Narada Muni, the minstrel sage and a great devotee of Lord Vishnu was blessed with the boon of being able to travel effortlessly and as he wished through the whole universe. Naturally Narada, being an ardent devotee of the Lord, would often intersperse his wandering with regular visits to Lord Vishnu’s abode Vaikuntha.
One day when he dropped in at Vaikuntha Narada’s attention was drawn to a large statue of Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s vahana, the divine eagle prominently placed outside Vishnu’s temple. Inquisitive and very forthright by nature Narada Muni entered Lord Vishnu’s abode and candidly enquired, “Lord am I not your most sincere and dedicated devotee? Then why is a big statue of Garuda outside your temple?”
Before the Lord could reply, a loud crashing sound was heard from outside, Hearing the noise Lord Vishnu said to Narada, “I have sent Garuda out on an errand so please go out and check what occurred to cause such a loud crash.”
Obediently and hoping to impress Vishnu with his dedication Narada rushed out and immediately returned to inform the Lord, “The sound was from the crashing and breaking of pots a milkmaid was carrying on her head.”
Vishnu enquired, “Oh is that so and what was the milkmaid’s name?”
Narada turned and quickly went out and returned within a moment to say, “Her name is Sharada!”
Nodding Vishnu then asked, “And what caused her to fall?”
Now Narada began to lose his patience with these incessant questions but still wishing to prove his worth he went out once again and returning said, “A snake crossed her path and startled she dropped the pots.”
Vishnu then continuing with his questioning asked, “And did she break all the pots?”
Narada had had enough of these pointless questions and irritated he snapped, “Go, find out for yourself!”
With a gentle smile Vishnu coaxed, “Please Narada go and find out.”
Sullenly Narada demanded, “Why?’
Vishnu was quick to respond, “Because I might want to buy some milk.”
Narada shrugged and went out once again. This time he did so very reluctantly. He returned to inform Lord Vishnu, “She broke two pots but is willing to sell you milk from the other unbroken ones.”
“And what was the price she asked for the milk?” enquired the Lord.
An exasperated Narada shook his head and replied, “Oh I forgot to ask her the price.”
Right at that moment the mighty Garuda swooped in, his massive wings closing as he settled at Lord Vishnu’s feet.
Narada was just about to step out to ask the milkmaid the price of the milk when Lord Vishnu stopped him and instead said to Garuda, “There was a crashing noise outside would you go and check what caused it?”
Then smiling and in a conspiratorial whisper Vishnu said to Narada, “Now let’s see what he does.”
Narada smiled a knowing smile, aware of Vishnu’s penchant for occasional pranks. He was delighted that Garuda would now be put through the same drill he had just experienced.
Barely a few moments had passed when Garuda returned and said, “Lord a milkmaid named Sharada startled by a snake that was crossing her path dropped and broke two of her pots. This caused the crashing sound outside. She was wondering what to do with the milk in the remaining pots and I suggested she sell it to You. After all You are the husband of the Goddess of Wealth Laxmi who arose from the ocean of milk.”
Lord Vishnu immediately questioned, “And what is the price of the milk?”
Garuda answered instantly, “Lord, she asks for four copper coins for the milk.”
Vishnu laughed heartily as he turned his gaze towards a dumbstruck Narada who had now realized why Garuda’s statue stood prominently outside Vishnu’s abode. Garuda’s value was immeasurable when one considers that he had anticipated the Lord’s needs and provided all that the Lord required without having been told to do so.
Prostrating before the Lord, Narada left Vaikuntha and continued his travels. On his way to Prayaga to bathe in the confluence of the holy waters of the Ganga and Yamuna he came to a dense forest. As he walked through the forest he came across a bird lying on the ground flapping its wings wildly as it suffered the excruciating pain of an arrow shot through its tiny body. Narada was horrified that anyone could commit such a cruel act of leaving this poor bird in this half dead state. Barely had he walked a few steps further when he came across a deer suffering the same agony of being nearly dead. Then a few steps further lay a boar writhing in distress and left to die an agonizing death. Not far from the boar was a rabbit also suffering the last throes of life.
Compassionate Narada was truly disturbed at seeing these helpless creatures made to suffer such cruelty. He thought to himself, “Who is this foolish person who could commit this terrible sin of inflicting such dreadful pain on these harmless creatures?”
