Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 36
Sṛṣṭi-pralaya-kathana: Mahābhūta-guṇāḥ, Vṛkṣa-indriya-vādaḥ, Prāṇa-vāyu-vyavasthā
यदा तु दिव्यं यद्रूपं ह्रसते वर्द्धते पुनः । कोऽन्यस्तद्वेदितुं शक्यो योऽपि स्यात्तद्विधोऽपरः ॥ ३६ ॥
yadā tu divyaṃ yadrūpaṃ hrasate varddhate punaḥ | ko'nyastadvedituṃ śakyo yo'pi syāttadvidho'paraḥ || 36 ||
Wenn jedoch jene göttliche Gestalt—wie auch immer sie beschaffen sei—sich zusammenzieht und wieder ausdehnt, wer außer Ihm könnte sie wahrhaft erkennen, selbst wenn es ein anderes Wesen gleicher Art gäbe?
Sanatkumara (in dialogue instructing Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It highlights the transcendence and immeasurability of the Divine: the Lord’s manifestation can appear to contract or expand, yet its true nature remains beyond ordinary cognition, reinforcing humility and reliance on higher realization (jnana/bhakti) rather than mere speculation.
By declaring that no “other” can fully know the Divine’s shifting manifestation, the verse supports bhakti as surrender to Bhagavan’s mystery—devotion grounded in reverence, trust, and contemplation of the Lord’s divya-rupa rather than attempting to confine Him to fixed conceptual limits.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyakarana, Jyotisha, or Kalpa) is directly taught; the takeaway is philosophical discernment (tattva-viveka): scriptural language points to a reality that can manifest variably, so interpretation should respect the limits of literalism and rely on pramana (scriptural testimony).