Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 87
Hanūmaccarita
The Account of Hanumān
प्रेक्षणीयं ममत्वेन न च पश्यति चक्षुषा । न घ्राणग्राह्यं देवेश न पातव्यं न चेतरत् ॥ ८७ ॥
prekṣaṇīyaṃ mamatvena na ca paśyati cakṣuṣā | na ghrāṇagrāhyaṃ deveśa na pātavyaṃ na cetarat || 87 ||
It seems ‘to be seen’ only through possessiveness—through the thought of “mine”—yet it is not truly seen by the eyes. O Lord of the gods, it is not grasped by smell; it is not something to be drunk—nor any other object of the senses.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressing the Supreme as Devesha)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It teaches that the Supreme Reality cannot be reduced to a sensory object; what appears ‘knowable’ is often only the mind’s projection through mamatva (possessive identification), which must be transcended for liberation.
By denying sensory grasping, it redirects the seeker from externalized experience to inner surrender—Bhakti as reverent turning of the heart toward Devesha, beyond mere sight, smell, or taste.
It underscores epistemic discipline central to Vedanga-style inquiry: distinguishing pratyakṣa (sense perception) from higher knowing, and recognizing how mental constructs like mamatva distort cognition.