and hermits who had to beg even for the basic requirement of food to feed themselves,
let alone derive comfort of a happy married life which you aim to achieve.] (3)
His (Narad’s) Mana (heart and mind) is full of deceit though he looks so
saintly from his external appearances. Indeed, he wishes everyone to become one like
him^1. (4)
[Note—^1 This statement has two connotations—(i) On the face of it this means that
Narad is so wicked that he wants everyone to become wondering mendicants as he
himself is. He does not want others to enjoy the comforts of a homely life; he is
jealous of others. (ii) But the other meaning is the real substance of this statement: it
means that Narad wants the creature to find liberation for his soul from the entangling
web of this world. Narad is not jealous of anyone’s happiness and comfort, but he
wants that the creature’s happiness and peace is not limited to being superficial and
transient but that it should be permanent and real. This is possible only when the
creature frees himself from the entanglement of this material world of countless
contradictions, and instead of pursuing this world the creature pursues the path of
spiritual enlightenment and self-realisation that leads to liberation and deliverance for
his soul, his Atma. Whereas pursuing the world would give him only transient
happiness and illusive peace, pursuing the path of self-realisation and enlightenment
would bestow upon him eternal happiness and peace of the highest kind.
It’s such an irony that a great and pious sage of an immaculate character and
noble intentions as Narad is accused repeatedly of being deceitful and wicked. Even
Parvati’s mother has vehemently accused Narad of spoiling the life of her daughter by
advising her to do Tapa for such an odd husband as Lord Shiva—refer: Ram Charit
Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line nos. 1-4 that precedes Doha no. 97.
Even in Srimad Bhagwat Maha-Puran, Skandha 6, Canto 5, verse no. 36 we read
that Daksha has also accused Narad of the same things as the Sapta-rishis have
alleged here—that “Narad assumes the external form of a holy man but is wicked
internally, wishing bad of everyone.”]
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tēhi kēṁ bacana māni bisvāsā. tumha cāhahu pati sahaja udāsā. 5.
nirguna nilaja kubēṣa kapālī. akula agēha digambara byālī. 6.
kahahu kavana sukhu asa baru pā'ēm̐. bhala bhūlihu ṭhaga kē baurā'ēm̐. 7.
pan̄ca kahēṁ sivam̐ satī bibāhī. puni avaḍēri marā'ēnhi tāhī. 8.
It is such an irony that you have believed such a (dubious) sage and have relied upon
his words to wish to have a husband who is by nature dispassionate and disinterested
in worldly affairs (such as marrying and raising a family, or seeking comforts and
pleasures associated with a householder’s life)^1. (5)
[Now, the Sapta-risihis sort of exaggerate the perceived negativities in the
character of Lord Shiva in an attempt to see if this sways Parvati’s resolve to devote
her life to the Lord, and to examine whether she demurs and gives a second thought to
her decision to marry Shiva after learning about his superficial drawbacks^2 .]
He is ‘Nirguna’ (i.e. has no worthwhile quality)^3 , he is ‘Nirlajja’ (has no
shame or does not feel guilty for the way of life he leads)^4 , he has a weird appearance
and wears a garland of skulls, he has no family line (“Akul”; has no parents and