Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 78
Śreyas and Paramārtha: The Ribhu–Nidāgha Teaching on Non-Dual Self
Advaita
निदाध उवाच । गजोयोऽयमधो ब्रह्मन्नुपर्यस्यैष भूपतिः । वाह्यवाहकसंबंधं को न जानाति वै द्विज ॥ ७८ ॥
nidādha uvāca | gajoyo'yamadho brahmannuparyasyaiṣa bhūpatiḥ | vāhyavāhakasaṃbaṃdhaṃ ko na jānāti vai dvija || 78 ||
Nidādha berkata: “Wahai Brahmana, yang di bawah ini adalah gajah, dan di atasnya duduk sang raja. Wahai yang dua kali lahir, siapa yang tidak mengetahui hubungan antara pembawa dan yang dibawa?”
Nidādha
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
FAQs
The verse uses a simple, worldly example—elephant and rider—to point toward discernment (viveka): knowing relational identities (carrier/carried) is easy, but the deeper spiritual task is to similarly discern the Self from the body and roles.
Indirectly, it supports Bhakti by encouraging clarity about embodied identity; when one recognizes the limitations of body-based roles (like rider/ride), devotion can be directed more purely to the Supreme (often Vishnu in Narada Purana) rather than to egoic status.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyakarana, Jyotisha, or Kalpa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is logical discernment and correct usage of relational categories (sambandha) as a tool for philosophical inquiry.