10-year-old Khushi Amara Agnihotri, daughter of Anirudh Ravichandar Agnihotri and Raka Agnihotri, was lying between her parents and listening to their talk.

Suddenly, she remembered something and asked them,” Mumma, Papa, can we please go and watch the Lord Narasimha Film?”

Her father plopped upon his shoulders and asked,” You mean, Mahavatar Narasimha movie, Ammu? The animated film.”

Khushi bobbed her head in yes.

“Well, why not? As tomorrow is Sunday, we can go and enjoy the movie. What do you say, Raka?” He asked his wife, who also nodded her head yes, agreeing with the movie plan.

Then Anirudh asked his wife,” By the way, Raka, you know so much about the epic tales of our Hinduism, right?”

Raka nodded her head yes.

“Then who is this Narada muni? What is his birth story?” He asked.

Meanwhile, listening to the word Narada Muni, Khushi's ears perked up and she said enthusiastically,” Mumma mumma...Narada Muni saved the demon queen.”

Raka raised her eyebrows at her,” How do you know about this, Kuku?”

“Mumma, my friend Jasreen talked about this movie today at school. She also said   that she loved that movie.” She replied cheerily.

“Oh, so that was the reason my daughter is excited to watch this movie?” Anirudh asked 

Khushi bobbed her head up and down.

“Great! Ok, Raka, now tell me the birth story of Narada Muni.” He asked his wife.

Raka shook her head and started to narrate the birth story of Narada Muni.

“Narada Muni was born to a maid who worked in a great sage’s home. Growing up amidst the great sages and devotees, his curiosity regarding the Vedas and everything about Lord Vishnu raised his excitement, and he also used to participate in the discussions with the sages. Even without being an educated child, he got the chance to listen to the discussions of the devotees about their pastimes, and once he got the chance to taste their maha prasadam. Days were going on, and Narada was enjoying the discussions about the lord. One day at the time of chaturmasya deeksha, a four-month deeksha in the months of monsoon, where sages and great devotees gather and talk about the tales of gods, and they travel to different temples to worship him and praise his tales.”

“As it was the rainy season and all the roads were flooded with water, some of the devotees chose to stay at the ashram where Narada Muni resided. All the devotees were deeply engrossed in chanting and gossiping about divinity. Narada became fortunate and blessed to meet them and hear their discussions about the god. He got enchanted by learning with them, but got sad when the sages got their time to leave the ashram, as Narada was still a child who was taking care of his mother. He wished to leave with the sages and travel with them by learning more about Lord Vishnu, but wasn't able to because of his mother. “

“After a few days, his mother passed away due to a snake bite. But Narada didn’t drown himself in the sadness; instead, he performed the rituals for his mother and also burned the house they lived in all those years in the ashram, and he started to meditate upon the god. For a moment, he got the chance to see god, but he disappeared immediately. Narada got sad and tried to meditate again and again to see the god, but he wasn’t able to see him. Instead, he heard a voice,” O’ dear Narada, I regret that I can’t appear in front of you again in this birth. While you are in this body, it always asks for materialistic things, and it gets hard to see me.” Seeing him once in person, Narada’s desire to see the god again heightened. And also he realised that everything happens for good. He then joined the sages in their spiritual journey, and he kept on walking in the spiritual path that can lead him to god. As he reached his old age, he developed his natural love and devotion for the god, and as he died, his soul got eternally manifested with what he dreamt of.”

“After death, his soul got the chance to serve the god eternally by chanting his name and walking in all three worlds. When Brahma once again created all the kings and sages, Narada was also born, and Lord Vishnu gave him the veena, which is named Mahati. With it, he roamed around all the 14 worlds by praising Lord Vishnu.”

Raka completed the epic birth story of Narada Muni and turned to her daughter, who was sleeping with a small smile on her face. She smiled and kissed her forehead.       

.    .   .