Narada (Sanskrit: नारद, IAST: Nārada), or Narad Muni, is a god-sage, famous in Hindu traditions as a travelling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom
He is one of mind-created children of Brahma, the creator
He appears in a number of Hindu texts, notably the Mahabharata, telling Yudhishtira the story of Prahlada and the Ramayana as well as in the Puranas
Once God decided that it was time for Him to descend to earth to set matters right, most lesser Gods came down to like someone or the other to aid and enjoy a ringside view of epochal events
He is also referred to as Rishiraj, meaning the king of all sages or rishis
He was gifted with the boon of knowledge, past, present and future
In Indian texts, Narada travels to distant worlds and realms (Sanskrit: lokas)
He is depicted carrying a khartal (musical instrument) and veena with the name Mahathi and is generally regarded as one of the great masters of the ancient musical instrument
This instrument is known by the name “mahathi” which he uses to accompany his singing of hymns, prayers and mantras
In the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, he is presented as a sage with devotion to Lord Vishnu
Narada is described as both wise and mischievous in some humorous tales
Vaishnav enthusiasts depict him as a pure, elevated soul who glorifies Vishnu through his devotional songs, singing the names Hari and Narayana, and therein demonstrating bhakti yoga
The Narada Bhakti Sutra is attributed to him
He would usually make his entrance vocally chanting Narayana, Narayana before optically appearing in the scene
Other texts named after Narada include Narada Purana and the Nāradasmṛti (pre 6th century CE text), the latter called the “juridical text par excellence” and representing the only Dharmaśāstra text which deals solely with juridical matters while ignoring those of righteous conduct and penance
The name Narada, referring to many different persons, appears in many mythical legends of Hinduism, as an earlier birth of Sariputta in the Jataka tales of Buddhism as well as names of medieval Buddhist scholars, and in Jainism
His Greek and Roman counterparts are Mercury and Hermes