Shloka 12
इत्य् उक्तः सहसारुह्य निदाघः प्राह तम् ऋभुम् श्रूयतां कथयाम्य् एष यन् मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि
ity uktaḥ sahasāruhya nidāghaḥ prāha tam ṛbhum śrūyatāṃ kathayāmy eṣa yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi
Thus addressed, Nidāgha at once climbed up and said to Ṛbhu: “Listen—now I shall tell you precisely what it is that you ask of me.”
Nidagha
Concept: True instruction often proceeds through immediate demonstration (dṛṣṭānta) rather than abstract definition.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: When confused by concepts, ask for concrete examples and test meanings in lived situations.
Vishishtadvaita: Guru-śiṣya transmission: knowledge is mediated through a teacher’s compassionate, situation-specific upadeśa.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse marks the formal turn from questioning to instruction, framing the exchange as a deliberate teaching on higher knowledge that culminates in insight into the ultimate reality.
By having Nidāgha explicitly invite listening and promise an answer, the Purana uses a guru-disciple cadence—question, readiness, then exposition—so the doctrine unfolds as guided realization rather than mere debate.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana’s philosophical sections typically orient self-knowledge toward the Supreme Lord as the final truth and support of liberation.