" SANTHOSHAM"WELCOME TO SRI SAKARA JAYENDRA BALA VIHAR FOUNDED BY KANCHEE MUTT)" SANTHOSHAM"

SRI SANKARA JAYENDRA BALAVIHAR

MORAL EDUCATION FOR KIDS FOUNDED BY KANCHEE MUTT

NARADA

Narada is the supreme example to the world of one who realised the Divine by continuously singing the glories of God under all circumstances and at all times. Narada, who was born out of the mind of Brahma, demonstrated to the world the supreme spiritual efficiency of singing the Lord’s glories.

For instance, some one asked him why he was continuing to recite the name of Lord even though he had access to Kailasha and Vaikunta the heavenly abodes of Siva and Vishnu and he had won the Grace of Lord in full measure. Narada replied, "What greater Anandam (Bliss) can I have. When the heart beats to the tune of Ram nam, that is heaven, indeed."

Narada who was proficient in all the scriptures and every field of knowledge was once suffering from a restless mind. He went to the sage Sanatkumara and asked him, "Oh sage! Why do I have no peace of mind? Please remove this malaise and impart to me the knowledge to retain mental tranquility." Sanatkumara asked Narada what all he had acquired to entitle him to seek this knowledge. Narada replied that he had mastered the 64 kinds of knowledge, studied the six shastras and learnt the four vedas and their subsidiary sections. After listening to Narada, Sanatkumar told him that all the knowledge he had acquired was only a mass of words. The sage explained to him that beyond all this scriptural and other knowledge was something transcendental. Narada was surprised to note that all his vast knowledge had been devalued. Sanatkumara said, "Above the power of Words is the power of Speech (Vaak). Above the Speech is the Mind. Greater than the Mind is the Will (Sankalpa). Higher than the Will is the Chitta (Awareness). Greater than the Chitta is Dhyana (meditation). Greater than Dhyana is Jnana. Greater than Jnana is Water. Greater than Water is Thejas. Higher than this is Prana (the life-force). It is only when you understand the principle of the Life-force (prana), you will understand the truth of the aphorism Tat-Twam-Asi "

On one occasion Narada went to the Lord. In the course of their conversation, Narayana asked Narada, "You are moving around all the three worlds, what news have you brought for me from you wanderings? Have you seen anything new in creation?" "What is greater than yourself in creation", replied Narada." I am asking about my creation and not about myself", said Narayana. Narada replied, "I do not understand the question." "There are five elements, the Pancha Bhutas. Which is the greatest among them? ", Narayana asked. Narada said, "The earth is the biggest." Narayana said, "In the earth three fourths are occupied by water." Narada agreed that water is greater than the earth. But Narayana observed, "All oceans were drunk by the sage Agasthya in one gulp. Therefore who is greater, water or Agasthya? " Narada agreed that Agasthya was greater. But Narayana again observed that "Agasthya is remaining as a star in the sky. In the vast firmament, Agasthya is merely twinkling like a small star; is not the firmament greater than the star?" Narada agreed that firmament is greater than Agasthya. Again Narayana said, "In my Avatar as Vamana I covered the entire earth and sky with one foot of mine. So is the firmament greater or my foot? Then Narada said, "Your foot"." If my foot itself is so great, am I not greater than my foot? ", Narayana asked. Narada agreed.

Then Narayana said, "Although I am great, I am confined in the heart of my devotees. So the devotees are greater than Myself. Therefore, wherever my devotees sing my name, I am there."

Once Narada wanted to teach Sathyabhama (consort of Krishna) the supreme greatness of some human qualities about which she was not aware. He brought about a situation in which Krishna was to be weighed in a Tula Bhara (balance). Sathyabhama was required to place her offerings in the other pan. All her jewels and wealth could not tilt the balance in her favour. Ultimately she prayed to Rukmini to come to here rescue. Rukmini came, prayed to Krishna, saying that, "if it is true that God submits Himself to a devotee who offers with love a leaf, flower, a fruit or some water, let my Tulasi leaf turn the scales in my favour" The esoteric meaning of this prayer is that the body should be considered as a leaf, the heart as a flower, virtue as a fruit and the tears of joy flowing from the devotee’s eyes as the water offered to the Divine in a spirit of complete surrender.

Narada enacted the entire scene to demonstrate to Sathyabhama what glorious qualities Rukmini possessed and the greatness of her devotion. He told Sathyabhama, "the Lord will not succumb to wealth. He will yield only to goodness". Rukmini was a supremely good woman. We have to follow her example.

One day Narada happened to land on the sands of river Yamuna where he saw a woman shining as a star, lost in meditation; he was amazed at the halo of splendour around her crown. Narada wondered whether he would reach that depth of experience any time in his career. His presence awakened her and when accosted she revealed her identity that she was Brahma-Vidya-Devata (the Goddess of science of the awareness of reality), the truth that Jnana reveals. Narada’s amazement doubled by this revelation." What need have you to meditate? Why this intense Dhyana (meditation), that has silenced all nature around you? What are you meditating on?", He asked. She declared, "I crave for the supreme joy of contemplating on the lotus feet of Krishna. I meditate on them, making myself a gopi, who has surrendered to Him." Such is the sweetness derivable through that Contemplation, and Bhakthi.

Sage Vyasa and Narada are like man and God. Narada taught Vyasa that all the texts and scriptures do not contain the praise of the leelas of the Lord. They are hollow and have no life in them. He told that from that day Vyasa would have the capacity to sing the glory of the Lord. Singing of a Bhajan is usually associated with singing with a rhythm. All types of tunes have their origin in Sama Veda. Because Narada removed all the doubts from the mind of Vyasa, Narada was taken as Guru and that day has been referred to as Guru Poornima. As the role of the Guru is to remove darkness i.e., ignorance from the dark minds, it is also referred to as the emerging of Pournami and brightness.

Narada took the position of a Guru and used Vyasa to explain the function of a Guru and so in this context, it is referred to as Vyasa Poornima. Narada was the son of a servant woman who was working in a house where the Vedas were being continuously recited. In order to celebrate the four months of rainy season the house holder of the house where Narada’s mother was working invited a large number of rishis. She was given the task of attending to the needs of the guests in that house. At that time Narada was only six years old. Sitting with the rishis, he was concentrating with a single pointed devotion on Vedas that were being recited. After the celebration was completed, the rishis were preparing to depart to their ashrams. Narada was desiring to go with them. But looking at his age, the rishis did not take him but taught some mantras which Narada learnt. One day Narada’s mother was bitten by a cobra and she died instantly. He saw the struggle his mother underwent. But he was not moved by it. He was detached. He left for the forest. He felt tired. He heard a voice asking him to leave his personal ‘I’. After listening to this Divine voice, Narada went and sat under a tree. He contemplated on ‘Soham’ which means giving out and taking in of the breath as an aspect of God. Although Narada had no complete knowledge of the Vedas, he regarded the taking in of breath as the aspect of Sama Veda and the giving out of breath as that of Rig Veda.

In this manner, while he was practicing what was prescribed in the Vedas, he came to the end of his life. The breathing stopped and he merged with the eternal. Narada then acquired a new life form. Our Puranas tell us that Narada used a tambura and moved about in the universe singing the glory of the Lord. This is only symbolic and we should regard Narada as taking the spinal column as representing veena, the nerves or the nadis as the strings and the breathing in and out as Harinama Smarana.

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