Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 71
Bharata’s Attachment and the Palanquin Teaching on ‘I’ and ‘Mine’
ब्राह्मण उवाच । श्रूयतां कोऽहमित्येतद्वक्तुं भूप न शक्यते । उपयोगनिमित्तं च सर्वत्रागमनक्रिया ॥ ७१ ॥
brāhmaṇa uvāca | śrūyatāṃ ko'hamityetadvaktuṃ bhūpa na śakyate | upayoganimittaṃ ca sarvatrāgamanakriyā || 71 ||
Le brāhmane dit : « Écoute, ô roi : il n’est pas possible de dire ainsi “qui je suis”. En toute circonstance, la venue et le départ d’un homme sont suscités par quelque dessein (une utilité). »
Brāhmaṇa (unnamed speaker addressing the king)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
FAQs
It shifts attention from ego-based identity (“Who am I?” as a social label) to intention and purpose, implying that actions and encounters are best understood through their motivating cause and dharmic aim.
By emphasizing motive, it implicitly teaches that devotion is defined by the intention behind action—service, remembrance, and surrender—rather than by mere self-description or status.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is ethical discernment—examining the nimitta (cause/motive) behind movement, speech, and social interaction.