Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 106
गङ्गामाहात्म्य — The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
यत्र श्रीर्यौवनं वापि शारदा वापि तिष्ठति । तत्राश्रीर्वृद्धता नित्यं मूर्खत्वं चापि जायते ॥ १०६ ॥
yatra śrīryauvanaṃ vāpi śāradā vāpi tiṣṭhati | tatrāśrīrvṛddhatā nityaṃ mūrkhatvaṃ cāpi jāyate || 106 ||
Onde habitam Śrī (prosperidade), a juventude e Śāradā, a deusa do saber, ali (na sua ausência) nascem a desventura, a decrepitude constante e até a tolice.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It links auspiciousness (Śrī), vitality (yauvana), and sacred learning (Śāradā) with upliftment, implying that when these supports are absent, inauspiciousness, decline, and ignorance naturally manifest; thus, spiritual life requires both dharmic prosperity and cultivated wisdom.
Bhakti in the Narada Purana is sustained by śraddhā and right understanding; invoking Śāradā (true knowledge) and living with Śrī (auspicious dharma) protects devotion from the “mūrkhatva” (confusion) that derails worship and leads to spiritual decline.
The verse underscores the necessity of śāstra-śikṣā—especially Vedāṅga disciplines like Śikṣā (phonetics) and Vyākaraṇa (grammar)—because correct learning preserves clarity and prevents the “mūrkhatva” (misunderstanding) that arises without disciplined study.