Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 45
Nārada Explains the Allegory of King Purañjana
Deha–Indriya–Manaḥ Mapping and the Remedy of Bhakti
शब्दब्रह्मणि दुष्पारे चरन्त उरुविस्तरे । मन्त्रलिङ्गैर्व्यवच्छिन्नं भजन्तो न विदु: परम् ॥ ४५ ॥
śabda-brahmaṇi duṣpāre caranta uru-vistare mantra-liṅgair vyavacchinnaṁ bhajanto na viduḥ param
Selbst wenn man im grenzenlosen, schwer zu durchquerenden Śabda-brahman (den Veden) wandelt und gemäß den Merkmalen der Mantras verschiedene Devas verehrt, erkennt man das Höchste nicht: die allmächtige göttliche Person.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.20) :
FAQs
This verse says that people can wander in the vast expanse of Vedic sound and worship only the ritual portions defined by mantras, yet still fail to know the Supreme Reality beyond those external divisions.
Nārada instructs the king—who was inclined toward elaborate sacrificial rites—that mere ritual engagement does not automatically reveal the Supreme; one must seek the ultimate purpose of the Vedas: realization of Bhagavān.
Use scripture, mantra, and worship as a means to cultivate remembrance, humility, and devotion to the Supreme—rather than stopping at external performance—by regularly hearing, chanting, and reflecting on the goal: knowing and serving Bhagavān.