Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 85
Śreyas and Paramārtha: The Ribhu–Nidāgha Teaching on Non-Dual Self
Advaita
ऋभुरुवाच । तवोपदेशदानाय पूर्वशुश्रूषणात्तव । गुरुस्नेहादृभुर्नामनिदाघं समुपागतः ॥ ८५ ॥
ṛbhuruvāca | tavopadeśadānāya pūrvaśuśrūṣaṇāttava | gurusnehādṛbhurnāmanidāghaṃ samupāgataḥ || 85 ||
Ṛbhu sprach: „Um dir Unterweisung zu geben — aufgrund deines früheren hingebungsvollen Dienstes — und aus der Zuneigung eines Lehrers bin ich, Ṛbhu dem Namen nach, zu Nidāgha gekommen.“
Ṛbhu
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
The verse establishes that liberating instruction (upadeśa) is transmitted through the guru–śiṣya bond, and that sincere prior service (śuśrūṣā) ripens into the guru’s compassionate guidance—an essential condition for Moksha-Dharma teachings to bear fruit.
It highlights bhakti in the form of humble attendance and service to the teacher; such śuśrūṣā is treated as a devotional discipline that draws the guru’s grace, enabling the disciple to receive transformative instruction.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is the discipline of śuśrūṣā—attentive listening and service—as the method for properly receiving and retaining śāstric instruction.