Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 66
Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State
त्याग एव हि सर्वेषामुक्तानामपि कर्मणाम् । नित्यं मिथ्याविनीतानां क्लेशो दुःखावहो तमः ॥ ६६ ॥
tyāga eva hi sarveṣāmuktānāmapi karmaṇām | nityaṃ mithyāvinītānāṃ kleśo duḥkhāvaho tamaḥ || 66 ||
En vérité, le renoncement seul est l’essence de toutes les actions prescrites qui ont été enseignées. Pour ceux qui s’exercent sans cesse dans le mensonge, naît l’affliction : une ténèbre porteuse de souffrance.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-dharma discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It teaches that the inner spirit of all prescribed religious actions is tyāga—releasing attachment and ego—because clinging to false notions (mithyā) keeps one in tamas (ignorance) and thus in suffering.
Bhakti matures through tyāga: surrendering possessiveness and self-centered motives. When false identifications are abandoned, devotion becomes pure, and the darkness that produces sorrow is dispelled.
The verse points to the practical application behind ritual action (karma-kāṇḍa): without inner renunciation, discipline can become misdirected. It emphasizes ethical-psychological training—right discernment over “mithyā”—rather than a technical Vedanga like Jyotiṣa or Vyākaraṇa.