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Narada Jayanti 2024: Why Lord Brahma Cursed His Son?
Narada Jayanti 2024 is around the corner, and Hinduism celebrates him with enthusiasm, especially among the community of sages, s aints, and devotees of Lord Krishna.
Well, Sage Devrishi is the most revered and enlightened one and holds a higher level of spirituality. He is the most beloved devotee of Lord Narayan.
Devrishi is just like a son to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. He roams throughout the universe and sings the divine glories of Lord Narayana.
However, most of the Kali Yuga people know him as a messenger or a gossiper.
We at Vedic Story decided to discover the unknown story of Narad Muni. Let’s dig in!
Why Did Sage Narad Meet Vyasdeva?
Narad Muni, the chirpy, lovely like a little baby but yet the greatest strategist, is famous as a wanderer in the three realms: heaven, earth, and Pataal.
He once roamed delightly, but soon was distracted by an unhappy Sage Veda Vyas, the compiler of the Vedas. Muni decided to visit him and learn what’s bothering him.
Vyasdeva narrated his disappointment that he wrote so many vast scriptures but still couldn’t understand the reason for being unhappy.
He envisioned Vyas’s problem and what’s troubling him. To help Sage Vyas, he began to narrate his story.
Who Was Narad, How Was He Born as the Son of Lord Brahma and Why We Celebrate Narada Jayanti 2024?
The people of India know Narad as a devotee of Lord Vishnu. However, many of us don’t know how he was born.
He was a son of Lord Brahma, the creator of the world.
- Lord Brahma, at the beginning of the universe, gave birth to famous saptarṣis, Marīci, Aṅgiras, Atri, Pulastya, Vasiṣṭha, Pulaha, and Kratu. They are known as the mind-born sons of Brahma.
- Lord Brahma’s anger gave birth to Rudra.
- Narad Muni was born from his lap.
- Daksa was born with his right thumb.
- The four Sanat Kumars were born from his mind.
- Virani, a daughter, was born from his left-hand thumb.
However, the Sage we know today would not be the Sage Narad if he had not performed penance in his past lives.
Who Was Narad Muni in His Various Births, and What Was He Doing in His Past Lives?
Indian mythology and scriptures, especially the Puranas, narrate the seven births of Sage Narad, however we at Vedic Story are narrating as many as we can.
The First Birth Story of Narada Jayanti : The Gandharva, Upabarhana
At the beginning of the universe, Lord Vishnu ordered him to create the world and populate it with living beings. Lord Brahma accepted the daunting task and began to create divine living beings at first.
Brahma gave birth to Narada on from lap and asked him to take responsibility along with him for procreation like the other sons. However, he wished to remain celibate, like Marici and Sanata Kumaras.
He did not accept his father’s wish. He immediately declined his suggestion, which made Lord Brahma lose control of his anger.
Lord Brahma cursed Narada.
“You are going to lose all your knowledge and have to marry fifty lovely women. Narad, you would have been born as a Gandharva, Upa Barhana, a great musician.
You would play the vina. After living as a Gandharva, Narad, you would die.
Then you would become the son of a servant woman. However, in this birth, you would be a great devotee of Lord Vishnu.
After that, you will be my son again and get your knowledge back”.
The Second Birth Story of Narad Muni: Son of Kalavati
Once upon a time, emperor Drumila was living with his wife Kalavati in Kanyakubja. They wanted a child, and for that, they began performing penance on the shores of Ganga.
Kalavati pleased Sage Kashyapa with her devotion. As a result, he gave a boon to Kalavati to become pregnant with a child.
Drumila, on the other hand, renounced everything in life and desired to spend his resting life in the woods.
Drumila gifted all his wealth to sages and died. Kalavati also wanted to follow her husband to the funeral pyre. However, a celestial voice refrained from self-immolation.
Kalavati began to live as a slave in a brahmin’s house. After some time, she gave birth to a son. On the day of his birth (Narad Jayanti), rain poured and blessed the village people with water. The brahmin, boss of Kalavati, named her son Narada, the water giver.
The Third Birth Story of Narada Muni: Kapi, a Monkey
After taking birth as the son of a servant woman, he again took birth as the son of Lord Brahma. Brahma wanted him to get married, but he again preferred to spend his life in meditation with Lord Vishnu.
