Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15
Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State
यत्तदेकाक्षरं ब्रह्म नानारूपं प्रदृश्यते । आसुरिर्मंडले तस्मिन्प्रतिपेदे तमव्ययम् ॥ १५ ॥
yattadekākṣaraṃ brahma nānārūpaṃ pradṛśyate | āsurirmaṃḍale tasminpratipede tamavyayam || 15 ||
That Brahman—though the one imperishable “single syllable”—is beheld as manifold in form. In that very maṇḍala, the sage Āsuri realized the unchanging, undecaying Reality.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It teaches that the One imperishable Brahman—identified with the ekākṣara (Om)—appears as the manifold universe, yet remains unchanged; liberation comes from realizing that imperishable Reality as Āsuri did.
By affirming that the many divine forms worshipped in bhakti are appearances of the one imperishable Brahman, it supports devotion as a valid approach that can culminate in realizing the One behind all forms.
It highlights the upāsanā of the ekākṣara (Om) and its correct understanding—linked to Śikṣā (proper recitation/pronunciation) and Vyākaraṇa (precision of sacred syllables) as supports for contemplative practice.