Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 19
Śuka’s Origin, Mastery of Śāstra, and Testing at Janaka’s Court
अथ रूपं परं विप्र बिभ्रतीं स्वेन तेजसा । घृताचीं नामाप्सरसं ददर्श भगवान्नृषिः ॥ १९ ॥
atha rūpaṃ paraṃ vipra bibhratīṃ svena tejasā | ghṛtācīṃ nāmāpsarasaṃ dadarśa bhagavānnṛṣiḥ || 19 ||
Kemudian, wahai brāhmaṇa, sang resi yang diberkati melihat apsaras bernama Ghṛtācī, yang membawa keelokan tertinggi dan bersinar dengan cahaya dirinya sendiri.
Narada (narrative voice within the Moksha-dharma section; describing events)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
FAQs
It introduces a classic Purāṇic theme: a radiant apsaras appears before a sage, testing the steadiness of mind—highlighting that spiritual progress requires vigilance over desire even when beauty and splendour appear.
By implying the presence of temptation, it indirectly supports Bhakti as a stabilizing refuge: remembrance of the Divine and disciplined devotion help the seeker remain unmoved by sensory attraction.
No explicit Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this line; the practical takeaway is ethical-ascetic training (tapas and indriya-nigraha) as part of Mokṣa-dharma discipline.