Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 104
गङ्गामाहात्म्य — The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
निधेराधारमात्रेण मही ज्वलति सर्वदा । तदेव मानवा भुक्त्वा ज्वलन्तीति किमद्भुतम् ॥ १०४ ॥
nidherādhāramātreṇa mahī jvalati sarvadā | tadeva mānavā bhuktvā jvalantīti kimadbhutam || 104 ||
അഗ്നിമയമായ ഗൂഢനിധിയുടെ ആശ്രയമാത്രം കൊണ്ടു ഭൂമി എപ്പോഴും ചൂടോടെ ജ്വലിക്കുന്നു; അതേ വസ്തു മനുഷ്യർ ഭുജിച്ച് ജ്വലിച്ചാൽ അതിൽ അത്ഭുതമെന്ത്?
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It uses a natural analogy to show that suffering is a predictable result of taking in what is inherently “burning” (harmful desire, intoxicating pleasures, or sinful conduct); therefore, spiritual life requires discernment (viveka) and restraint (vairagya).
By warning against consuming what inflames the mind, it indirectly supports bhakti: devotion to Vishnu thrives when the heart is cooled by sattva, self-control, and remembrance, rather than agitated by craving that later “burns” as remorse and bondage.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyakarana, Jyotisha, or Kalpa) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is ethical discipline—choosing wholesome inputs (ahara, sangati, vritti) to prevent predictable karmic and psychological consequences.