Narada
Indian mythology · sage · divine messengership, music, instigation
The wandering celestial sage with his veena, moving freely between gods, demons, and mortals. Devotee of Vishnu and cosmic gossip, his well-timed provocations set half the great stories in motion.
Stories
Dhruva and the Pole Star
Turned away from his father's lap at five years old, Dhruva walks into the forest to seek a place no one can take from him. Taught by Narada, he stands in meditation until Vishnu himself appears and sets him in the northern sky: the fixed star around which all others turn.
The Race Around the World
Offered a prize for whichever son first circles the world, Kartikeya launches himself around the oceans on his peacock. Ganesha walks a slow circle around Shiva and Parvati and sits down: his parents are the world. The wit wins, and Narada, who proposed the contest, enjoys it immensely.