Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 78
Bharata’s Attachment and the Palanquin Teaching on ‘I’ and ‘Mine’
जिह्वा ब्रवीत्यहमिति दंतौष्टतालुक नृप । एतेनाहं यतः सर्वे वाङ्निष्पादनहेतवः ॥ ७८ ॥
jihvā bravītyahamiti daṃtauṣṭatāluka nṛpa | etenāhaṃ yataḥ sarve vāṅniṣpādanahetavaḥ || 78 ||
„O König, die Zunge sagt: ‚Ich (spreche)‘, obgleich auch Zähne, Lippen und Gaumen mitwirken. Dennoch wird dieses ‚Ich‘ durch die Zunge behauptet, denn all jene sind nur Ursachen, die die Rede hervorbringen helfen.“
Sanatkumara (teaching a king in Moksha-Dharma context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It critiques the ego’s claim “I do,” showing that what we call ‘I’ is often only an appropriation of actions performed through multiple instruments; this supports detachment and self-inquiry in Moksha-Dharma.
By weakening doership (ahaṁkāra), the devotee can attribute action and speech to the Lord’s power rather than the self, making prayer, japa, and kīrtana more humble and surrender-based.
It reflects Śikṣā (phonetics/articulation) and supports a Vyākaraṇa-style insight: speech arises from coordinated organs, so correct utterance and disciplined speech are both technical and spiritual practices.