Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 78
Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State
इमां च यो वेद विमोक्षबुद्धिमात्मानमन्विच्छति चाप्रमत्तः । न लिप्यते कर्मपलैरनिष्टैः पत्रं विषस्येव जलेन सिक्तम् ॥ ७८ ॥
imāṃ ca yo veda vimokṣabuddhimātmānamanvicchati cāpramattaḥ | na lipyate karmapalairaniṣṭaiḥ patraṃ viṣasyeva jalena siktam || 78 ||
Wer diese befreiende Einsicht kennt und, ohne Nachlässigkeit, wachsam das Ātman (Selbst) sucht, wird von unerwünschten Früchten des Handelns nicht befleckt—wie ein Blatt einer giftigen Pflanze, das vom Wasser benetzt wird, ohne davon beschmiert zu sein.
Sanatkumara (in dialogue teaching Narada on Moksha-dharma)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It teaches that steadfast Self-inquiry grounded in liberating wisdom (vimokṣa-buddhi) prevents the mind from being “stained” by adverse karmic results, emphasizing inner freedom while living amid action.
While the verse is primarily jñāna-oriented, its core aligns with mature bhakti: vigilant remembrance and inner dedication make one unattached to outcomes, so actions performed in a surrendered spirit do not bind.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is ethical-spiritual discipline—apramāda (vigilance) and ātma-vicāra (Self-inquiry) as daily practice to avoid karmic entanglement.