Shloka 23
Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya: Bhakti-Lakṣaṇa, Nārasiṁha-tīrtha, and the Secret Darśana-Vidhi of Śrīnivāsa
स्तुत्वा तेन ज्ञानतत्त्वं ह्यवाप्य जगाम मोक्षं भक्तिसंवर्धितात्मा / यो नारदः श्रीनिवासस्य भक्तो भक्तिं कृत्वा गर्भवासे हरौ च
stutvā tena jñānatattvaṃ hyavāpya jagāma mokṣaṃ bhaktisaṃvardhitātmā / yo nāradaḥ śrīnivāsasya bhakto bhaktiṃ kṛtvā garbhavāse harau ca
Setelah memuji-Nya, ia sungguh memperoleh hakikat pengetahuan; dan dengan batin yang diperkaya oleh bhakti, ia menuju mokṣa. Itulah Nārada, bhakta Śrīnिवāsa, yang bahkan saat dalam kandungan menekuni bhakti dan berbakti kepada Hari.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)
Concept: Stuti and bhakti nurture the inner being, yielding jñāna-tattva and culminating in mokṣa; devotion can be innate due to past saṃskāras.
Vedantic Theme: Citta-śuddhi through bhakti leading to tattva-jñāna; saṃskāra continuity and īśvara-anugraha.
Application: Use daily stotra/namas as a discipline; cultivate devotion consistently so that it becomes spontaneous (svābhāvikī bhakti).
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: liminal-space
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.24 (series of exemplars: bhakti → jñāna → mokṣa)
FAQs
This verse presents bhakti as a force that matures the inner self and culminates in moksha, showing devotion as both a practice and a transformative spiritual power.
It links praise and devotion to the attainment of jñāna-tattva (true spiritual insight) and then to moksha, implying a progression: devotion purifies and deepens understanding, which ripens into liberation.
Cultivate steady devotional practices—prayer, praise, remembrance of Hari—and let them refine conduct and understanding, aiming for inner purification rather than mere ritual performance.