Narad and Parvat were waiting anxiously when Princess Shrimati entered the court with a beautiful flower garland. When Shrimati came near the sages, she was amused to see the monkey’s face of Narad. She could not hold back her laughter and started laughing aloud. Narad felt insulted. Narad instantly realised that he had been tricked. He cursed Vishnu, “Lord, how could you play such a joke with me? I curse you that one day you shall have to seek the help of monkeys to fulfil your tasks.” Vishnu replied, “Narad, you are a great sage with divine powers. If you marry, your divine powers will vanish. I wanted to save you from losing your powers.” Narad apologised to Vishnu, but Vishnu said, “Do not worry, Narad! Your curse will be a boon to me. It will give rise to the birth of Hanuman, a monkey-god, who will help kill demon-king Ravan.”
Narad’s Monkey Face
