Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 82
Śreyas and Paramārtha: The Ribhu–Nidāgha Teaching on Non-Dual Self
Advaita
ऋभुरुवाच । त्वं राजेव द्विजश्रेष्ट स्थितोऽहं गजवद्यदि । तदेवं त्वं समाचक्ष्व कतमस्त्वमहं तथा ॥ ८२ ॥
ṛbhuruvāca | tvaṃ rājeva dvijaśreṣṭa sthito'haṃ gajavadyadi | tadevaṃ tvaṃ samācakṣva katamastvamahaṃ tathā || 82 ||
ऋभु نے کہا—اے افضلِ دو بار جنم لینے والے! اگر تم بادشاہ کی طرح کھڑے ہو اور میں ہاتھی کی طرح رکھا گیا ہوں، تو صاف بتاؤ—پھر میں کیا ہوں اور تم کیا ہو؟
Ṛbhu
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It challenges role-based identity (king/elephant as mere positions) and pushes the listener toward self-inquiry—asking what the ‘I’ truly is beyond imposed status, a key move in Moksha-dharma teaching.
Indirectly: by loosening attachment to worldly rank and comparison, it prepares the mind for single-pointed devotion—Bhakti becomes steadier when egoic identity (“I am this/that”) is questioned.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this line; the practical takeaway is disciplined inquiry (vicāra) and precise meaning—clarifying terms and assumptions before drawing conclusions.