Chapter Twenty-one Śrī Nāradopākhyāna The Story of Śrī Nārada

O deliverer from evils, that sage must have performed great austerities to have attained a transcendental form like Yours.

Śrī Nārada said: As Rādhā was speaking these words, the sage's body became transformed into a stream that killed all sins as it flowed on Mount Rohita.

Filled with wonder to see the sage's body transformed into a stream, King Vṛṣabhānu's daughter Rādhā spoke to King Nanda's son, Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Rādhā said: Why did this great sage's body become a stream? O Lord, only You can cut apart the bewilderment I feel about this.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: That king of sages was filled with love and devotion for Me. O girl whose thighs are like banana trees, that is why his body became liquefied.

When that great sage saw Me, he became so happy that his body at once melted and became a liquid, as My own body also became a liquid in the past.

Śrī Rādhā said: O master of the demigods, O ocean of mercy, how did Your body become a liquid? This fills Me with wonder. Please tell Me this story in great detail.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The sages tell the ancient story of this pastime. When one hears it his sins become destroyed.

In ancient times Lord Brahmā, the progenitor of the living entities, was born from My lotus navel. He performed austerities, and with My blessings he created the material universe.

From the creator Brahmā was born a saintly son named Nārada who, mad with love for Me, wandered the worlds singing songs about Me.

One day Lord Brahmā, the pregenitor of the living entities, said to Nārada, "O very intelligent one, please father many children. Give up this useless wandering."

Hearing these words, Nārada said, "Father, I am eager for transcendental knowledge. I will not create children. Creating children is the cause of bewilderment and grief."

I will create devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa and songs about His glories. You should give up the creation of children, which brings only sufferings.

His lips trembling with anger, Brahmā cursed him, Fool, you like to sing. Become a gandharva for a kalpa."

O Rādhā, because of this curse Nārada became the gandharva Upabarhaṇa. For one kalpa he was the leader of the gandharvas in the world of the demigods.

One day, accompanied by many women, he came to Brahmā's planet. His mind thinking of the beautiful women, he sang without a proper tāla rhythm.

Again Brahmā cursed him, "Fool, become a śūdra!" By Brahmā's curse he then became a maidservant's son.

O Rādhā, again he was born as Brahmā's son, and again, mad with love for Me, he wandered the worlds singing songs about Me.

Nārada became the king of sages and the best of devotees. A blazing sun of transcendental knowledge and a pure devotee very dear to Me, Nārada always meditated on Me.

One day, as he was traveling where he wished, seeing many different worlds, and singing many songs, Nārada came to the place named Ilāvṛta-varṣa.

O beloved, in that place is a dark jambū-juice river that becomes the golden river named Jambūnada.

In that place the yogī Nārada saw the city Veda-nagara, which was filled with jewel palaces and divine men and women.

ślathad-dantonnata-skandhān natānana-vikandharān strī-janān puruṣāṁś cāsāv aṅga-bhaṅgān dadarśa ha kāṁścit—some; vai—indeed; pāda-rahitān—without feet; vigulphān—without ankles; jānu-varjitān—without knees; vijaṅghān—without legs; jaghana—hips; vyaṅgān—disfingured limbs; kṛśa—withered; ūrūn—thighs; kubja—disfigured; madhyakān—torsos; ślathat—loose; danta—teeth; unnata-skandhān—hunched backs; nata—bowed; ānana—heads; vikandharān—deformed necks; strī-janān—women; puruṣān—men; ca—and; asau—he; aṅga-bhaṅgān—broken limbs; dadarśa—saw; ha—indeed. There he saw the men and women were all deformed. Some had no feet, some no ankles, some no knees, some no legs, some twisted hips, some emaciated thighs, some disfigured torsos, some loosened teeth, some hunched shoulders, some bowed heads, and some no necks.

ślathad-dantonnata-skandhān natānana-vikandharān strī-janān puruṣāṁś cāsāv aṅga-bhaṅgān dadarśa ha kāṁścit—some; vai—indeed; pāda-rahitān—without feet; vigulphān—without ankles; jānu-varjitān—without knees; vijaṅghān—without legs; jaghana—hips; vyaṅgān—disfingured limbs; kṛśa—withered; ūrūn—thighs; kubja—disfigured; madhyakān—torsos; ślathat—loose; danta—teeth; unnata-skandhān—hunched backs; nata—bowed; ānana—heads; vikandharān—deformed necks; strī-janān—women; puruṣān—men; ca—and; asau—he; aṅga-bhaṅgān—broken limbs; dadarśa—saw; ha—indeed. There he saw the men and women were all deformed. Some had no feet, some no ankles, some no knees, some no legs, some twisted hips, some emaciated thighs, some disfigured torsos, some loosened teeth, some hunched shoulders, some bowed heads, and some no necks.

