Secret of Happiness

Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati

Nara and Narayana were doing penance. Narayana is God Himself. Nara is a part of the divine nature. His was the highest stage among men. Hence was he called Nara. These two, Nara and Narayana, are spoken of as having incarnated as Arjuna and Krishna.

Nara and Narayana were doing penance. Indra is the lord of the world of gods. Being Indra is the most exalted status. The puraanas say that whoever does a large number of sacrifices will get that status at the end and the reigning Indra will lose it. Hence, the reigning Indra used to place obstacles before all who do such tapas. But if, undaunted by them, one continues one’s penance, one will succeed to that state. That is the puraanic idea.

The same thing happens even in our modern world. If a man disciplines himself, lives an austere life and makes sacrifice for a cause acclaimed to be good, he gains exaltation above others and is accepted as leader. He holds this position till another makes a greater sacrifice and attains the leadership. The puraanic desire for lordship was of the same kind. But it did not stop with this world. It extended to celestial regions also, to devaloka.

So, when Nara and Narayana were doing tapas, Indra got nervous that he might lose his exalted position. He began to devise means to disturb their tapas by frightening them or tempting them by damsels, arousing lust which is the enemy of tapas. These are his methods to throw obstacles in the way of those who do tapas. He sent celestial maidens to distract Nara and Narayana. They went first to Nara. Though divine in essence, he was yet a man, a jeeva, albeit the highest man. So, he was not perfectly flawless. Afraid that the presence of the damsels would come in the way of his tapas, he made a loud grunt. Immediately, they ran away helter skelter. Fearing that the fire of Nara’s tapas would burn them out of existence, they resolved not to turn in his direction. Nara became so angry.

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