Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38
गङ्गामाहात्म्य — The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
तमागतं बाहुसुतं निशम्य मुनिर्वशिष्ठः शरणागतांस्तान् । त्रातुं च शिष्याभिहितं च कर्तुं विचारयामास तदा क्षणेन ॥ ३८ ॥
tamāgataṃ bāhusutaṃ niśamya munirvaśiṣṭhaḥ śaraṇāgatāṃstān | trātuṃ ca śiṣyābhihitaṃ ca kartuṃ vicārayāmāsa tadā kṣaṇena || 38 ||
Hearing that the son of Bāhu had arrived, the sage Vasiṣṭha, seeing those who had come to him for refuge, reflected at once—how to protect them and how to fulfill what his disciple had requested.
Suta (narrator)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It highlights śaraṇāgati as a sacred responsibility: when seekers surrender, a dharmic teacher must respond with swift discernment—protecting the vulnerable while acting in alignment with righteous duty.
Though not a direct bhakti injunction, it models the bhakti principle of refuge: those who approach a worthy protector in humility are to be sheltered, reflecting the broader Purāṇic ethic of compassionate guardianship central to Vaiṣṇava devotion.
The verse emphasizes practical dharma-nīti and guru-śiṣya protocol rather than a specific Vedāṅga; the key takeaway is disciplined decision-making (vicāra) and faithful execution of an instructed duty.