Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34
Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State
अन्योऽस्माज्जायते मोहस्तमाहुः सत्त्वसंक्षयम् । यदा सरूपतश्चान्यो जातितः श्रुततोऽर्थतः ॥ ३४ ॥
anyo'smājjāyate mohastamāhuḥ sattvasaṃkṣayam | yadā sarūpataścānyo jātitaḥ śrutato'rthataḥ || 34 ||
ومن هذا الوهم ينشأ وهمٌ آخر؛ ويُسمّى ذلك انحطاط السَّتْفَة (sattva) أي صفاء القلب وقوّته الباطنة. ويقع حين يُؤخَذ الشيء على أنه «غير»—مغايرٌ في الصورة، ومغايرٌ في المولد، ومغايرٌ بما يُسمَع، ومغايرٌ في المعنى.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It diagnoses a subtle cause of bondage: the mind’s habit of manufacturing ‘otherness’ on the basis of externals (form, birth, hearsay, and interpretations). This fragmentation is said to drain sattva, weakening clarity and making liberation-oriented discernment difficult.
Bhakti becomes steady when sattva is protected; this verse shows what erodes it—judging reality through superficial differences and second-hand notions. By reducing such moha, the devotee’s mind becomes clearer, more unified, and more capable of one-pointed remembrance of the Lord.
It cautions against relying merely on “śruta” (heard report) without proper artha-vicāra (inquiry into meaning). This aligns with disciplined interpretation—using careful semantic understanding (nirukta/artha) and correct reasoning rather than hearsay alone.