Once upon a time Narada visited Krishna. The latter stood outside His palace and invited his guest to dine with him, whereupon Narada thanked him and went to bathe in a nearby river, telling Krishna he would be back in 5 minutes.
The rishi dived into the river, but to his surprise he was immediately changed into a woman. Amazed, he touched his long hair, his breasts and his body. He still remembered that he was Narada, the great wise man, but the longer he remained in the water, the fainter this memory grew. He became Naradi, the young woman. When a young man walked along the bank of the river, she took his hand and he led her to his home, where she bore him innumerable children. Gradually, her beauty vanished. The children cried and clamored. All the troubles of life enveloped her. She became ill and old, and in this condition she cried to God. At that moment she became Narada again, and the Lord stood at the entrance of his palace. "Narada, the 5 minutes have passed. Our meal is ready!"
Narada had dived into the waters of Maya, of which Krishna is master.
Source: Journey to Unknown India, Walther Eidlitz, Page 58
According to the author, this tale is very popular in India, and a moving picture has even been made of the story, and it has run a long time at a great many cinemas throughout the country. In any case, it adequately displays the Power of Maya.
Labels: stories
Ys,
Gateen