One day, Lord Brahma questioned his son, “Narad, why are you so afraid of getting married and living a householder’s life?
Many people attained Moksha by living the four stages of life.
- The celibate
- The house-holder
- The anchorite
- The sannyāsin
They are the people who serve both man and God together”.
After some time, a girl, Malati (Damayanti), was born as the daughter of Maharsi Sanjaya. Lord Shiva granted her the boon that she would be married to Narad and suggested she go to Badrikashram for penance under the guidance of Naranarayans.
Narad Muni was also suggested to reach there and meet the Naranarayans.
After reaching Badrikashram, in the divine presence of the Naranarayans, he married Malati.
After the wedding, some time went by happily.
Sage Devrishi and Parvata desired to go on a pilgrimage. They visited Emperor Sanjaya to witness the festival of Chaturmas (on this day, Lord Vishnu goes to sleep on Sheshnag for four months) in disguise.
The king asked his daughter, Damayanti, to serve them with her whole heart.
Sage Devrishi and Damayanti felt they had special feelings for each other.
One day, Sage Parvata asked Narad, “Do you think Damayanti has feelings for you”?
Devrishi, without thinking much, answered, “Yes, I too observed this”.
Parvata got angry with Devrishi for not keeping the secrets to themselves. He cursed Narad to become a Kapi, a monkey.
He also cursed Parvata to live in hell for a hundred years.
Fourth Birth as a Son of Daksh
After the creation of the earth and gods and goddesses, Lord Brahma called Daksha, his son, and asked him to marry Virani. He wanted to thrive on Earth with his life.
Prajapati Daksha did everything according to his father, Brahma, and procreated five thousand sons with Virani. They were known as Haryasvas.
As Brahma, Daksha also asked his sons to procreate. Narada, the brother of Daksha, approached the Haryasvas and asked them one question.
Oh! Haryaśvas! I heard you are trying to raise children. Have you ever thought of where they are going to live? Is there enough space on Earth for such a large number of people? You are just like little babies who do not know how the world runs, and who runs? How are you going to create people? You all are living freely in the sky, but I have one question: “Before you process, why do you not find out the available space and limit of the earth?”
Haryavas found Devrishi’s questions worthy and ran away in different directions as he asked.
Daksha was furious at the act of Narad. However, he did not lose hope and created the Sabalasvas.
Again, the Muni drove them away in the same way.
At this time, Daksha lost his control over anger and cursed his brother to roam the entire universe here and there, just like his children, without a permanent abode.
You would also have to be reborn as my son.
Fifth Birth of Narada as a Worm
Brahma’s curse on Devrishi took action, and he had to take births again and again.
As per the Mahabharata, this time he was born as a worm.
One such day, a chariot of the king was moving, and a worm quickly left the route and saved itself.
The king saw it and laughed.
The worm said, There is no need to laugh at my actions. In every birth, the body is dear to the soul for its progress to a higher level. You love your body and protect it from illness, so I do.
Sixth Birth of Narada as a Woman
According to the Shrimad Bhagavatam, once Devrishi visited Dwarka to meet Krishna to understand how he lives with his 1600 wives without quarreling. He manages such a vast number of wives without difficulty.
He wanted to test, so he first visited the palace of Rukmini, where he was invited with open arms by the queen and Krishna himself.
He was not satisfied, so he decided to visit Satyabhama. Again, he was welcomed by the queen and Krishna.
Sage visited all 1008 wives of Krishna and experienced the same every time. He was so amazed by the divine power of Krishna that he returned to Brahmalok, praising the Lord Krishna.
By learning all the pain, penance and trouble of the reversed sage and his willingness to remember his lord at the testing times made him free from the Earthly body and curse. Therefore, Sage Ved Vyas came to know that chanting Krishna’s name is the only option to be happy and content.
Conclusion
Due to a curse, the sage had to take many births and penances to return to his abode, Brahmaloka. Therefore, he is known as the trotter of the universe and a devotee of Vishnu as he chants the Narayana-Narayana. Narada’s return to Brahmalok after completing his curse was turned into a great celebration and came to be known as Narad Jayanti.
In 2024, the Narada Jayanti date is May 24. You can follow the panchang, perform the fast, and worship the most reversed sages of Hinduism and Vedic Story. Happy Narada Jayanti to everyone!
