The INDIAN TAROTS – 9 – The Hermit: Narad Rishi

Narad Muni is the lord of all hermits. A hermit is a person who lives in solitude and practises religious acts. Narad is a celibate and he travels throughout the universe awakening love for the Lord Vishnu. He was blessed by Krishna to travel across the universe and spread the Hare Krishna mahamantra. In different situations, Narad rishi has acted as a catalyst that led to major incidents. As an example, he is passively responsible for Sishupal badh. Rukmini was supposed to get married to Sishupal but once Narad visited Rukmini and told her about Krishna’s greatness. Rukmini fell in love with Krishna and did not want to marry Sishupal. Eventually Krishna beat Sishupal and married Rukmini.

Also, Narad advised Vyas about writing Srimadbhagabad. At first, Vyas was unsure about what to write that will be the essence of lord’s divinity. Narad guide him to write down Krishna’s forms, glory and passtimes. There is a Puran named, Narad Puran, where he describes how Narayan is the supreme god from his viewpoint. Narad, as a traveller, learns and propagate knowledge but also, he tells one person’s personal news to another person, thus causing quarrels between people or even gods.

Narad had three lives. In his first life, he used to perform bhajans of the supreme lord. But he was often attracted to women and neglected his spiritual duties. Once he did some mistakes during bhajan and got cursed to reborn as a poor and a shudra. However, this was actually a boon for him because in the second life, though he was born in a poor family, he got the opportunities to listen to Vishnu’s leela from the pilgrimages whom he used to serve. His interest in Krishna kept increasing and he started chanting Krishna’s name all day and night. Eventually he attained spiritual enlightenment and in the next life, Brahma manifested him as Brahma’s son. Thus, single-minded determination made Narada as the perfect guru, and many great sages have taken shelter at his feet. Narad has enlightened many sages including Vyas, Prahlada Maharaja, Dhruva Maharaja, the Prachetas, Chitraketu, and many other.

I have kept Narad muni as ‘Hermit’ because with his knowledge, he is the guru of the gurus. He teaches us to look inside us, where there is solitude, and find spiritual enlightenment or realise what is the most important.

Upright meaning

In tarot, the Hermit card is often associated with introspection, solitude, and inner wisdom. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as wisdom, insight, and a need for introspection. The upright Hermit may represent a person who is wise, introspective, and reflective, or it can indicate a need for solitude and reflection to gain insight and wisdom.

Reverse meaning

On the other hand, when the Hermit card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as isolation, loneliness, or a lack of introspection. The reversed Hermit may represent a person who is struggling with isolation or who is feeling disconnected from others, or who is avoiding introspection and self-reflection. It could also suggest a need to seek out the guidance and wisdom of others.