Indian mythology stories. Curse and boon stories. Narad's marriage story. Vishnu's curse story. Mythology stories in English.
In the Himalayas, there was a cave that appeared exceptionally splendid. Nearby, the divine river Ganga flowed swiftly and continuously. A grand and celestial hermitage was close to the cave, adorned with various forms of beauty. The divine sage Narada arrived at that hermitage to perform penance. Upon seeing the cave, Sage Narada was greatly pleased and remained in deep meditation for a long time. His heart was pure, and he sat firmly in a meditative posture, practicing breath control and immersing himself in profound meditation.
"O Brahmins! In his meditation, Narada realized the supreme truth, the knowledge of 'Aham Brahmasmi' ('I am Brahman'). When Narada began such intense penance, Lord Indra, the king of gods, was deeply unsettled upon hearing the news. Disturbed and anxious, Indra thought, 'Narada desires my throne!' With this suspicion, Indra decided to disrupt Narada's penance.
Indra summoned Kamadeva (the god of love) and instructed him to disturb Narada's meditation. With pride, Kamadeva, accompanied by the spring season (Vasant), arrived at the hermitage and began to use all his magical arts. Vasant spread his enchanting influence in various ways. Despite their tireless efforts, Narada's mind remained unaffected. By the grace of Lord Shiva, the pride of Kamadeva and Vasant was shattered.
O great sages! The reason behind this incident is worth hearing. Earlier, in the same hermitage, Lord Shiva had performed intense penance and had burned Kamadeva to ashes for disturbing the penance of sages. Later, Rati, Kamadeva's wife, pleaded with the gods to revive her husband. The gods then approached Lord Shiva, requesting Kamadeva's resurrection for the welfare of the world. Lord Shiva agreed but declared, 'Though Kamadeva will be revived, his arrows will have no effect in this region as far as the eye can see.'
Thus, per Lord Shiva's decree, Kamadeva's powers were rendered futile in that place. Realizing their failure, Kamadeva and Vasant returned to Indra's court and narrated the entire event. Indra was astonished and praised Narada's devotion. However, under the influence of Lord Shiva's Maya (illusion), Indra could not recall past events.
In truth, understanding Lord Shiva's maya is extremely difficult for any living being in this universe. Only those who have surrendered completely at Lord Shiva's feet are free from its influence. Narada, blessed by Lord Shiva, continued his penance for a long time. When he considered his penance complete, a sense of pride arose in his heart: 'I have conquered Kamadeva!'
Blinded by Lord Shiva's maya, Narada failed to realize that his victory over Kamadeva was solely due to Lord Shiva's grace. Overwhelmed by pride, Narada decided to narrate his tale of triumph to Lord Shiva himself.
Arriving at Mount Kailash, Narada greeted Lord Shiva and, filled with pride, recounted his story, believing that his victory over Kamadeva was solely his own accomplishment. Lord Shiva, who is kind and loving towards his devotees, smiled gently and said:
'Dear Narada, you are wise and worthy of praise, but listen carefully to my words. Never speak of this event to anyone, especially not in the presence of Lord Vishnu. This accomplishment is not to be shared with others. I am instructing you because you are dear to me, and as a devotee of Vishnu, you are also deeply devoted to me. Remember my words and keep this incident a secret.'
Despite Lord Shiva's advice, Narada, under the influence of maya, ignored this counsel. He proceeded to Brahmaloka and narrated his tale to Lord Brahma. Brahma, understanding the truth by meditating on Lord Shiva's feet, advised Narada not to share the story further. However, Narada, still deluded by maya, dismissed this advice and hurried to Vishnuloka.
Upon arriving, Lord Vishnu welcomed Narada warmly, already aware of the events. Seating Narada respectfully, Lord Vishnu asked, 'O Sage, what brings you here?' Filled with pride, Narada narrated his tale of victory over Kamadeva.
Hearing this, Lord Vishnu, understanding the true cause of Narada's victory, spoke kindly:
'Narada, you are blessed and pure. How could lust ever affect someone as noble as you? You are beyond worldly desires and are ever steadfast in devotion and wisdom.'
Pleased with Lord Vishnu's kind words, Narada felt triumphant and departed joyfully.
However, Lord Vishnu, understanding Lord Shiva's intent, manifested an illusion on Narada's path—a magnificent city, more splendid than Vaikuntha itself. This city was ruled by King Shilanidhi, who was preparing for his daughter Shrimati's swayamvara (marriage ceremony). The city was adorned with countless royal princes, all eager to win the princess's hand.
When Narada arrived and saw Princess Shrimati, he was captivated by her divine beauty. Overcome with desire, he approached Lord Vishnu and requested to be given Vishnu's handsome appearance so that the princess would choose him.
Smiling, Lord Vishnu blessed Narada, but instead of granting him his divine face, he gave him the face of a monkey while keeping the rest of his body divine and radiant. Narada, unaware of his altered face, attended the swayamvara with confidence.
When Princess Shrimati saw Narada's monkey-like face, she was repulsed and passed him by, placing the garland around Lord Vishnu, who appeared in a princely form.
Humiliated and furious upon realizing the truth, Narada cursed Lord Vishnu in anger. Yet, Lord Vishnu, smiling, accepted the curse with grace, knowing it was all part of the divine plan.
This tale serves as a timeless lesson on the perils of pride and the inescapable power of the divine Maya. Despite being wise and saintly, even the great sage Narada fell prey to illusion, illustrating the supreme and unfathomable nature of the divine will."