Seeing them all, the sage Nārada said: "What is this wonder? You all have lotus faces, splendid forms, and beautiful garments.

"Are you devas? Are You upadevas? Are you great ṛṣis? You sing and play on your instruments very beautifully.

"Why are you deformed? Please tell me." Addressed in this way, all the people, unhappy at heart, replied.

The rāgas said: O sage, our bodies have suffered terribly. We will tell you how these sufferings may be thrown far away.

O sage, we are rāgas and we live in the city of Veda-nagara. O gentle and humble one, please hear how we became deformed in this way.

Lord Brahmā has a son named Nārada who, mad with love, sings the wrong melodies at the wrong times.

He is a great sage that wanders the words as he wishes. But his singing the wrong songs at the wrong times, with the wrong notes and without a proper rhythm, has broken the limbs of our bodies.

Hearing these words, Nārada became astonished. Humbled, and trying to smile, he spoke.

Śrī Nārada said: How can one obtain knowledge of the proper times and proper rhythms of music? Please tell me.

The rāgas said: Goddess Sarasvatī is the dearest beloved of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of Vaikuṇṭhaloka. One who learns from her will know the proper times of music.

After hearing their words, Nārada, who is very kind to the distressed, went to Mount Śubhra to obtrain the mercy of Goddess Sarasvatī.

O queen of Vraja, for one hundred celestial years Nārada performed austeries. Fasting from food and water, he meditated on Goddess Sarasvatī.

Purified by Nārada's austerities, that mountain ceased to be called Mount Śubhra. Now it is called Mount Nārada.

When his austerities had come to their end, the sage Nārada personally saw splendid Sarasvatī, the goddess of speech and the beloved of Lord Viṣṇu.

At once standing up, bowing down, and circumambulating Her with bowed head, Nārada, the king of sages, spoke many prayers gloirifying her beauty, virtues, and sweetness.

Śrī Nārada said: I offer my respectful obeisances to Goddess Sarasvatī, whose face is more beautiful than millions of moons, whose glistening anklets tinkle melodiously, and whose glistening crown, earrings, bracelets, and armlets eclipse the glory of the bimba fruit and the rising sun.

Again and again I offer my respectful obeisances to beautiful Goddess Sarasvatī, who wears a necklace of pearls splendid as a host of flying swans with restless feet and beaks.

I offer my respectful obeisances to you, beautiful Goddess Sarasvatī, who hold in your pure and splendid hands a vīṇā and a book, who grant the blessing of fearlessness, and who have come to this material world in your spiritual form.

O goddess dressed in white silk tossed by graceful waves as you walk, O auspicious one, please give me knowledge of music. Make me the best of musicians. Make me unrivaled among musicians.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: A person who rises at sunrise and recites this splendid prayer Nārada spoke to Goddess Sarasvatī, a prayer that removes the numbness of ignorance, becomes a great scholar in this world.

Pleased, Goddess Sarasvatī gave to the great saint Nārada the vīṇā named Devadattā, which was decorated with spiritual sound.

ṣaṭ-pañcāśat-koṭi-bhedair antar-bhedair asaṅkhyakaiḥ grāmair nṛtyaiḥ sa-vāditrair mūrchana-sahitaiḥ śubhaiḥ vaikuṇṭhasya pateḥ sākṣāt priyā mukhyā sarasvatī svara-gamyaiḥ padaiḥ siddhaiḥ pāṭhayām āsa nāradam rāgaiḥ—with the rāgas; ca—and; rāgiṇībhiḥ—with the ragiṇīs; ca—and; tat-putraiḥ—with their children; ca—and; tathā—so; eva—indeed; ca—and; deśa—place; kāla—time; ādi—beginning with; bhedaiḥ—distinctions; ca—and; tāla-māna-svaraiḥ—rhythms; saha—with; ṣaṭ-pañcāśat-koṭi-bhedaiḥ—with five-hundred and sixty million divisions; antar-bhedaiḥ—with sub-divisions; asaṅkhyakaiḥ—countless; grāmaiḥ—with scales; nṛtyaiḥ—with dances; sa-vāditraiḥ—with musical instruments; mūrchana-sahitaiḥ—with modulation; śubhaiḥ—beautiful; vaikuṇṭhasya pateḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha; sākṣāt—directly; priyā—the beloved; mukhyā—first; sarasvatī—Sarasvatī; svara-gamyaiḥ padaiḥ—with notes; siddhaiḥ—perfect; pāṭhayām āsa—taught; nāradam—Nārada. Goddess Sarasvatī, the dearest beloved of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, then taught Nārada the different rāgas and rāgiṇīs, their derivitives, the proper times and places for the different kinds of music, the different rhythms, the five-hundred-and-sixty-million divisions and numberless sub-divisions of scales, the various dances, the different musical instruments, and the different kinds of modulation.

