Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 53
Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State
सनंदन उवाच । तमसा हि मतिच्छत्रं विभ्रांतमिव चातुरम् । पुनः प्रशमयन्वाक्यैः कविः पंचशिखोऽब्रवीत् ॥ ५३ ॥
sanaṃdana uvāca | tamasā hi maticchatraṃ vibhrāṃtamiva cāturam | punaḥ praśamayanvākyaiḥ kaviḥ paṃcaśikho'bravīt || 53 ||
Sanandana dit : Lorsque le dais de l’intelligence est assombri par l’ignorance, même l’homme habile paraît comme égaré. Alors le sage‑poète Pañcaśikha, le calmant de nouveau par ses paroles, prit la parole.
Sanandana
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It shows how tamas (ignorance) can eclipse even a capable intellect, and how a realized teacher restores clarity through calming, corrective instruction—an essential motif in Moksha Dharma.
While framed as jñāna-upadeśa, it supports bhakti indirectly: when the mind is soothed and cleared of tamas by saintly guidance, one becomes fit for steady remembrance and devotion to the Divine.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is the discipline of śānta-vāk (pacifying speech) and guru-upadeśa as tools to remove mental confusion.