Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 6
Jīva–Ātman Inquiry; Kṣetrajña Doctrine; Karma-based Varṇa; Four Āśramas and Sannyāsa Discipline
कृपे वा सलिलं दद्यात्प्रदीपं वा हुताशने । क्षिप्रं प्रविश्य नश्येत यथा नश्यत्यसौ तथा ॥ ६ ॥
kṛpe vā salilaṃ dadyātpradīpaṃ vā hutāśane | kṣipraṃ praviśya naśyeta yathā naśyatyasau tathā || 6 ||
Si l’on versait de l’eau dans un puits, ou si l’on plaçait une lampe dans le feu, elle y entrerait vite et serait détruite ; de même, cela périt.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-Dharma context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It uses simple similes (water into a well, a lamp into fire) to stress kṣaṇikatva—how quickly worldly supports are absorbed and lost—encouraging vairāgya and a turn toward mokṣa-oriented practice.
By highlighting the unreliability of external, perishable supports, it indirectly points the seeker toward lasting refuge—steady devotion and surrender to the imperishable Lord rather than dependence on transient objects.
This verse is primarily a didactic upamā (illustrative simile) rather than a Vedāṅga technical point; its practical takeaway is ethical-spiritual discernment (viveka) used in Moksha-Dharma instruction.