sage Narada......

Narada's Travels

One day Narada Muni-a famous, pure devotee of the Lord who has the power to travel at will anywhere within the material and spiritual worlds-was on his way to see the Supreme Person face to face in His kingdom. Before he left for God's kingdom, he came upon a mystic yogi who had been undergoing severe austerities and penances for many years, trying to achieve perfection in mystic yoga. Upon seeing Narada Muni, the yogi sensed that he was a great spiritual person, and asked Narada who he was. Narada Muni replied, "I am Narada Muni. I am on my way to see the Supreme Person" The yogi paid his respects and then asked Narada Muni, "Could you please do something for me? When you see the Lord, could you ask Him when I will be liberated from the wheel of birth and death?" Narada Muni agreed and went on his way.
He then came upon a humble cobbler who lived under a tree. As soon as the cobbler saw Narada Muni, he stood up to pay his respects. He then asked Narada Muni, "You seem like a saintly person. Who are you? What is your business?" Narada Muni replied, "I am Narada Muni and I am on my way to see the Supreme Lord." The cobbler was very excited to hear this, and he asked Narada Muni, "Could you please do a favor for me? Could you ask Him when I will be liberated from the wheel of birth and death?" Narada Muni consented and went on his way.
Narada Muni saw the Supreme Lord, and when he was just about ready to leave said, "Oh, yes, one more thing. There is a mystic yogi and there is a cobbler. Both of them want to know when they will be liberated." The Supreme Lord said, "You can tell the yogi that he will be liberated only after one hundred lifetimes. And you can tell the cobbler that his present body will be his last. He will be liberated because he is My pure devotee." Feeling very happy, Narada Muni was about to leave when the Lord said, "Oh, yes, one more thing-they will both ask you what I was doing when you saw Me. Tell them that I was threading elephants through the eye of a needle."
Narada Muni then returned to the material world and first came upon the mystic yogi. The mystic yogi immediately asked Narada, "Did you see the Supreme Lord, and did He say when I would be liberated from this miserable material world? I've been engaging in so many penances and austerities. Obviously I deserve to be liberated quite soon. After all, I'm a very advanced yogi now. I'm a great mystic." Narada Muni replied, "The Supreme Lord stated that you are very fortunate and you will be liberated after one hundred lifetimes." The mystic yogi, extremely angered, expressed his doubt that this could be possible, saying, "I can't believe you. I don't even know if you really are the great Narada Muni. Tell me, if you really saw the Supreme Lord, what was He doing when you saw Him?" Narada Muni said, "He was threading elephants through the eye of a needle." The yogi then laughed, saying, "That's ridiculous. Now I know for sure that you are simply a charlatan, you never saw the Supreme Lord at all. No one can thread elephants through the eye of a needle. I should have known you weren't really Narada Muni."
Narada Muni continued on his journey and came upon the cobbler, who very humbly, respectfully, and expectantly greeted Narada Muni. "Did you see the Lord? Did you see the Lord? When did He say I would be able to come to Him?" Narada replied, "The Supreme Lord said that this body will be your last. Upon leaving this body, you will go to Him. You will not have to take on any more material births because you are His pure devotee. Your love for Him is unflinching." The cobbler was very happy upon hearing this, and out of sincere inquiry, wanting to hear about the activity of the Person whom he loves, asked Narada, "When you saw my Lord, what was He doing?" Narada Muni replied, "He was threading elephants through the eye of a needle." Upon hearing this, the cobbler jumped with joy and began dancing and chanting the names of the Lord, crying tears of love, sometimes falling on the ground, sometimes dancing. Astonished, Narada Muni asked him, "My dear friend, do you not consider that it is inconceivable that the Lord could be putting elephants through the eye of a needle?" And the cobbler, who lived under a banyan tree, picked a fruit off the ground, opened it, and said to Narada Muni, "My dear Narada, there are countless thousands of these little fruits that fall off this banyan tree. And in each of these fruits you will find there are hundreds and hundreds of little seeds. And in each of these little seeds the Supreme Lord has placed a giant banyan tree. For the Supreme Lord, nothing is inconceivable. He is truly wonderful."