Shloka 87
Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank
नारायणपरा कीर्ति: श्रीक्ष लक्ष्मीक्ष देवता: । नारायणपरं सांख्यं योगो नारायणात्मक:,कीर्ति, श्री और लक्ष्मी आदि देवियाँ नारायणको ही अपना परम आश्रय मानती हैं। सांख्यका परम तात्पर्य भी नारायण ही हैं और योग भी नारायणका ही स्वरूप है
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
nārāyaṇaparā kīrtiḥ śrīś ca lakṣmīś ca devatāḥ |
nārāyaṇaparaṃ sāṅkhyaṃ yogo nārāyaṇātmakaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Glory (Fame), Śrī, and Lakṣmī—the divine powers—take Nārāyaṇa alone as their highest refuge. The ultimate purport of Sāṅkhya, too, is Nārāyaṇa; and Yoga is of the very nature of Nārāyaṇa. Thus, the paths of knowledge and disciplined practice, as well as the auspicious forces that sustain the world, converge upon the same supreme foundation.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
All auspicious powers (glory, prosperity, fortune) and even the major philosophical disciplines (Sāṅkhya and Yoga) ultimately rest upon and point toward Nārāyaṇa as the supreme ground. The verse teaches a unifying vision: diverse paths and values culminate in the same highest reality.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vaiśaṃpāyana continues a doctrinal exposition that elevates Nārāyaṇa as the ultimate refuge and essence behind both devotional ideals and philosophical systems, integrating metaphysics and practice into a single theistic framework.