There lived in Kanyakubja the emperor called Drumila.
He, along with his wife Kalavati, performed penance on theb anks of the Ganges for an offspring.
Kalavati pleased Kasyapa, by her worship and with his blessing she became pregnant. Drumila, who in the meantime had renounced everything in life, decided to spend the rest of his life in the forest itself.
He gifted away all his wealth to brahmins and died in the forest.
Though Kalavati got ready to follow him in the funeral pyre, a celestial voice stopped her and she refrained from committing self-immolation.
She returned to the village and lived as a slave in a brahmin’s house.
In due course of time she delivered a son.
On the birth of the child it rained in the land which was suffering from failure of rains, and because of that the Brahmin master of Kalavati named the child Narada, meaning he who gives water.
When the child Narada grew up he told his mother the story about his former birth. He turned out to be a great devotee of Visnu.
Meanwhile, Kalavati, who went to milk the cow one night, was bitten to death by a snake, and Narada was orphaned.
Siva and three attendants of his who went there in disguise were pleased at Narada’s great devotion for Visnu and his service-mentality.
He lived on the left-overs given by them. lie repeated songs sung by them about Visnu.
Gradually Narada became perfect devotee of Visnu and a unique master of music.
Siva and others imparted Bhagavata to Narada before they left him. Narada who thus attained divine knowledge performed penance for many years on the banks of the Ganges and died there. (Bhagavata, 7th Skandha).