Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1
Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State
सूत उवाच । सनंदनवचः श्रुत्वा मोक्षधर्माश्रितं द्विजाः । पुनः पप्रच्छ तत्त्वज्ञो नारदोऽध्यात्मसत्कथाम् ॥ १ ॥
sūta uvāca | sanaṃdanavacaḥ śrutvā mokṣadharmāśritaṃ dvijāḥ | punaḥ papraccha tattvajño nārado'dhyātmasatkathām || 1 ||
Sūta sprach: O ihr zweimal Geborenen, nachdem Nārada, der Kenner der Wahrheit, die Worte Sanandanas vernommen hatte, die auf dem Mokṣa-Dharma beruhen, fragte er erneut nach der edlen Lehre über das innere Selbst (adhyātma).
Suta
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It marks a transition in the mokṣa-dharma dialogue: after Sanandana’s liberation-centered instruction, Nārada renews his inquiry into adhyātma, indicating that true liberation requires direct insight into the Self, not merely hearing doctrine.
While bhakti is not named here, the verse frames the ideal learning process found in bhakti traditions—śravaṇa (hearing) followed by praśna (sincere questioning)—as Nārada seeks “sat-kathā,” the kind of sacred discourse that later culminates in devotion and liberation.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is the śāstric method of study—listen to an authorized teaching and then ask precise questions to clarify mokṣa-dharma and adhyātma.