Balakanda - Doha 131 to 140

Doha - 131

"What is needed on this occasion is great personal charm and surpassing beauty, whereby the princess may be enamoured of me and place the wreath of victory round my neck," he continued.

"Let me ask Hari for a gift of beautry . But , alas! much time will be lost in going to Him. Yet I have no such friend as Hari: let Him, therefore , come to my rescue at this juncture,"Then Narada prayed in manifold wauys and to! the sportive and merciful Lord appeared before him . The sight was soothing to the sages's eyes . He was glad at heart and felt assured that his object would be accomplished . In great humility he told the Lord all that had happened, and said , Be gracious to me and be good enough to help me Lord , bestow on me Your own beauty; in no other way can I geat possession of her . Speedily do that which may serve my best interests; I am Your own servant , my lord.'' Seeing the mighty power of His Maya the Lord , who is compassiontat to the poor, smiled to himself and said:-

"Narada , listen to me; I shall do that alone which is good to you and nothing elese My words can never be untrue.""

"Hark O contemplative ascetic! if a pattient distracrted by his malady asks for something which is harmful to him , the physician would not give it In a like manner I have resolved on doing what is good to you.'' So saying the Lord disappeaed Under she spell of His Maya the sage was so mystified that he could not understand even such unambiguous words of Sri Hari. The chief of seers hastened to the spot where the arena for the choice marriage had prepared. Richly adorned, the royal suitors had occupied their respective seats with his retinue. The sage was royal suitors had occupied their respective seats , each with his retinue. The sage was glad at heart; for he though within himself , My beauty is so surpassing that the princess will never commit the error of choosing for her husband anyone else than me." In the sages's own interst the gracious Lord had made him hideous beyound description. But no one could mark the change that had taken place in him ; everyone knew him to be Narada and greeted him as such.

Two of Siva 's attendants too happened to be there. They knew the whole secret and, disguised as Brahmanas, went about seeing the fun.

In the row where sat Narada, exceedingly proud of his beauty, the two attendants of Mahesa too seated themselves. Being disguised as Brahmanas they could not be detected. They flung sarcastic remarks at Narada, saying , Hari has given this man such excellent beauty that the princess will be enamoured to look at it and shall certainly choose him, taking him for Hari* Himself." The sage was under a spell of delusion; for his heart had been stolen by love. The attendants of Siva felt amused at this and greatly enjoyed the fun . Even though the sage heard their ironical talk, he could not follow it, his reason being clouded by infatuation. No one perceived this extra -ordinary phenomenon: the princess alone saw his ugly form . The moment she beheld his monkey-like face and frightful form she was filled with rage.

Accompanied by her girl companions the princess then glided as a swan . With a wreath of victory in her louts hands she moved about surveying each of her royal suiltors.

She did not care to look even casually at the quarter in which Narada sat elated with pride. Again and again the sage would raise himself and fidget about ; the attendants of Hara smiled to see him in that state. The gracious Lord too went there in the form of a king , the princess joyfully placed the wreath of victory round His neck . The Lord of Laksmi carried off the bride to the despair of all assembled kings. The sage felt much perturbed ; for infatuation had robbed the sage of his reason. He felt as if a gem had dropped from a loosened knot in the end of his garment. The attendants of Hara then smilingly said, just look at your face in a mirror. Uttering these world bothe ran away in great alarm and the sage looked at his reflection in water. His fury knew no bounds when he beheld his form ; and he pronounced a terrible curse on the attendants of Siva:-

"O you sinful imposters, go and be reborn as demons. You mocked me; therefore, reap its reward . Mock again a sage, if you dare.''

Looking again in water, he saw that he had regained his real form; yet his heart found no solace. His lips quivered and there was indignation in his heart. At once he proceeded to where the Lord of Laksmi was . "I shall either curse Him or die at His door." he said to himself , "seeing that He was."I shall either curse Him or die at His door," He said to himself , "seeing that He has made me a butt of ridicule throughout the world." The terror of the demons , Sri Hari , met him right on the way . He was accompanied by Goddess Rama and the princess referred to above . The lord of immortals spoke in gentle tones , "To what destination, holy Sir , are you belaking yourself like one disteacted?'' As soon as he heard these words Narada was filled with rage. Dominated as he was by Maya, there was no reason left in him . He said . "You cannot bear to look upon the good fortune of others. You are richly endowed with jealousy and frud. While churning the ocean You drove Rudra mad and inciting HIm through the gods You made Him quaff the poison.

