God’s illusion

One day Narada and Lord Vishnu were going to the forest together when Vishnu got tired and sat down under a tree and said,

‘Brother Narada, I am tired and thirsty. If you can find water anywhere, bring it.

I am so thirsty that I am unable to walk. My throat is getting dry.’

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Narad ji immediately became cautious, how can God remain thirsty in his presence.

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He said, ‘God has brought it just now, please wait for a while.’ Narad ji ran in one direction.

As soon as he left, God smiled and ordered his Maya to bring Narad ji on the path of truth. Maya started. .

Narada ji must have gone a little far when he saw a village, outside which some young women were filling water from a well.

When they reached the well, they lost their senses after seeing a girl and started staring at her.
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They forgot that they had gone to fetch water for God, the girl also understood. She quickly filled the pitcher with water and left her friends behind and ran towards home.

Narad ji also followed her. The girl went inside the house but Narad ji stood at the door and chanted ‘Narayan’, ‘Narayan’.

The householder came out on hearing the name of Narayan. He immediately recognized Narad ji.

With utmost humility and respect, he took him inside the house and after washing his hands and feet, made him sit on a clean seat and left no stone unturned in serving him. .
Then, calmly calling himself blessed by his arrival, he requested him to serve him as per his requirement.

Narada ji said, ‘I want to marry your daughter who has just come to your house with a pot of water.’
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The householder was completely surprised but he was also happy that his daughter would go to such a great yogi and saint.
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He agreed and kept Narada ji in his house.

After a few days, Shubh Muhurta got his daughter married to Narad ji and gave him a piece of land in the village so that he could do farming and feed himself comfortably.
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Now Narad ji’s Veena used to hang on a peg and he would hardly pay attention to it.

He forgot Narayana in front of his wife. He remained busy in farming the whole day. .

Sometimes he would plough, sometimes water, sometimes sow seeds, sometimes weed. .

As the plants grew, his happiness knew no bounds. Every year the crops ripened, were harvested and his granaries were filled with grains.

Narad ji’s family also grew. He had three-four sons and daughters.

Now Narad ji did not have even a moment of leisure. He was always engaged in their upbringing and education or working in the fields.

Suddenly, during the rainy season, it rained heavily. It did not stop for many days. The thunder of the clouds and the lightning created fear in everyone’s heart.

The torrential rain caused a flood in the river flowing near the village. The river broke its banks and started overflowing.

There was water all around. All the houses, whether kutcha or pucca, started collapsing. Household goods were washed away. Animals also drowned. Many people died.

There was panic in the village. What should Narad ji do now? He also packed whatever precious things were left in the house and along with his wife and children, he ran out of the house through the water to save his life.

With a bundle in his armpit, he held a child in one hand, held his wife in the other, and the wife, too, with a child in her lap, walked slowly forward holding the hand of the other.

The flow of water was very fast and it was difficult to tell where the ditch and where the mound were.

Suddenly Narad ji stumbled and the bundle slipped away from his side and got swept away. How could Narad ji hold the bundle, as both his hands were tied. He thought that he will earn as per his wish.

After going some distance, the wife fell into a ditch and the child in her lap got swept away.

The wife cried a lot, but what could be done, gradually the other two children also got swept away in the water, a lot of effort was made to save them, but nothing could be done. . . Both the husband and wife were very sad, crying, sobbing, consoling each other, and kept moving ahead looking for some higher place.

Going further, both of them fell into a pit. Narad ji somehow came out of the pit, but his wife was not found. .

For a long time, Narad ji kept looking for her here and there but in vain. He was crying a lot and his heart was breaking remembering his wife and children.

His entire household was destroyed. What should the poor man do? Whom should he curse? His fate or God?
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As soon as he thought of God, Narad’s mind lit up and he remembered all the old things.
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Why had he come and where did he get stuck?

Oh! Lord Vishnu must be waiting for him. He had come to take water for him and settled down here. .

Years passed in settling down and then everything got destroyed. Will the Lord still be waiting for me under the same tree?

As soon as he thought this, the flood vanished. The village also vanished. They were standing in a dense forest.
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Narad ji ran with regret and shame and saw that God was lying under the same tree at a short distance.
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As soon as he saw Narad ji, he sat up and said, ‘Oh brother Narad, where had you gone, you took so long. Did you bring water or not?’

Narad ji sat down holding the feet of the Lord and started shedding tears. He did not utter a single word.

The Lord smiled and said, ‘You had just left. It hasn’t been long.’ But Narad ji felt that years had passed.

Now he understood that it was all God’s Maya, which was created to shatter his pride.

He was very proud that there was no devotee greater than him in the three worlds. He was defeated in a short while. He again started singing the praises of God with simplicity and humility.

We learn from this story that if we have something, if we have achieved something through hard work, dedication and devotion, whether it is immense wealth, physical strength, a complete family or some high qualification, position or fame, then why should we be proud of it.

Are there no other people above us? Are we the only supreme being? Many have been there before us and will be in the future too, then why be proud?