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He would of course appear in Vishnu - oriented Puranas - but he is there when Siva ends up killing Ganesa in the Siva-purana. His going everywhere with his cymbals, chanting "Narayana, Narayana" has become a staple of religious movies and serials.

(1) Does he appear in Ramayana,Mahabharata and all Mahapuranas?

(2) Is he a purely an Itihasa-Puranic figure or does he appear in any earlier scriptures?

S K
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“When the senses are purified, the heart is purified; when the heart is purified, there is constant and unceasing remembrance of the Self; when there is constant and unceasing remembrance of the Self, all bonds are loosed and freedom is attained. Thus the venerable Sanatkumara taught Narada, who was pure in heart, how to pass from darkness into light.” (Chandogya Upanishad 7:26:1,2)

Narada appears in Chandogya Upanishad where he is seen asking spiritual questions to his Guru Sanatkumara. Thus Narada is not merely an Itihasa-Puranic figure.

There is also an entire minor Upanishad dedicated to his name viz- Narada Parivrajaka (https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/narada-parivrajaka-upanishad-of-atharvaveda).

Rickross
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  • How do we know that this Narada is the "Narayana,Narayana" guy who is everywhere in the Puranas? @rickross – S K Jun 19 '23 at 11:26
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    There is only one Narada mentioned in Hindu scriptures so I don't think there is any confusion @SK .. also it is not necessary that Narada should chant in Upanishads too .. Puranas are different type of scriptures, they focus more on devotion. Upnaishads are way different in purpose. So Upanishads will mention Narada differently compared to Puranas. Even if Smritis were to mention Narada they won't mention him chanting too simply because that is an irrelevant thing to mention based on the context of the text. – Rickross Jun 19 '23 at 17:08
  • If he does more than sticking his nose into everything and creating mischief - Doordarshan has sold him short. He did have more than one birth - maybe his character changed for one birth to the next @rickross. – S K Jun 19 '23 at 18:09
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    Not sure if that is true but there is only one Narada in Hinduism @SK – Rickross Jun 20 '23 at 05:38
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  1. Narada is the one who inspired Valmiki to write Ramayana -

"A man reading this Ramayana happens to be a Brahman, one from teaching-class, he obtains excellency in his speech, and should he be Kshatriya person from ruling-class, he obtains land-lordship, and should he be Vyshya person from trading-class, he accrues monetary-gains, and should he be a Shudra person from working class, he acquires his personal excellence..." Thus Sage Narada gave a gist of Ramayana to Sage-poet Valmiki. [1-1-100]*

  1. In mahabharata Narada appears several times. For example, he was at the Rajasuya of Yudishtira -

And those illustrious Rishis with Narada as their foremost, seated at their ease with those royal sages within that enclosure, looked like the gods seated in the mansion of Brahma in the company of the celestial Rishis.

https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-mahabharata-mohan/d/doc6178.html

Gokul Renjith
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Kalisantarana Upanishad.:

  1. At the end of Dvapara-Yuga, Narada went to Brahma and addressed him thus: "O Lord, how shall I, roaming over the earth, be able to across Kali ?" To which Brahma thus replied: "Well asked. Hearken to that which all Shrutis (the Vedas) keep secret and hidden, through which one may cross the Samsara (mundane existence) of Kali. He shakes off (the evil effects of) Kali through the mere uttering of the name of the Lord Narayana, who is the primeval Purusha".

I hope this helps prd. Prd..

Sri Shiva Charañam Dāsa Vishñu
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