NARADA EXPERIENCES MAYA

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NARADA EXPERIENCES MAYA

 

Baba said, "Though I have become a Fakir, have no house or wife, and though

leaving off all cares, I have stayed at one place, the inevitable Maya teases

Me often. Though I forgot Myself I cannot forget Her. She always envelops

Me.This Maya (illusive power) of the Lord (Shri Hari) teases God Brahma and

others; then what to speak of a poor Fakir like Me? Those who take refuge in

the Lord wil be freed from Her clutches with his grace” in Sri Sai Satcharitra,

Ch. XIII.

 

Maharishi Narada once said to Sri Krishna that he wanted to experience the power of maya.

 

“So be it,” answered the Lord, “but not now.”

 

Years passed. One day, Sri Krishna sat on a secuded mountain slope with his

beloved devotee, Narada Mini.

 

As they talked, Sri Krishna became thirsty. He asked Narada to bring him some water.

 

Promptly, Narada Muni set out to fwetch water for his beloved Lord. He looked

here, there, everywhere. Not a drop of water was to be found. Narada’s anxiety

grew every minute. His beloved Sri Krishna was thirsty! It was important that

he should take water to quench his Lord’s thirst – and soon!

 

At a distance, he saw a cottage. Walking up to it hastily, he knocked at the

door. Surely, he thought, the lady of the house would spare him a bowl of water

to take to Sri Krishna. The door was opened, and Narada saw before him, the most

beautiful woman that his eyes and ever beheld! Verily, she was like an apsara,

descended from the skies.

 

Lord Krishna was forgotten, the water was forgotten, as Narada’s gaze became

transfixed upon the beauteous form before him.

 

“You have captivated me utterly,” he said to the woman. “I beg you to marry me and be my wife!”

 

And so it came to pass that they were married. Narada Muni revelled in the

pleasures of a worldly married life. Soon they begot children, and his bonds

tied him down to the world even more firmly.

 

Such is the power of maya – worldly illusion – that we are enticed by worldly

appearances and manifestations and forget our Divine selves and God, our

Creator. The great sage, Narada, was no exception!

 

In the course of time, the village in which they lived was struck by an

epidemic. Narada left the village with his family in search of safe place to

live. On the way, they had to cross a river in spate. Halfway across the river,

a powerful current swept away his wife and children. Narada began to weep in

anguish and sorrow.

 

Just then he heard a voice, “I am thirsty, Narada, won’t you bring me a cup of water?”

 

With a shock, Narada recognised the familiar voice! It was none other than the

voice of Sri Krishna, who had asked him to fetch water.

 

Narada repented deeply, awakening from the maya that had held him in thrall so

long. Had not he set out to fetch water to quench the Lord’s thrst? How deeply

the allure of maya had trapped him, that he had even forgotten his dearly

beloved Sri Krishna! Truly, he said to himself, tremendous is the power of

maya.

 

OM SAI SARI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI