One day Narada said to Krishna:
- Lord, show me Maya.
Several days passed, and Krishna invited Narada to travel with him to the desert. After walking a few miles he said:
- Narada, I’m thirsty; can you bring me some water?
“Wait a little, I’ll go and get it.”
And Narada left. There was a village nearby; he entered it and knocked on one door. It opened and a beautiful young girl appeared on the threshold. At the sight of her, Narada immediately forgot that his teacher was waiting for water and, perhaps, was dying of thirst. Forgetting about everything in the world, he began chatting with the girl.
All that day he remained in the village. The next day Narada was again in the same house and talking with the girl. Soon he asked the girl's father to marry her to him; they got married and had children. So twelve years passed. His father-in-law died. Narada inherited his property and lived very happily in his house, surrounded by his wife, children, fields, cattle and so on.
But then there was a flood. One night the river rose, overflowed its banks and flooded the entire village. Houses began to collapse, people and animals drowned, and everything was carried away by the rapid flow. Narada had to flee. With one hand he led his wife, with the other one of his children; the second child sat on his shoulders. So he tried to wade through the terrible flood. However, the current turned out to be too strong, and he had barely taken a few steps when the child sitting on his shoulders fell and was carried away by the current.
Narada let out a cry of despair and, trying to save this child, released the hand of the one he was leading, and he also died. Finally, his wife, whom he pressed with all his might to save her, was torn from him by the stream, and he alone was thrown ashore. He fell to the ground sobbing and wept bitterly. When suddenly I felt a light touch and heard:
- Where is the water? You left to bring me water, and I’ve been waiting for you for half an hour.
- Half an hour?!
In these half an hour he experienced twelve whole years and so many events! And that's all Maya.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru