Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34
श्रृणोति कथितं जीवः कर्णाभ्यांन श्रृणोति तत् । महर्षे मनसि व्यग्रे तस्माज्जीवो निरर्थकः ॥ ३४ ॥
śrṛṇoti kathitaṃ jīvaḥ karṇābhyāṃna śrṛṇoti tat | maharṣe manasi vyagre tasmājjīvo nirarthakaḥ || 34 ||
Jīva mendengar apa yang diucapkan, namun bukan semata-mata dengan telinga ia mendengarnya; wahai mahārṣi, ketika pikiran gelisah, makhluk hidup itu menjadi seakan tanpa daya guna.
Sanatkumara (addressing Narada as ‘maharṣe’)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
FAQs
It teaches that mere physical hearing of scripture is not real śravaṇa; without a collected mind, teachings do not enter the heart, and spiritual effort becomes fruitless.
Bhakti begins with attentive listening to the Lord’s names and teachings; if the mind wanders, even hearing kīrtana or kathā yields little transformation, so focus is essential for devotion to mature.
It emphasizes the discipline behind śravaṇa and mantra-prayoga: correct practice is not only sound (śikṣā) but also sustained attention; otherwise recitation and listening fail to produce intended results.