clothes on, but had forgotten who he was. His female form would have been surprising had he remembered he was once a male. “I do not remember.” The men exchanged curious looks until the king spoke. “Come be my queen. I will give you everything you desire. As for your memory, I have many sages that may be able to help you recover it.” Narada agreed and soon married the king. This was how Vishnu taught Narada the power of illusion. "Legends of Narada" from Indian Divinity website. - Commentary - I chose this story because it deals with maya in a way that conjures up a lot of basic human fears. The first is that of losing one’s memory. Because of the power of maya, Narada forgets his entire past life. The second is that of radical physical change. While Narada doesn’t realize he has changed from a male to a female form, the reader is able to see the transformation. These two things show maya as something to be feared, yet we are told that questioning maya too much is ineffective because there is no way out of it. Even the Gods are bound by maya, showing the amount of power maya holds over the universe. I adapted the story of Narada from the Indian Divinity website by expanding it and putting in more images and details that weren't in the story. I tried to use images that would fit well in Indian mythology and wouldn't distract the reader by making them question the believability of the added details. Joe Puma Project |
