Nārada Learns Humility

The sage Nārada, ever singing the name of Viṣṇu, once grew quietly proud, believing himself the Lord’s greatest devotee.

Gently, Viṣṇu set him a small task: to carry a brimming bowl of oil across the land without spilling a drop, all the while remembering the divine name.

Nārada returned triumphant — but admitted that, fearing for the oil, he had forgotten to chant even once.

“Now,” said the Lord, “consider the humble farmer who, amid all his cares, still pauses to remember me twice a day.” Nārada bowed, his pride dissolved.

True devotion, he learned, is not in grand claims but in a steady, loving heart amid life’s duties.