Although determined to follow his heart and pursue a life of piety, Sri Naraeyana had a brief moment of uncertainty and self-doubt.
After leaving his house, Sri Naraeyana found himself on the outskirts of Kaiwara, near the Vaikuntha Guhe or cave. He sat here in deep contemplation, pondering about his future. He had no house to talk of, no means of earning a living and no clarity about this path forward. In growing fear and frustration, he called out to the Almighty, asking for His divine blessings.
As if in answer to his prayer, a cowherd appeared before him, and asked him what was ailing him: “I’m a vet and I have the solution to all your ailments. What is it that troubles you?”
Sri Naraeyana recounted his worries to the cowherd, who calmly replied, “The Almighty, the creator of the world, resides within you. If you are able to understand who you are, you will understand that you too are divinity incarnate.”
With these mystical words of advice, the cowherd disappeared as suddenly as he had come.
The cowherd’s meaningful words of advice instantly settled Sri Naraeyana’s swirling thoughts, and brought him a sense of calm. The irrefutable truth of the cowherd’s advice, his timely appearance and his unexplainable disappearance led Sri Naraeyana to believe that the Almighty Himself had visited him in the guise of a cowherd.
After this experience, Sri Naraeyana adopted the Almighty as his Guru. He went to his beloved deity, Sri Amara Naraeyana, and requested the Almighty’s blessings in using His name as a nama mantra dhyana, the name whose repetitive chanting would help him reach moksha.