Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 29
Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State
यत्र तत्रानुमानेऽस्मिन्कृतं भावयतेऽपि च । अन्योजीवः शरीरस्य नास्तिकानां मते स्थितः ॥ २९ ॥
yatra tatrānumāne'sminkṛtaṃ bhāvayate'pi ca | anyojīvaḥ śarīrasya nāstikānāṃ mate sthitaḥ || 29 ||
Dans telle ou telle voie d’inférence (anumāna), ils peuvent même imaginer et construire une doctrine ; pourtant, selon l’avis des nāstikas (matérialistes), aucun être vivant distinct n’existe en dehors du corps.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It highlights a key obstacle to moksha: body-identification. The verse points out that nāstika/materialist systems, even when built through clever inference, ultimately deny a separate jīva beyond the body—thereby blocking realization of the eternal Self.
Bhakti presupposes a real, enduring relationship between the devotee (jīva) and Bhagavan. By noting the nāstika denial of a distinct jīva, the verse indirectly contrasts such views with devotional Dharma, where the self is understood as capable of devotion, surrender, and liberation.
This verse chiefly engages Nyāya-style anumāna (inference) as a method of knowledge, implying that reasoning alone—without Vedic pramāṇa and inner realization—can lead to erroneous conclusions like dehātma-vāda (the self as merely the body).