Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21
Uttaraloka
Northern Higher World), Dharma–Adharma Viveka, and Adhyatma-Prashna (Prelude
भरद्वाज उवाच । अध्यात्मं नाम यदिदं पुरुषस्येह चिन्त्यते । यदध्यात्मं यथा चैतत्तन्मे ब्रूहि तपोधन ॥ २१ ॥
bharadvāja uvāca | adhyātmaṃ nāma yadidaṃ puruṣasyeha cintyate | yadadhyātmaṃ yathā caitattanme brūhi tapodhana || 21 ||
Bharadvāja said: “O treasure of austerity, tell me what is meant by ‘adhyātma’—that inner spiritual principle contemplated here with regard to the person—and explain to me how exactly it is to be understood.”
Bharadvaja
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
The verse frames mokṣa-śāstra as a disciplined inquiry: it asks for a clear definition of adhyātma (inner Self-knowledge) and the correct way to understand it, implying that liberation depends on precise insight rather than vague piety.
Indirectly, it sets the foundation for mature bhakti: devotion becomes steady when the devotee understands the adhyātma truth of the puruṣa (the inner reality of the person) and then worships with knowledge rather than mere emotion.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is the Upaniṣadic-style method of definition and clarification—asking “what is it?” and “how is it to be understood?” before practice.