"Apportioning intoxicating liquor to the demons and poison to Sankara, You appropriated Rama and the lovely gem (Kaustubha) to Yourself. You have ever been selfis and perverse ,snd treacherous in Your dealings."

"You are absolutely independent and subordinate to none; therefore You do whatever pleases Your mind . You debase a good soul and redeem a vile person and neither rejoice nor grieve over it Deceiving everyone You have become habituated to such tricks. You entertain no fear and are always zealous in pursuing Your object . Good and evil deeds do not come in Your way ; no one has so far been able to correct You. You have this time played with fire and shall reap what You have sown. Take that very form in which You have imposed upon me: this is my curse. You made me look like a monkey ; therefore You have grievosly wronged me , so hall You suffer the pangs of separation from Your wife,"

Gladly accepting the curse, the compassionate Lord made many entreaties to the sage, and withdrew the irresistible charm of His Maya.

When Sri Hari lifted the spell of His Maya , there was neither Rama nor the princess to be seen by His side. In dire dismay the sage then clasped the feet of Hari and said , "O Reliever." of the distress of the suppliant, save me ! O gracious lord ! let my curse prove ineffectual.'' It was My will , reolied the Lord who is so merciful to the humble . I poured many abuses at You , sage repeated, how shall my sins be expiated? " Go and repeat the names of Sankara a hundred times; your heart will be disburdened at once. No one is dear to Me as Siva; never give up this belief even by mistake. O sage , he who does not earn the good -will of Siva shall never attain true devotion to Me . Bearing this in mind , go and perambulate the globe, My Maya shall haunt you no more."

Having thus reassured the sage, the Lord then disappeared; while Narada proceeded to Satyaloka (the seventh paradise, the abode of Brahma) chanting Sri Rama's praises as he went.

When the attendants of Siva saw the sage moving along the road free from delusion and greatly delighted at heart, they approached him in great alarm and, clasping his feet , spoke to him in great humility , We are servants of Siva and no Brahmanas, O great sage; we committed a great sin and have reaped its fruit . Now rid us of the curse, O benevolent sage." Narada , who was full of compassion to the humble, replied , Both of you go and take the form od demons . You shall possess an enormous fortune , grandeur and strength. When you have subdued the universe by the might of your arm, God Visnu shall take a human form. Dying at His hands in battle , you shall be liberated and shall never be reborn." Bowing their head at the sage's feet , both departed and were reborn as demons in due course.

In one Kalpa (round of creation) it was for this reason that Lord Sri Hari assumed a human form. It is His vow to gladden the gods, to delight the virtuous and to ease the earth of its burden.

Thus Sri Hari's births and exloits are many; they are all charming, delightful and marvellous. In every cycle of creation the Lord manifests Himself and enacts lovely sports of various kinds ; and the great sages have on each such occasion sung His story in wise marvel not. Infinite is Sri Hari and infinite are His stories; each saint sings and hears them in divergent ways . The lovely sports of Ramacandra cannot be sung even in crores of Kalpas. This episode, O Bhavani has been narrated by me in order to show that even enlightened sages are deluded by Sri Hari's Maya. The Lord is sportive and a friend of the suppliant; He is easy to serve and rids one of all sorrows.

There is no god, man or sage whom Sri Hari's powerful Maya cannot infatuate. Bearing this in mind , one should adore the Lord of this great Maya.

Hear,O daughter of the mountain -king another reason why the unbegotten, unqualified and formless Brahma became king of Ayodhya. I shall relate at length the marvellous story connected with it The Lord whom you saw roaming in the forest with His brother (Laksmana) in the garb of hermits, and whose doings drove you mad in the form of Sati to such an exploits, which serve as a cure for the disease of delusion. The sportive deeds that were performed by the Lord in that birth , I shall relate them all to the best of my talents. Hearing Sankara's words, O Bharadvaja, Uma blushed and smiled with love. Siva (who has a bull emblazoned on His standard) then began to relate the cause of the Lord's descent on that particular occasion.