Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 76
Śreyas and Paramārtha: The Ribhu–Nidāgha Teaching on Non-Dual Self
Advaita
ऋभुरुवाच । एतौ हि गजराजानौ दृष्टौ हि युगपन्मया । भवता निर्विशेषेण पृथग्वेदोपलक्षितौ ॥ ७६ ॥
ṛbhuruvāca | etau hi gajarājānau dṛṣṭau hi yugapanmayā | bhavatā nirviśeṣeṇa pṛthagvedopalakṣitau || 76 ||
Ṛbhu sprach: „Wahrlich, ich sah diese beiden königlichen Elefanten zugleich; doch du hast sie, ohne jede Parteilichkeit, einzeln unterschieden nach den im Veda gelehrten Merkmalen.“
Ṛbhu
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
The verse highlights viveka—clear discernment grounded in śāstra—showing that true knowledge distinguishes reality accurately and without bias, which supports Moksha-oriented dharma.
Even in Bhakti, discernment guided by scripture protects the devotee from confusion and wrong conclusions; impartial, Veda-aligned understanding strengthens steady devotion rather than sentiment alone.
It points to śāstric lakṣaṇa (diagnostic marks) and disciplined observation—methods echoed in Vedāṅga-style learning (especially Vyākaraṇa/Nirukta-like precision of meaning and identification), applied here as unbiased classification.