As per Hindu mythology, Narada is a Prajapati or divine Rishi who born from the hip of Lord Brahma. The invention of the vena, or Indian lyre, is attributed to Narada. Again a code of laws and one of the eighteen Puranas entitled Naradiya Purana.

In the Brahma Purana Narada is called the smooth-speaking Narada, and his likeness to Orpheus is carried still further by a descent which he made from heaven to visit Patala, the nether regions.

In Manu and in the Vishnu Purana he is called a Prajapati. In the Mahabharata Narada is one of the Gandharbas. It was he who persuade against the sons of Daksha from multiplying their race. Accordingly they scattered themselves through the regions of the universe to ascertain its extent. Daksha finding that all his sons had vanished was irritated and condemned an imprecation on Narada.

It was Narada who informed Kansa that the supporter of the earth Vishnu, which is Krishna, was going to become incarnate as the eighth child of Devaki.

Once again when Narada visited Krishna he presented him with the flower Parijata from the world of the gods. Krishna gave it to Rukmini, which so excited the jealousy of one of his favourite mistresses Satyabhama, that in order to appease her, Krishna went to the heaven of the gods and brought away the tree itself that bore the flower.

In the Hindu legends Narada is often described as bearing a resemblance to Hermes or Mercury, being engaged in conveying messages and causing discord among the gods and men. He is usually represented as sitting in a fire, having his hands folded over his head, and stretching his legs also towards his head, his arms and knees being tied together with a girdle.