Nārada Relates His Past Life to Vyāsa
This chapter, which concludes the conversation between Śrī Nārada and Śrī Vyāsa, contains thirty-nine verses. The opening verse and the two concluding verses are spoken by Sūta Gosvāmī, who continues to relate the Bhāgavata to the sages headed by Śaunaka. Verses 2–4 are spoken by Vyāsa, and verses 5–37, by Nārada. In the previous chapter, Nārada described how in his past life as a young boy of just five years, he received the blessings of the munis, who instructed him in transcendental knowledge. Hearing this, Vyāsa now inquires further from Nārada as to what he did after the departure of the sages, how he eventually gave up that body as the son of a maidservant, and how he was able to remember the events of his past life, his memory being unobstructed by the influence of time.
Beginning from verse 5, Nārada replies to the questions of Vyāsa. Soon after the munis departed, his mother died of a snakebite. Although a mere boy of five years, he had lost all interest in worldly life after hearing from the munis. Consequently, he accepted the death of his mother as the grace of Bhagavān and left home, traveling northward. Having journeyed across many wondrous lands while absorbed in thoughts of Bhagavān, he came upon a vast and intimidating forest, wherein he sat to meditate according to the instructions he had received from the sages.
In the state of transcognitive awareness, Bhagavān was briefly self-disclosed within Nārada’s heart but then suddenly disappeared. Being greatly perturbed by the loss of the sight of Bhagavān, Nārada tried unsuccessfully to induce the vision once again. In the midst of his struggle, the invisible Bhagavān spoke to him, informing Nārada that he would not be able to see Him again in this life. Bhagavān then assured Nārada that the single vision he was granted was simply to arouse his longing for Him.
Significantly, in verse 24, Bhagavān pointed out that the devotional regard (mati) that was born in Nārada was due to his brief association with self-realized devotees. He also avowed that Nārada would attain to the existential state of being His associate after giving up the present body. Finally, in verse 25, Bhagavān informed Nārada that his devotional regard (mati) for Him as well as the remembrance of the present life would never be lost, not even during the period of cosmic dissolution. This statement of Bhagavān is the answer to Vyāsa’s question in verse 4, as to how it was possible for Nārada to recall the events of his past life.
From this point forward, Nārada, as the young son of a maidservant, roamed the earth, constantly uttering the names of Bhagavān, while awaiting the moment of his death and ascension. When the fateful moment finally arrived, Nārada’s phenomenal gross and subtle bodies dropped, and he received the spiritual body of an associate, as promised by Bhagavān in verse 24. At the end of Brahmā’s day, Nārada entered within the interior of Brahmā, when the latter was about to enter into the heart of Viṣṇu to sleep during the period of dissolution.
When Brahmā awoke to begin a new cycle of evolution, Nārada was born as his son. In the liberated transcendental body of an associate, Nārada now travels both inside and outside the three worlds, singing the glories of Bhagavān, while playing the vīṇā given to him by Bhagavān Himself. On this note, Nārada concluded the account of his past and present life. Having replied to all of Vyāsa’s questions, he took his leave and departed from Vyāsa’s hermitage, while playing on his vīṇā. The chapter ends with Sūta praising Nārada’s enrapturement in singing the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
All Verses
- Verse 1Śrī Sūta said: O brāhmaṇa [Śaunaka], having thus heard of the birth and actions of the celestial sage Nārada, the honorable Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, inquired further from him [as follows].
- Verse 2Śrī Vyāsa inquired: Thereafter, when the mendicants who were your preceptors in transcendental knowledge had departed for distant lands, what did you do, being a mere child at that time?
- Verse 3O son of Brahmā, in what manner of existence did you spend the rest of your life, and how did you give up your body when the time of death arrived?
- Verse 4O greatest of sages, since this insurmountable time is the destroyer of all things, how did it not obstruct your memory concerning these events in the previous day of Brahmā?
- Verse 5Śrī Nārada replied: Thereafter, when the mendicants who were my preceptors in transcendental knowledge had departed for distant lands, I, a mere child at that time, did as follows.
- Verse 6My mother, who had only one son, being a simple woman and a maidservant, became affectionately bound to me, her offspring, who was without any other refuge.
- Verse 7Being dependent on others, she was unable to procure my needs and security, although wishing to do so. The entire world is under the control of Īśvara alone, just as a wooden puppet [is controlled by a puppeteer].
- Verse 8Being a five-year-old boy and having no experience of directions, places, and time, I, out of consideration for her, lived in that family of brāhmaṇas [where my mother was engaged in service].
- Verse 9One night, my mother left the house to milk the cow. On the path, a snake, impelled by the will of providence, was touched by her foot and bit the helpless woman [resulting in her death].
- Verse 10At that time, considering this as the grace of Īśvara, who intends the well-being of His devotees, I departed for the northern direction [as recommended in scripture].
- Verse 11-14There [while traveling northward], I observed prosperous kingdoms, cities, villages, cowherd settlements, mines, small towns, mountain villages, flower gardens, forests, groves, beautiful hills and mountains decked with valuable minerals of various colors, trees with their branches broken by elephants, reservoirs of clear water, and lakes abounding with lotus flowers, frequented by celestial beings, resounding with the melodious cooing of birds, and adorned with bees fluttering here and there. Having journeyed across these lands all alone, I then beheld a great forest that was dense with rushes, solid bamboo trees, reeds, clumps of tall grass, kuśa grass, and hollow bamboo trees. Being a playground for serpents, owls, and jackals, it was terrible and fearsome. [Yet I was neither astonished nor frightened even in looking upon all these numerous wondrous and fearsome sights, because my mind was then absorbed exclusively in tasting Bhagavān’s mādhurya.]