Tormented by thoughts of the forest creatures’ misery Narada was determined to find out who the sinner was. It was then that he came across a hunter striding through the forest his bow and arrow poised to kill. The hunter was a large man and had blood shot eyes. He looked menacing and very aggressive. As Narada walked towards the hunter all the animals and birds caught in the hunter’s traps were freed and escaped. The hunter grew irate at seeing this and walked upto Narada. He was about to hurl some filthy abuses at Narada when he discovered that he could not mouth the vile epithets. The presence of the saintly Narada had completely transformed him. Instead of angry threats he said in a gentle voice, “Why dear sir, have you entered this forest? Have you lost your way? As you walked all the animals escaped from my traps and fled.”
Narada replied, “Yes your prey have indeed escaped but I am walking through the forest because I have seen a bird, deer, boar and rabbit along my path suffering unbearable pain because the hunter who shot them has left them half dead. It would have been kinder to have killed them rather than leave them to suffer in this manner. I am walking through the forest to find out who would be foolish enough to commit such horrendous sins.”
The hunter replied in a most forthright manner, “Yes these animals have been left half dead by me.”
Narada asked. “If you are a hunter why don’t you kill them instead of making them suffer unimaginable agony?”
The hunter replied, ‘Sir my name is Mrgari enemy of the animals. I am simply following what I have been taught by my father. We get great pleasure in watching animals suffer.”
Narada shook his head sadly and said, “I have one request to make. Please next time you hunt an animal kill it and never leave it to writhe in pain as it dies.”
Mrgari looked surprised as he asked, “But this is the way I have learnt to hunt. Why do you ask me not to leave them half dead? What is the difference between half-killing and killing it completely? After all either way they end up dead.”
Narada looking at him with compassion realized that the hunter had no idea of the immense cruelty of his acts. He patiently explained, “When you half-kill an animal it suffers immeasurably till its final death. In putting them through such excruciating pain you commit the grievous sin of cruelty.’
Although the hunter was a hardened sinner in the presence of the holy Narada muni his heart softened. He realized his mistake and never wanted to sin again.
Bowing his head and folding his hands in humility the transformed hunter begged Narada, “Respected sage, all my life I have been committing these sinful actions. Please help me to rid myself of all the sins I have accumulated. Please give me directions as to the way I should live my life in the future.”
Narada replied, “If you can honestly and sincerely follow my directions you will indeed be free of your sinful past and live the rest of your life righteously.”
"I will do whatever you ask of me without question," the hunter responded immediately.
“First you must break your bow and all your arrows,” ordered Narada.
Without any hesitation Mrgari broke his bow and arrows and looked up at Narada muni for further directions. But as he had completed the task he said, “Now that I have broken my weapons I have no means of livelihood.”
Narada smiled and said, “Do not worry about your livelihood I will provide for you.”
Narada then instructed Mrgari, “Return home and distribute all the money you have accumulated to pious Brahmins and the poor. Once you have done this return to me wearing the one piece of cloth that you have retained for yourself.
Mrgari did exactly as he was told. When he returned Narada instructed him to build a tiny hut on the banks of the river and sow a tulasi plant in front of the house.
Before leaving Narada’s final instructions were “Mrgari every day circle around the tulasi three times. Then pick one tulasi leaf lying on the ground and eat it. My last instruction to you is that you keep chanting -Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.”
Narada left. Mrgari faithfully followed the all the instructions he had received.
While leaving the forest Narada revived all the half-dead animals left by Mrgari in the forest.
It was not long before the villagers began to notice a transformation in Mrgari. He had become a true devotee of the Lord. Seeing him now as a pious soul they would often visit him bringing along with them gifts of grain and fruit. Soon they began to revere Mrgari as a saintly person. He had so many people visit him to pay their respects to him that he now had enough food each day for at least ten to twenty persons. However on receiving the food he remembered that Narada and instructed him to only keep what he required and distribute everything else. All the extra food Mrgari began to distribute to the needy and Brahmins.
After some years Narada decided to pay a visit to the hunter. As he approached Mrgari’s tiny hut Mrgari who had seen his spiritual master coming toward him rushed out to greet Narada. As he approached the sage he noticed that there were several ants on the ground in front of him. He carefully side stepped the ants as he approached Narada. When he reached Narada he was about to prostrate before the divine sage when he noticed swarms of ants just below his feet. Taking a small cloth he had over his shoulder he gently cleared the ants making sure none of them were harmed even slightly.
When Narada saw the hunter trying to save the lives of the ants he was reminded of a verse from the Skanda Purāṇa: "Is it not wonderful that a devotee of the Lord is not inclined to give any sort of pain to anyone, not even to an ant?"
