Narada's Pride: How a Poor Farmer Taught the Proudest Sage a Lesson

Transcript of the episode audio. Speaker labels: Neev and his co-host.

Neev: Welcome back to Mythical Masala. Today’s star has popped up in so many of our stories that he deserves his own episode. He told baby Prahlad about Vishnu before Prahlad was even born. He met little Dhruva on a forest path and taught him how to pray.

Co-host: Narada, the wandering sage. Always traveling, always singing, “Narayan, Narayan.” Last time you promised he would get in trouble.

Neev: Today, he does. Narada starts to think he’s the greatest devotee of Vishnu in the whole universe. So Vishnu takes him on a little field trip to prove him wrong.

Co-host: A field trip with Vishnu? I’d sign that permission slip any time.

Neev: And the person who teaches Narada his lesson isn’t a king or a god or a great sage. It’s a farmer. First, let’s meet Narada properly. He’s one of the sons of Brahma, the creator, and he’s a devarishi, a sage of the gods.

Co-host: A sage, but with a travel pass to everywhere.

Neev: Exactly. Narada can go anywhere: heaven, Earth, the worlds below. He walks on clouds, and he’s always carrying his veena, a stringed instrument with a long neck and two big, round gourds at the ends, like a guitar with two pumpkins.

Co-host: And he’s always singing the same two words.

Neev: “Narayan, Narayan.” Another name for Vishnu. Day and night, wherever he goes. And because he goes everywhere, he hears everything. Who’s fighting who, which king did what. He carries news from one world to another.

Co-host: Some people call him the first news reporter of the universe. Others call him the first gossip.

Neev: He does stir up trouble sometimes, but he loves Vishnu more than anything. And one day, floating along on a cloud, singing away, Narada had a thought.

Co-host: Uh-oh! Thoughts are dangerous.

Neev: He thought, “I sing Vishnu’s name all day. I think about him all night. I don’t have a house, a family, a job. Everything I do is for Vishnu. Surely there’s nobody in all of creation who loves him more than me.”

Co-host: And then he thought, “I wonder if Vishnu knows that.”

Neev: Exactly. So Narada flew straight to Vishnu’s home. Not Vaikuntha this time, the Ocean of Milk.

Co-host: The Ocean of Milk, where Lakshmi rose out of the waves in the churning episode.

Neev: Same ocean. And floating on it is Shesha, the great giant serpent with a thousand heads, coiled up like a huge soft bed. Vishnu lies resting on him, with the serpent’s heads spread above him like an umbrella, and Lakshmi sits beside him.

Co-host: A snake as a sofa? Only Vishnu could make that look relaxing.

Neev: Narada bowed, and Vishnu smiled, because of course he already knew why Narada had come. But he asked anyway, “Narada, what brings you here?” And Narada said, “Lord, I spend every moment of every day thinking of you. So I just wanted to ask, is there anyone in the whole universe who loves you more than I do?”

Co-host: Oof, he’s fishing. He wants Vishnu to say, “No, Narada, it’s you. You are the best.”

Neev: Vishnu could see the pride glowing on Narada’s face, but he didn’t scold him. He just said, “Come with me to Earth. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” So Vishnu and Narada came down to Earth, and they didn’t come as a god and a sage. They disguised themselves as two ordinary travelers in simple cotton clothes and dusty sandals.

Co-host: Vishnu’s undercover. No crown, no four arms, no conch. Just two guys with backpacks.

Neev: No backpacks, but you get the point. They walked along a dirt road at sunset toward a little hut at the edge of a village. Mud walls, a thatched roof, a small yard. And Vishnu says, “One of my greatest devotees lives in that hut.”

Co-host: In that hut? I was expecting a temple, or at least a palace.

Neev: Narada was surprised, too. “Does he think of you all the time like I do?” And Vishnu just said, “See for yourself.” Inside the yard, a farmer was tying up his cow for the night, patting her neck, talking to her softly. And as Narada got closer, he noticed something strange. Even while the farmer worked, it was as if every breath he took was quietly humming Vishnu’s name.

Co-host: Like a song stuck in your head that never stops, in a good way.

