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ShivaFan
12 September 2012, 01:32 AM
Narada Pancharatra First Ratra Chapters 8 and 9

Namaste

Did you know that at one time Narada Muni did not have a Guru? At that time He was already travelling the Three Worlds. It is understood that when He attended an Assembly of Devas, where many Devas and Devis were there including many divines and angels numbering 33 crores and including the Nine Planets. There was a sacred fire, Vedic rites being conducted. Narada was given a place to sit, below almost everyone else.

He questioned Brahma, stating as Brahma’s own child then why was He given such a lowly place to sit? Brahma told Him, it was because He has never taken a Guru.

Narada considered this, and realized He did not have a “Guru mantra”. In other words, though He always sings the Names of God, and repeats God’s Name as a mantra, He has never taken a mantra as initiated by a Guru.

And He told the Gods, “Whoever I see at dawn, I will take as my Guru…” and left the Assembly with the promise to return. Where did He go?

It was at dawn He arose and it is written in this Text, He saw an old fisherman with a net on shoulder, both walking and weaving his net. Narada ran to the fisherman and declared to this old man that the Fisherman was Guru and begged for initiation from the old man.

The old man said he was not worthy. The old man said, he had never himself taken initiation from a Guru and that he did have any mantra to give. Nevertheless, Narada requested from the old man to speak whatever was in his mind at that very moment. The fisherman said “Hari Bol”, upon which Narada returned to the Assembly of Devas and was given a seat in front of the Assembly having declared He now has both a Guru and a Mantra.

The Assembly demanded to meet His Guru, upon which Narada returned to the Fisherman and requested the old man to come. But the old man said he was partially lame, so Narada carried the old man on His back.

Narada presented the old man to the Assembly and then gave His full pranam, lying completely down before His Guru. The 33 crores of Gods were surprised. At that moment the old man became Shiva before them all. For Shiva was not at that Assembly. And so, what kind of Assembly was it?

And so we understand, the Guru of Narada is Shiva Himself. So cannot it not be said that Narada is both a Saiva and a Vaishnava? I do not claim to know the answer, perhaps I will ask Narada.

In the Narada Purana 63.121 is says, “Through diksa Siva the giver of All Benedictions is manifested in the Form of the Guru” and 65.58 says “I offer my obesances to Lord Shiva who has Assumed the Form of Guru”.

Shiva is the Most Kind. Om Namah Sivaya

realdemigod
12 September 2012, 03:29 AM
ShivaFan,
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing with us. This shows the indispensable role a Guru plays in one's spiritual development there by all areas of life. Guru is not just important in Hindu philosophy but also oriental philosophies.

Viraja
12 September 2012, 11:15 AM
Great news.

However, for a fully self-realized 'brahma-gnani' as Narada who has the privilege of personally visiting and viewing both Vishnu and Shiva, the boundaries such as 'saivite/vaishnavite' does not apply (IMO). These distinctions are only for humans... Narada is believed to be the 3rd incarnation of Vishnu among Vishnu 22 avataras, and hence he is one of the gods, therefore Saivite/Vaishnavite does not matter to him, he is free to pay his obeisance to any god whom he respects..

ShivaFan
12 September 2012, 01:52 PM
Namaste

Certainly it is true that designations such as Saiva or Vaishnav do not apply to certain Personalities.

But isn't it amazing how the Family and personal examples in the events of the Divine and the souls show how much the Family of Hinduism is a vast Family that has so many blades of grass in the construct of the basket that inter-weave us all together?

Om Namah Sivaya

R Gitananda
12 September 2012, 02:39 PM
namaste

ShivaFan (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/member.php?u=3743) thank you for sharing that allegory. According to the Bhagavatam Sri Narada did have gurus but I suppose the moral of the story is if one wants a seat of honor at an assembly of saints then taking formal initiation from a guru is the way to do it. And don't we see this played out today? "Such and such is a direct disciple of such and such!" and belonging to that 'lineage' gives them cred.

My opinion is that if one takes initiation for that reason then it is an ego trap. I think the consciousness of Jada Bharata is much closer to that of Shiva. Please correct me if I am wrong but I think that if Sri Shiva attended such an assembly it would probably be in disguise because he doesn't care about being honored; however if Sri Balaram attended such an assembly then not showing him the proper honor could have fatal consequences. Since I respect both personalities I guess I have to respect both points of view.

Hari Aum



SB 1.5.23 (http://vedabase.net/sb/1/5/23/en2): O muni (http://vedabase.net/m/muni), in the last millennium I was born as the son of a certain maidservant engaged in the service of brahmanas who were following the principles of Vedanta (http://vedabase.net/v/vedanta). When they were living together during the four months of the rainy season, I was engaged in their personal service.
SB 1.5.24 (http://vedabase.net/sb/1/5/24/en2): Although they were impartial by nature, those followers of the Vedanta (http://vedabase.net/v/vedanta) blessed me with their causeless mercy. As far as I was concerned, I was self-controlled and had no attachment for sports, even though I was a boy. In addition, I was not naughty, and I did not speak more than required.
SB 1.5.25 (http://vedabase.net/sb/1/5/25/en2): Once only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so doing all my sins were at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me.
SB 1.5.26 (http://vedabase.net/sb/1/5/26/en2): O Vyasadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great Vedantists, I could hear them describe the attractive activities of Lord Krsna (http://vedabase.net/k/krsna) And thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of the Personality of Godhead increased at every step.
SB 1.5.27 (http://vedabase.net/sb/1/5/27/en2): O great sage, as soon as I got a taste for the Personality of Godhead, my attention to hear of the Lord was unflinching. And as my taste developed, I could realize that it was only in my ignorance that I had accepted gross and subtle coverings, for both the Lord and I are transcendental.
SB 1.5.28 (http://vedabase.net/sb/1/5/28/en2): Thus during two seasons -- the rainy season and autumn -- I had the opportunity to hear these great-souled sages constantly chant the unadulterated glories of the Lord Hari (http://vedabase.net/h/hari). As the flow of my devotional service began, the coverings of the modes of passion and ignorance vanished.
SB 1.5.29 (http://vedabase.net/sb/1/5/29/en2): I was very much attached to those sages. I was gentle in behavior, and all my sins were eradicated in their service. In my heart I had strong faith in them. I had subjugated the senses, and I was strictly following them with body and mind.
SB 1.5.30 (http://vedabase.net/sb/1/5/30/en2): As they were leaving, those bhakti (http://vedabase.net/b/bhakti)-vedantas, who are very kind to poor-hearted souls, instructed me in that most confidential subject which is instructed by the Personality of Godhead Himself.