Satataharitam - Short Stories On Narayana

Utpalaksha Unearths Upendra

Vishnu sat in Vaikuntha, watching as his Bhaktas on earth (and elsewhere alike) lost their minds and hearts over and to him. He saw some meditating upon his name for years and decades, and he saw others singing songs in his praise spontaneously, just by looking at an idol of him or even without that.

He saw some drawing and sculpting their own versions of him, but ending up being dissatisfied because there was something that they knew they hadn't captured. How could someone so infinite be captured anywhere, anyway?

He saw some dancing and imagining themselves as his beloved, as his devotee, as his friend, as his child, his mother, his servant. He saw some crying upon hearing his stories and he saw some smiling without any reason simply because their mind was so filled with his name.

And then, he saw one, right in front of him, perhaps a few metres away, with the widest smile on his face, taking his names constantly.

It was Narada. And it was as if Narayana's name was all he breathed.

Vishnu had a burning question in his heart, and today he couldn't hold back from asking it aloud.

"Narada," he began cautiously, almost. "What is it in worshipping me that makes people so happy?"

Narada stopped smiling so widely and scanned his Lord's face for a moment. There was genuine curiosity on it. Narada laughed. "Prabhu, what kind of a question is that for someone who knows everything? Akhilalokanayaka! Don't play your games with me!"

Vishnu shook his head. "No, I don't understand though! And it's a question I've had for a long time. Who's going to answer it if not you?"

Narada grinned. "Mata should be able to answer it. And I'm certain she'll do it far better than I possibly can."

Vishnu turned to Lakshmi in anticipation, while she thought about it for a moment, barely able to hide her smile.

Her inner thoughts already answered it. Who wouldn't do absolutely anything in the universe for such a pure, loveable, compassionate soul?
But she knew he wasn't going to be convinced by that.

"This is a hard thing to explain, Hari." she said. "It's a emotion. It must be felt. Explaining it would dilute its depth so much."

"But I want to know." Hari insisted.

Lakshmi spent the next couple of minutes thinking, but then something suddenly clicked. "You should incarnate as a devotee of Hari the next time you take a human incarnation! Then you'll have the firsthand experience of listening to His stories and completely losing yourself right there. Of feeling your whole world brighten up when you think of him. You know?"

Hari grinned at her, shaking his head. "You are an absolute genius!"

×××

Little Rama lied down on his bed, buried in blankets, as his father told him a story.

"So, now, Vishnu had to go to fix everything. As always!" Dasharatha laughed. "Bali Chakravarti was a great devotee of Narayana, just like his father and grandfather. And who was his grandfather?"

"Prahlada!" Rama squeaked, grinning. "I could never forget!"

Dasharatha chuckled fondly. "So Narayana decided to come to Bali's Kingdom in the form of a Vamana! Dwarf. Bali was going to donate to whoever came to him, whatever they needed or asked for, because Bali now was the King of the three worlds! He could give anyone anything he wanted. Or so he thought."