Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 51
Śokanivāraṇa: Non-brooding, Impermanence, Contentment, and Śuka’s Renunciation
केन यत्नेन जीवंतं गर्भं त्वमिह पश्यसि । अन्नपानानि जीर्यंते यत्र भक्ष्याश्च भक्षिताः ॥ ५१ ॥
kena yatnena jīvaṃtaṃ garbhaṃ tvamiha paśyasi | annapānāni jīryaṃte yatra bhakṣyāśca bhakṣitāḥ || 51 ||
你凭何等作为，竟能在此见到有生命的胎儿——在那食与饮被消化之处，连可食之物也终被吞噬殆尽？
Sanatkumara (addressing Narada in a didactic dialogue on Moksha-dharma)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
It provokes self-inquiry by contrasting the wonder of a living embryo with the body’s harsh reality as a place of digestion and consumption, pushing the seeker toward detachment and the search for the imperishable Self.
By exposing the body’s perishable nature, the verse implicitly redirects faith from the transient body to the eternal Lord; such discernment supports steady Vishnu-bhakti as the refuge beyond decay.
No specific Vedanga technique is taught directly; the verse uses precise Sanskrit rhetorical inquiry and bodily imagery to cultivate viveka (discernment), which is foundational for dharma-based practice and spiritual discipline.