- Verse 15Being sensually and physically exhausted and afflicted with thirst and hunger, I bathed in the lake of a river, drank its water, performed ācamana, and was consequently relieved of all fatigue.
- Verse 16In that forest bereft of people, while seated at the foot of a Pippala tree, I meditated as previously instructed via the intuitive-intellective faculty on the Supreme Self, immanently present in my own heart.
- Verse 17While meditating on the lotus feet of Bhagavān through awareness overwhelmed by devotional affect, Bhagavān Hari [Śrī Kṛṣṇa] manifested sequentially in my heart, when my eyes were filled with tears of ecstasy due to intense longing.
- Verse 18O sage [Vyāsa], with my bodily limbs erupting with horripilation due to excessive divine love (prema), I experienced overwhelming joy. Being absorbed in an inundation of bliss, I could perceive neither myself nor Bhagavān.
- Verse 19Being suddenly bereft of the vision of that form of Bhagavān, which is cherished by the mind and dispels all grief, I was aroused from my meditative state out of agitation, being troubled in mind like [a person who has obtained and then lost a valuable treasure].
- Verse 20Anxious to see that form of Bhagavān again, I concentrated my mind upon my heart. Yet, although focused within, I could not see Him and was thus left feeling unfulfilled, like a person in despair.
- Verse 21While I was striving in this manner in that solitary place, Bhagavān, who is beyond the range of speech, spoke to me with deep and soothing words, as if to quell my grief.
- Verse 22[Śrī Bhagavān said:] Alas, dear boy, you will not be able to see Me here in this life, because I am imperceptible to immature yogīs whose impurities are unburnt.
- Verse 23O sinless one, I have shown My form to you just once to arouse your longing for Me. An authentic seeker who longs for Me gradually forsakes all other desires lying in the heart.
- Verse 24By service to devotees established in authentic being even for a brief period of time, resolute devotional regard for Me was born within you. Upon giving up this imperfect material body, you will attain to the existential state of being an associate of Mine.
- Verse 25By My grace, this devotional regard of yours that is completely bound to Me will never be lost at any time, and neither will your remembrance [pertaining to the present life], not even during the dissolution of the created world of living beings.
- Verse 26Having spoken thus, that Infinite Being, the Supreme Immanent Regulator of all (Īśvara), who is without a visible form, yet who is signified by limitless space, desisted from speaking. Thereupon, being blessed by Him, I offered obeisance to Him, the greatest of the great, by bowing my head.
- Verse 27Bereft of all cravings, prideless, and free from envy, I roamed about the earth contented at heart, uttering the names of the unlimited One [Bhagavān] without reservation and remembering His mysterious and auspicious deeds, while awaiting the moment [of my death and ascension].
- Verse 28O brāhmaṇa [Vyāsa], the moment of death appeared at its own appointed time, like a sudden flash of lightning, to me, whose mind was thus fixed on Kṛṣṇa, who had developed loving attachment for Him, and whose heart was pure.
- Verse 29When I was endowed with that body of an associate of Bhagavān, constituted of unalloyed being, the matured results of my previous actions were exhausted and my phenomenal body constituted of the five material elements fell off.
- Verse 30At the end of the previous day of Brahmā, when Śrī Nārāyaṇa reposed on the water of the primordial ocean, having reabsorbed this world, I, united with his [Brahmā’s] ingoing breath, entered within Brahmā, who wished to sleep [in the body of Śrī Nārāyaṇa].
- Verse 31At the end of one thousand cycles of the four yugas, [Brahmā,] after waking up, desired to bring forth this world. At that time, I and the sages headed by Marīci were born out of his life force.
- Verse 32By the grace of Mahāviṣṇu, I, being resolutely established in unbroken bhakti and unobstructed in my movements anywhere, roam both inside and outside the three worlds.
- Verse 33I wander all over singing the narrations of Bhagavān Hari [Śrī Kṛṣṇa] while playing this vīṇā, which was given to me by the effulgent Lord (Deva) and which is adorned with the seven musical notes that embody Brahman in the form of sound.
- Verse 34When I sing of the heroic deeds of Bhagavān, whose glory is most endearing and whose feet are the source of all holy places, He immediately makes Himself visible in my heart, as if summoned by me.
- Verse 35This very act of continuously describing the deeds of Bhagavān Hari, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is directly experienced as a boat for crossing the ocean of material existence for those whose minds are incessantly tormented by the urge to appropriate sense objects.
- Verse 36The mind, which is continuously overwhelmed by desire and greed, is not as directly established in tranquility by the methods of yoga, beginning with the practice of moral restraint (yama), as it is by the sacred service of Bhagavān Mukunda, “the very embodiment of liberation.”
- Verse 37O sinless [Vyāsa], I have described to you all that you have asked regarding the mystery of my birth and actions and regarding the means of fulfillment of your authentic self.
- Verse 38Śrī Sūta said: After conversing in this manner with the son of Satyavatī [Vyāsa], the illustrious sage Nārada took his leave, and while playing his vīṇā, he departed, having no purpose of his own to fulfill.
- Verse 39Oh! This divine sage is indeed blessed, because he, being enraptured while singing the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa to the accompaniment of his vīṇā, delights this entire world, which is afflicted by the threefold miseries.