Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 167
The Exposition of Nṛsiṁha Worship-Mantras, Nyāsa, Mudrās, Yantras, Kavaca, and Nṛsiṁha Gāyatrī
चैतन्यात्मन्श्चतुरात्मन्द्वादशात्मन्स्ततः परम् । चतुर्विंशात्मन्नन्ते तु पञ्चविंशात्मन्नित्यपि ॥ १६७ ॥
caitanyātmanścaturātmandvādaśātmanstataḥ param | caturviṃśātmannante tu pañcaviṃśātmannityapi || 167 ||
آتما کو ‘چَیتنْی’ کہا گیا ہے؛ پھر ‘چَتُر آتما’ بھی۔ اس کے بعد ‘دْوادَش آتما’؛ پھر ‘چَتُروِمْش آتما’؛ اور آخر میں ‘نِتیہ پَنجوِمْش آتما’ یعنی ازلی پچیسواں آتما بھی کہا جاتا ہے۔
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a Vedanga/technical enumeration style)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It maps progressively subtler understandings of the Self—from consciousness and functional groupings up to the twenty-four tattvas—culminating in the eternal twenty-fifth, the Puruṣa/Ātman beyond material principles, indicating liberation through discernment.
By distinguishing the eternal twenty-fifth Self from the twenty-four principles, it supports bhakti as devotion to the transcendent reality (Puruṣa), not merely to changing psycho-physical constituents—devotion becomes anchored in the nitya (eternal).
A technical, śāstra-style classification (tattva-saṅkhyā/saṅkhyāna) used in Vedanga-influenced teaching: precise enumeration and definition of categories to aid correct understanding and disciplined study.