Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13
Gaṅgā-māhātmya: Bāhu’s Envy, Defeat, Forest Exile, and Aurva’s Dharmic Consolation
अजेयोऽव्याहतैश्वर्यो मत्तः कोऽन्योऽधिको भुवि । अहंकारपरस्यैवं जातासूया परेष्वपि ॥ १३ ॥
ajeyo'vyāhataiśvaryo mattaḥ ko'nyo'dhiko bhuvi | ahaṃkāraparasyaivaṃ jātāsūyā pareṣvapi || 13 ||
“Ta bất khả chiến bại; quyền uy của ta không gì ngăn trở. Trên cõi đất này, ai hơn được ta?” Vì kẻ nương tựa ngã mạn như thế, lòng đố kỵ đối với người khác cũng sinh khởi.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada on inner obstacles to dharma and devotion)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It diagnoses a core inner fault: egoistic self-exaltation (“who is greater than me?”) naturally breeds envy, which blocks dharma, peace of mind, and genuine spiritual growth.
Bhakti requires humility and reverence; pride competes with surrender, and envy disrupts love and respect for other devotees. The verse implies that uprooting ahamkara is essential for stable devotion.
The verse is not a technical Vedanga instruction (like Vyakarana or Jyotisha), but it gives a practical sadhana takeaway: cultivate self-restraint and humility as prerequisites for effective ritual, mantra-japa, and vrata observance.