Neev: Vishnu called out, “Narayan, Narayan.” And the farmer looked up, wiped his hands on his cloth, and came straight over. “Welcome. Where are you coming from? Please tell me what I can do for you.” Vishnu said, “We’re on our way to town, but night has fallen and the road ahead goes through the jungle. There are wild animals out there. Could we stay with you tonight?” And the farmer’s face lit up. “Of course. My home is small, but whatever I have is yours. I thank God for sending guests to my door.”

Co-host: Atithi Devo Bhava. That means the guest is like God. Many Indian families have said it for thousands of years. It’s even in India’s tourism slogan.

Neev: And this farmer had no idea how true that was tonight.

Co-host: He’s literally hosting God, and he doesn’t even know it. That’s the best hidden camera show ever.

Neev: He set out a woven rope cot in the yard for them to sit on. Then he went inside to tell his wife to make some dinner. Inside the hut, the farmer’s wife showed him the flour jar, and there was barely anything in it, just a little bit at the very bottom.

Co-host: Oh, no, they don’t have enough.

Neev: And she whispered, Co-host (as the farmer’s wife): “This is all we have, and the children are asking for food.”

Neev: From the yard, Vishnu and Narada could hear every word. The farmer thought for a moment. Then he said, “Make rotis for our guests with the flour. Make a thin porridge for the children with whatever grain is left. Let our guests eat their fill.”

Co-host: That’s so generous. And also, I’m a mom, so I’m a little worried about those kids.

Neev: So the wife made the rotis, and the farmer served them to his guests with a smile. And here’s the thing, Vishnu and Narada knew exactly how little food there was, but they ate it all anyway. They were testing him.

Co-host: Vishnu, that’s a little mean. You’re a god. You don’t even need dinner.

Neev: It gets worse. When the plates were empty, Vishnu said, “That was delicious, but we’re still hungry. Is there any more?”

Co-host: No, there isn’t. You heard them. Read the room, Vishnu.

Neev: The farmer went back inside. “Is there anything left?” And his wife said, Co-host (as the farmer’s wife): “Only the porridge I made for the children.”

Co-host: He won’t. He can’t.

Neev: He did. He carried the children’s porridge out and served it to his guests. And that night, the farmer, his wife, and their children all went to bed with empty stomachs.

Co-host: Okay, now I really need this story to be going somewhere good.

Neev: The children cried a little. Co-host (as the children): “We’re hungry. You gave away our food.”

Neev: And the farmer hugged them and said, “Feeding a guest is like feeding Vishnu himself. Tonight, we fed Vishnu.”

Co-host: He has no idea that’s literally true.

Neev: Then, even with his stomach empty, the farmer lay down and quietly sang Vishnu’s name until he fell asleep. And Vishnu turned to Narada, “Did you see that? His family has nothing to eat, and he’s still singing my name.” And Narada said, “Well, I’ve gone many days without food too, and I never stopped thinking of you.”

Co-host: Narada, buddy, it’s not a competition.

Neev: For Narada, it was still very much a competition. In the morning, before the sun was even up, the farmer was awake. He folded his hands and sang a short prayer, “God, stay in my heart. It’s all I want.” Then he turned to his guests, “God was kind to send you to me. Please stay as long as you like. I have to go to the fields now.”

Co-host: Wait, no breakfast? Of course not. There’s nothing left. He gave them everything.

Neev: Vishnu said, “We’ll walk with you, if that’s all right.” So they followed him out to his fields, and the farmer got to work, plowing, pulling weeds, hauling water from the well, fixing the fence, hour after hour under the hot sun.

Co-host: That’s a real workout. No gym membership needed.

Neev: And Narada watched him closely. He walked over and asked, “You seem to think about God a lot. How often do you actually pray?” And the farmer laughed, a little shy. “Oh, I’m nothing special. I pray when I wake up in the morning, and then during the day, whenever I get a free moment, I think of him.”

Co-host: That’s it? A few minutes here and there?

Neev: That’s exactly what Narada thought. And on the walk back, he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He leaned over to Vishnu and said with a little smirk, “Lord, he only prays when he has spare time, a few times a day. I think about you every single moment.”