ṣaṭ-pañcāśat-koṭi-bhedair antar-bhedair asaṅkhyakaiḥ grāmair nṛtyaiḥ sa-vāditrair mūrchana-sahitaiḥ śubhaiḥ vaikuṇṭhasya pateḥ sākṣāt priyā mukhyā sarasvatī svara-gamyaiḥ padaiḥ siddhaiḥ pāṭhayām āsa nāradam rāgaiḥ—with the rāgas; ca—and; rāgiṇībhiḥ—with the ragiṇīs; ca—and; tat-putraiḥ—with their children; ca—and; tathā—so; eva—indeed; ca—and; deśa—place; kāla—time; ādi—beginning with; bhedaiḥ—distinctions; ca—and; tāla-māna-svaraiḥ—rhythms; saha—with; ṣaṭ-pañcāśat-koṭi-bhedaiḥ—with five-hundred and sixty million divisions; antar-bhedaiḥ—with sub-divisions; asaṅkhyakaiḥ—countless; grāmaiḥ—with scales; nṛtyaiḥ—with dances; sa-vāditraiḥ—with musical instruments; mūrchana-sahitaiḥ—with modulation; śubhaiḥ—beautiful; vaikuṇṭhasya pateḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha; sākṣāt—directly; priyā—the beloved; mukhyā—first; sarasvatī—Sarasvatī; svara-gamyaiḥ padaiḥ—with notes; siddhaiḥ—perfect; pāṭhayām āsa—taught; nāradam—Nārada. Goddess Sarasvatī, the dearest beloved of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, then taught Nārada the different rāgas and rāgiṇīs, their derivitives, the proper times and places for the different kinds of music, the different rhythms, the five-hundred-and-sixty-million divisions and numberless sub-divisions of scales, the various dances, the different musical instruments, and the different kinds of modulation.

ṣaṭ-pañcāśat-koṭi-bhedair antar-bhedair asaṅkhyakaiḥ grāmair nṛtyaiḥ sa-vāditrair mūrchana-sahitaiḥ śubhaiḥ vaikuṇṭhasya pateḥ sākṣāt priyā mukhyā sarasvatī svara-gamyaiḥ padaiḥ siddhaiḥ pāṭhayām āsa nāradam rāgaiḥ—with the rāgas; ca—and; rāgiṇībhiḥ—with the ragiṇīs; ca—and; tat-putraiḥ—with their children; ca—and; tathā—so; eva—indeed; ca—and; deśa—place; kāla—time; ādi—beginning with; bhedaiḥ—distinctions; ca—and; tāla-māna-svaraiḥ—rhythms; saha—with; ṣaṭ-pañcāśat-koṭi-bhedaiḥ—with five-hundred and sixty million divisions; antar-bhedaiḥ—with sub-divisions; asaṅkhyakaiḥ—countless; grāmaiḥ—with scales; nṛtyaiḥ—with dances; sa-vāditraiḥ—with musical instruments; mūrchana-sahitaiḥ—with modulation; śubhaiḥ—beautiful; vaikuṇṭhasya pateḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha; sākṣāt—directly; priyā—the beloved; mukhyā—first; sarasvatī—Sarasvatī; svara-gamyaiḥ padaiḥ—with notes; siddhaiḥ—perfect; pāṭhayām āsa—taught; nāradam—Nārada. Goddess Sarasvatī, the dearest beloved of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, then taught Nārada the different rāgas and rāgiṇīs, their derivitives, the proper times and places for the different kinds of music, the different rhythms, the five-hundred-and-sixty-million divisions and numberless sub-divisions of scales, the various dances, the different musical instruments, and the different kinds of modulation.

In this way Sarasvatī, the goddess of speech and the beloved of Lord Viṣṇu, made Nārada unrivalled in the circle of musicians. Then she returned to the spiritual world of Vaikuṇṭha. .pa