Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 45
Nārada Explains the Allegory of King Purañjana
Deha–Indriya–Manaḥ Mapping and the Remedy of Bhakti
शब्दब्रह्मणि दुष्पारे चरन्त उरुविस्तरे । मन्त्रलिङ्गैर्व्यवच्छिन्नं भजन्तो न विदु: परम् ॥ ४५ ॥
śabda-brahmaṇi duṣpāre caranta uru-vistare mantra-liṅgair vyavacchinnaṁ bhajanto na viduḥ param
Dẫu dấn thân trong śabda-brahman (Veda) mênh mông khó vượt, và thờ phụng các thần linh theo dấu hiệu của thần chú, người ta vẫn không hiểu được Đấng Tối Thượng, Ngôi Vị Thần Linh đầy quyền năng.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.20) :
FAQs
This verse says that people can wander in the vast expanse of Vedic sound and worship only the ritual portions defined by mantras, yet still fail to know the Supreme Reality beyond those external divisions.
Nārada instructs the king—who was inclined toward elaborate sacrificial rites—that mere ritual engagement does not automatically reveal the Supreme; one must seek the ultimate purpose of the Vedas: realization of Bhagavān.
Use scripture, mantra, and worship as a means to cultivate remembrance, humility, and devotion to the Supreme—rather than stopping at external performance—by regularly hearing, chanting, and reflecting on the goal: knowing and serving Bhagavān.