Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 75
Śreyas and Paramārtha: The Ribhu–Nidāgha Teaching on Non-Dual Self
Advaita
निदाघ उवाच । योऽयं गजेंद्रमुन्मत्तमद्रिश्रृंगसमुच्छ्रयम् । अधिरुढो नरेन्द्रोऽयं परितो यस्तथेतरः ॥ ७५ ॥
nidāgha uvāca | yo'yaṃ gajeṃdramunmattamadriśrṛṃgasamucchrayam | adhiruḍho narendro'yaṃ parito yastathetaraḥ || 75 ||
Nidāgha berkata: “Dia yang menaiki gajah agung yang sedang mabuk, menjulang laksana puncak gunung, dialah raja; dan yang berdiri mengelilinginya itulah orang yang lain.”
Nidagha
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
The verse frames a discriminative inquiry into status and identity—distinguishing the “king” from the “other” and implicitly pointing to how worldly titles and grandeur (elephant, power) are external markers, not the Self.
Indirectly, it supports bhakti by loosening fixation on rank and display; when pride in position is questioned, the mind becomes fit to surrender to Bhagavān rather than to social identity.
No specific Vedāṅga instruction is taught in this verse; it primarily uses precise descriptive Sanskrit (vyākaraṇa-style compounds) to sharpen philosophical questioning rather than ritual or astrological detail.