Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18
Janaka Instructs Śuka: Āśrama-Sequence, Guru-Dependence, and Marks of Liberation
किमवश्यं तु वस्तव्यमाश्रमेषु न वा नृप । एतद्भवंतं पृच्छामि तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥ १८ ॥
kimavaśyaṃ tu vastavyamāśrameṣu na vā nṛpa | etadbhavaṃtaṃ pṛcchāmi tadbhavānvaktumarhati || 18 ||
Ô roi, qu’est-ce qui doit inévitablement être vécu : au sein des āśramas ou en dehors d’eux ? Je te pose cette question ; tu es digne de l’expliquer.
A sage addressing a king (dialogue frame within Moksha-dharma discussion; likely Narada or a narrator-ṛṣi speaking to a nṛpa)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It frames a key Moksha-dharma inquiry: whether liberation-oriented living depends strictly on the formal āśrama system or can be pursued beyond it—prompting an authoritative clarification of essential dharma.
Indirectly: by asking what is ‘inevitably to be lived,’ it invites the teaching that the core spiritual discipline—often expressed as steady devotion and inner restraint—can be primary, whether one is formally situated in an āśrama or not.
The verse points to dharma-śāstra style classification of life-stages (āśrama-vyavasthā). While not a technical Vedāṅga lesson itself, it sets up practical conduct rules that are typically supported by śikṣā (discipline), vyākaraṇa (precise meaning), and kalpa (ritual/conduct frameworks).