Narada was delighted to see the transformation in the hunter. From a man who took pleasure in seeing animals suffer painful deaths he had become one who could not bear to, even inadvertently, hurt an ant. He had followed Narada’s instructions, lived a frugal life and chanted the mantra every day. His dedication and devotion to the Lord had earned him the love and respect of the villagers. He never had to ever worry about procuring food to eat and he received so many gifts that he had more than enough to give away to the poor, needy and the Brahmins.
It was now time for Narada to once again pay a visit to Lord Vishnu. Along the way he met a holy Brahmin who said, “Narada I hear you are going to Vaikuntha to visit the Lord.”
Narada nodded conveying that he was indeed on his way to pay his respects to the Lord. The Brahmin then said, “Could you please ask Him when I will realize the Self and receive salvation from this samsara?”
Narada agreed and went on his way. A short while later he passed a cobbler sitting under a tree mending old shoes. The cobbler seeing Narada immediately paid his respects to the holy sage and asked, “If you are visiting Vaikuntha would you please enquire of Lord Vishnu when I will receive salvation and be free of this samsara?”
The kindly Narada agreed to do so.
Narada reached Vaikuntha he prostrated before the Lord. Rising up he said “Lord, on my way here I met a respected and learned Brahmin and a lowly cobbler. Both of them asked me to enquire of you when they would attain salvation.”
The Lord replied, “Tell the cobbler at the end of his present life he will join me here in Vaikuntha.”
“And what about the Brahmin?” asked Narada.
“Oh the Brahmin will have to live many, many more lives before coming to me. In fact I don’t really know when he will come.”
“But I don’t understand, “said the bewildered Narada, “How is it that an uneducated simple cobbler will reach you as he gives up his present body and a learned man well versed in the scriptures is unable to enter Vaikuntha?”
Lord Vishnu smiled and said, “You will get your answer when you meet them. They will ask you what the Lord was doing when you arrived at Vaikuntha. You must reply that He was pulling and pushing an elephant through the hole of a needle.”
An intrigued and puzzled Narada left Vaikuntha and went to see the Brahmin. He informed the Brahmin, “The Lord said it will be many many life-times before you are graced with union with the Lord.”
Sure enough the Brahmin immediately enquired, “And what was Lord Vishnu doing when you met him?”
Narada replied, “The Lord was pulling an elephant in and out of the eye of a needle.”
At first the Brahmin looked askance and then began to laugh loudly. As he guffawed he said, “I respect your garb as a sage but now I know that all that you have told me is complete nonsense! How can anyone pull and push an elephant through the eye of a needle! Ha Ha Ha. Having heard this I don’t believe that you even went to Vaikuntha! Let alone believe that the Lord told you I would take many lives to receive salvation.”
Narada realized that the Brahmin though well-versed in the scriptures had no faith. He knew that there was no place for the faithless at Vaikuntha.
Moving on he met the old cobbler still busy at work under the shade of the tree. Excited to see the holy sage the cobbler eagerly enquired, “Did you ask the Lord about my salvation?”
“Yes I did,” replied Narada, “and the Lord said you would be with him at the end of this very life.”
The overjoyed cobbler fell at Narada’s feet and with great reverence enquired, “Tell me great sage what was the Lord doing when you met Him?”
Narada as he had done earlier replied, “The Lord was pulling and pushing an elephant through the eye of a needle.”
The Cobbler folded his hands and looking heavenwards said, “The Lord is so powerful that He can do everything.”
Narada surprised at the cobbler’s response said, “You actually believe that God was pulling an elephant in and out of the eye of a needle?”
“Yes,” replied the cobbler, “Why not? Every day I sit under a banyan tree and so many fruit fall down from the tree. In each fruit there are so many seeds and in each tiny seed is a giant banyan tree. If a tiny seed can hold a huge tree within why can’t the Lord, who is all powerful, pull and push an elephant through the eye of a needle? After all He was the one who put the big banyan tree into the tiny seed.”
LIFE LESSONS
1. Just like Garuda we must be aware of the actions that would please God and act accordingly.
2. Like the hunter we too should learn that causing pain to any living being is cruelty and a sin.
3. Study, education and knowledge may be of value in this terrestrial world. But to God all that matters is our love and devotion for Him.
4. From Mrgari we learn if we place our trust God he will protect and provide for us always.
5. From the cobbler we learn that faith in the Lord makes the impossible possible.
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