As God has rendered all souls immortal, Narad
too remained in realm of divine light for trillions o f human years and once
again took birth as son of Lord Brahma in another Kalpa. The time keeps
repeating its even in various realms. So did the drama was reenacted between
the father and son. This time the son had the lessons learnt in the past life
still alive in his memory. When father called him and said,-“Son! You are so
close to my heart. Being your father, I am your best mentor and guide. Believe
in my intentions and enter into wedlock for the sake of my happiness. The life
of a householder is the best as he alone offers service and shelter to all and
attains swargaloka afterwards..”
The uttering of expectant father reminded the
son of the past bickering. Recalling the diatribe his throat dried and lips got
stitched. The shadow of past overpowered his present and he stood inert and
aghast in front of is hoary father. Yet believing and knowing well that the
silence tantamounts to acceptance, he cleared his throat and expressed
himself,-“Father! Both of us have suffered much in the past only because of our
difference of opinion on this issue. Cursed by you, I became a gandharv and then the son
of a shudra lady. You too lost your share in sacrifices on earth. After
such a prolong suffering and penance only, have I been redeemed of those tough
lives. It is eternally true that mutual bickering and opposition brings about
only misery and stress. One who motivates the other towards devotion to Lord
Srikrishna alone is a true friend and meaningful relation. A father who exhorts
his son to turn away from lord Srikrishna is no way worthy of respect and
trust. Having a wife only culminates in suffering and confrontation. A wife is
merely an obstruction to penance, liberation and divine devotion. There are
three types of wives,- saintly, desirous and the wicked ones. All of them are
selfish. A selfish wife attends upon her husband out of fear of God and to
attain glory. The desirous one takes care of him to fulfill her desires and
spurns him soon when he is of no use to her. The wicked one is as lethal as a
cinder that sets everything afire for she is embodiment of hypocrisy and keeps
sticking to new lovers and even kills her husband for her lover. A man who has
third type of wife is doomed all the way. Women are read properly only by
enlightened men and not by ordinary men. While wearing the face of a lotus,
their hearts are as scathing as a razor. Only to serve their purpose they turn
sweet. It takes them hardly a moment to
change their colours. They turn venomous in a moment if angered. They are
hardly knowable and even difficult is
the task of handling them. Their courage is limitless; impertinence great; hypocrisy
unfathomable and wiles unmatchable. Their lust is eight times then that of the
men; appetite double; cruelty quadruple; anger and energy six times more then
in men. Their intimate association
brings about loss of wealth, strength and honour. When in love they cause loss
of wealth, when in lewd attachment they
cause loss of strength and when in
quarrel they cause loss of honour. Not this much alone, when one trusts them
fully they cause loss of everything. So what is the point in inviting such
misery in otherwise precious and a peaceful life? A man can rule over others
only so long as he has money, power and youth. Women never like sick,meak,old
and pauper men. They give such husbands food only out of social fear. Lord
Brahma you know everything so well. Please spare me and allow me to keep away
from them. I long only to worship lord Srikrishna.”
Having poured his heart out,
Narad prostrated before his father and clasped his feet. Seeing his son in such
plight the father was left speechless though disappointed and disheartened too.
Tears silently streamed from his somber eyes. His shattered heart’s pain caused him to wail bitterly while lifting
his aloof son into his arms. While lapping him up he began to hug him, kiss him
over and over, again and again.
Lord Brahma kept on showering affection over
his nonchalant son. Still caressing him like an infant he touched his face and
said,-“Son! You wish to retreat to solitude. Then what shall I do with this
all? I shall also prepare myself to retire to Goloka. Most of my sons do not
obey me. Yet I tell you once again the wisdom enshrined in the Vedas. Man
should attain right knowledge and then enter into wedlock. Girl born to decent
parents serve their husbands well. Not all women are bad as they are offshoots
of Goddess Lakshmi. Wise men marry decent girls and retire to forest after
begetting worthy sons. As I have imparted you the wisdom enshrined in the Vedas
so by my that right over you, do I seek in gurudakshina that get married now, my son! Your soulmate Malavati
too has taken birth as daughter of king Srinjay and is awaiting you. Her name
in this life is Ratnamala. Marry her and keep worship Lord Srikrishana at home.
Serving lord Srikrishna is the best of toughest of penance performed in the
forests. Wife is the best friend of a man. Her company is most comforting.
Dearer then a wife is a son who is reflection of a man’s own self. Man enjoys
being defeated only by his virtuous and glorious son..”
Thus explaining him father turned quiet. The
son was however a hard nut to crack. His mind hardly received the instructins
explained by the father. He confidently counterd him,-“ Father! This entire
creation is mere illusion. The creation is nothing but a bubble arising from
the ocean called supreme consciousness. Lord Srikrishna is the ocean of bliss,
security and peace. All forms of life are ephemeral and transient. Who is
whose’ wife and who is whose’ son? Relations are mere waves of ocean that
appear and disappear in due course. The waves know no identity and merely
represent flow of water. I understand fully this wisdom yet for your
satisfaction shall I enter into wedlock. But before that I shall move to mount Badrinath
Hearing such assurance the father cheered up
and smile spread over his five faces. Heavens showered flowers over the
prospective groom. Seeing the obedient son bowing in front of him father Brahma
felt relieved and could not but thank Lord Srikrishan who had ultimately graced
the mind of his esurient devotee.
The son then raised his head and said,-:
Father1 Please give me a mantra to please lord Srikrishna and narrate to me his
stories in detail.. . that enthrall my heart so much, then only shall I marry
the girl you suggest.
An ebullient father replied back with a
jubilant smile,-“Mantra should not be taken from the father or husband for that
is merely a biological relation. Lord Shiv is the best guide in spiritual
matters. Go to him and then come back to me..”
Narad thanked his lord and after bowing to his
father moved to Shivlok to salute his spiritual guide.
As he stepped in the Shivlok his soul felt an
ineffable relief and insouciance. The entire sphere was replete with
matchlessly serene and beautiful abodes of siddhas, yogis, bhairavas and parshads
etc. Scintillating lights of various coulors glittered amazingly all around. No
sign of darkness no smell of earthly matter and nothing unpleasant had a room
in the entire Shivlok. The glorious sphere of Lord Shiv was fragrant and so
calming that Narad wished not to move away from there for even a single moment.
He remembered the devotion of lord Shiv to lord Srikrishna and mentally
saluting the duo moved on to have a meeting with Lord Shiv.
As he found himself standing in front of Lord
Shiv, who with his five heads adorned with three enlightened eyes reflecting
serenity of wisdom and warmth of divine devotion, looked as resplendent as a
full moon rendering calm brilliance of moonlight in the dark sky. Countless
sages, seers, siddhas, yogis, bhairavas etc. surrounding him were fully
absorbed in prayers with utmost veneration. Narad found lord Shiv holding rosary
made of lotus seeds in his hand and chanting names of Lord Srikrishna on beads.
He bowed before him and strummed his veena sportingly to amuse the master
devotee of lord Srikrishna. Lord Shiv rose up from his throne and hugged Narad.
He then asked him to sit beside him as a son. But the overwhelmed Narad forgot
to sit and kept on playing his veena in the praise of Lord Srikrishna. Equally
bemused Lord Shiv smiled and made Narad sit beside him on his left side to
enjoy his vicinity.
“Lord! Please enlighten me about the daily
routine one should pursue to attain God.” He beseeched with folded hands.”
“ Son! one should get up early in the morning
and worship the guru first imagining
that the guru is immanent in the top of one’s head. Imagine that the guru is
gracing with a smile and thus meditate over the guru believing the guru to be a
stretch of the supreme light.”
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