Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20
Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State
जनकस्त्वभिसंरक्तः कापि लेयानुदर्शनम् । उत्सृज्य शतमाचार्याम्पृष्टतोऽनुजगाम तम् ॥ २० ॥
janakastvabhisaṃraktaḥ kāpi leyānudarśanam | utsṛjya śatamācāryāmpṛṣṭato'nujagāma tam || 20 ||
Doch König Janaka, tief ergriffen schon vom bloßen Anblick jenes geheimnisvollen Mädchens, verließ selbst hundert Lehrer und folgte ihm von hinten.
Narada (narrating within the Moksha-dharma discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
FAQs
It warns that even a wise and renowned king like Janaka can be pulled away from higher guidance when attachment to mere appearance arises, highlighting the need for vigilance and detachment (vairāgya) on the path to mokṣa.
By contrasting worldly fascination with disciplined following of true teachers, it implies that bhakti must be guarded from distraction—devotion becomes steady when the mind is not hijacked by sensory attraction.
The verse primarily teaches ethical psychology rather than a Vedāṅga; its practical takeaway is mind-discipline—recognizing how saṅga (attachment) can override even extensive instruction from ācāryas.