• Meaning of Arati
  
  To read the article, please click on the following URL: http://archives.amritapuri.org/bharat/mantra/arati.php
  

• The Greatness of the Darshan of a Mahatma (Story of Saint Narada): Contributed by Karuna

  Once Narada, a saint, went to Vishnu and asked Vishnu to explain the greatness of a Darshan of Mahatma.

  Bhagavan asked Narada to go down to earth and meet this birdie who is about to be born at such and such forest and ask that birdie as soon as it is born the greatness of meeting a Mahatma.

  So, Narada flew down using his mystic powers and reached the forest. Sure enough, the the egg was in the nest and broke open as Narada watched. He looked at the birdie and asked him, " What is the greatness of meeting a Mahatma"?

  Hearing that, Birdie looked at Narada and died right then and there. Narada 's heart was filled with pain and went back to Narayana and told him that he didn't get any reply from the birdie and not only that, the birdie died on the spot in front of him.

  Bhagavan asked Narada to try again , this time with a calf that was being born in such and such place. Just like the birdie, the calf also died as soon as he saw Narada. Narada was very upset. He told the Lord to forget that he even asked this question. But the Lord wanted Narada to ask this question to a baby Prince that was being born in a kingdom. Narada had enough by then and tried to argue, but as usual, he had no choice but to go to the Palace.

  Sure enough, just as the Lord had told, the baby was born and the King gave Narada the permission to visit the baby alone. Even though Narada was very nervous, he still asked the baby to explain the greatness of a Drashan of a Mahatma.

  The baby started talking and told Narada that he was the bird and because of the Darshan of Narada, a Mahatma, he became a calf and then the Prince with noble and spiritual tendencies. In this Life as a Prince, he hopes to attain Self realization as he again had a Darshan of Narada. And the baby Prince concluded the greatness of Darshan.

  The story is from Talks by Swami Paramatmananda

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