Co-host: Oh, Narada, you just walked right into it.

Neev: Vishnu didn’t argue. He just smiled and said, “You’ll understand soon.”

Co-host: Uh-oh. When Vishnu says, “You’ll understand soon,” something is about to happen.

Neev: Vishnu handed Narada a small clay bowl. It was full of oil, full to the very brim. So full that the oil was trembling right at the edge.

Co-host: One wobble and it’s all over your sandals.

Neev: Vishnu pointed to a hill in the distance. “Carry this bowl to the top of that hill and back. But don’t spill a single drop.” Narada looked at the bowl, looked at the hill. “That won’t be easy, Lord, but with your blessing, I’ll do it.”

Co-host: Hey, this sounds like an egg and spoon race. Remember those? But with oil and a hill and a god watching.

Neev: So Narada set off very, very slowly, eyes fixed on the bowl, one careful step, then another, over a rock, around a bush, up the slope. Every time his foot slipped even a little, the oil shivered and his heart jumped.

Co-host: I am holding my breath, and I’m not even the one carrying it.

Neev: He reached the top, turned around, and came all the way back down, just as carefully. And when he finally stood in front of Vishnu, the bowl was still full. Not one drop spilled.

Co-host: Yes, he did it. Gold medal for Narada.

Neev: Narada was very proud, and Vishnu asked him one question. “Narada, while you were walking up that hill and back down, how many times did you think of me?”

Co-host: Uh-oh.

Neev: Narada opened his mouth, then closed it, and he said very quietly, “Not once, Lord. I was so busy watching the oil, I forgot about you completely.”

Co-host: One bowl of oil, that’s all it took.

Neev: And Vishnu said gently, “Narada, you carried one bowl for one walk, and you couldn’t remember me even once. That farmer carries a whole family on his shoulders, his fields, his animals, his children, his guests, every single day. And still, in the middle of all that, he stops a few times and thinks of me with love. That isn’t easy. That’s why he’s one of my greatest devotees. “And there’s one more thing. People like you who spend their whole lives praying, I take care of. I make sure you have what you need. But that farmer works hard for every grain he eats, and he still gave it all away to two strangers.”

Co-host: And Narada, does he argue?

Neev: No arguing this time. Narada knelt down at Vishnu’s feet. “You’re right, Lord. The people who remember you in the middle of their busy, ordinary lives are the greatest devotees of all.”

Co-host: I hope Vishnu at least went back and filled that farmer’s flour jar.

Neev: The story doesn’t say, but I like to think the farmer never had an empty jar again.

Co-host: And this wasn’t the only time Narada’s pride got him in trouble, was it?

Neev: Not even close. Another time, he got so proud of himself that Vishnu tricked him into walking into a princess’s wedding ceremony with the face of a monkey.

Co-host: A monkey face? And nobody told him?

Neev: Nobody told him. But that’s another story for another day.

Co-host: Put it on the list, right at the top.

Neev: But Narada did learn. In fact, there’s a very old book of teachings about loving God that’s named after him, the Narada Bhakti Sutras, and people still read it today.

Co-host: So the man who thought he was the best devotee ended up writing the guidebook. That’s a glow-up.

Neev: And that’s the story of Narada and the farmer. A proud sage, a hut with one jar of flour, and a bowl of oil that taught him more than a hundred years of singing.

Co-host: And somewhere out there, a farmer still has no idea he once served porridge to God.

Neev: Next time, we’re getting ready for a wedding. Every year, just after Diwali, families all over India celebrate the wedding of a little plant.

Co-host: A plant wedding? Is it the tulsi, the one growing in almost every Indian courtyard?

Neev: The very same. We’ll find out who Tulsi really was and why Vishnu marries her every single year.

Co-host: I’ll be sure to bring snacks. And maybe a wedding gift for the plant?

Neev: Until then, try Vishnu’s test at home. Fill a cup of water right to the top and carry it across the room without spilling.

Co-host: And no thinking about anything else. Good luck.

Neev: Thanks for listening to Mythical Masala. See you next time.