This second part of Poorv Bhaag of Naarad Puraan is very big - 153-400=250 pages. It contains a few chapters on grammar astrology, and Chhand. Most of this information is omitted here.

Story of Ribhu and Nidaagh

Sanandan Jee said - "Hearing Braahman, Sauveer king said to him - "Hey Braahman, You have told whatever Gyaan, that is the form of Brahm beyond Prakriti. But you said, "I am not carrying the palanquin, nor I have the load of this palanquin. Whoever has lifted this palanquin, he is different from my body. Jeev's Pravritti is guided by Gun and these Gun are guided by Karm." Then what is my duty? Hey Dwij, Hearing all this, I am very keen to know about Paramaarth. In fact I was going to Kapil Muni to ask "What is Shreya in this world?"; but in the middle I got you and heard you. Now I have got interested in Paramaarth. Kapil Jee is the part Avataar of Vishnu and has incarnated to spread Gyaan, but after seeing you, I feel that Kapil Jee has come to me in your disguise. Now please tell me about Shreya to remove my delusion."

Braahman said - "Are you asking me about Shreya, or do you wish to know about Paramaarth? Who worships Devtaa with the desire of wealth, son, or kingdom, only those things are Shreya for him. This Shreya is different for each person according to his need; but for a learned man, only Paramaarth is Shreya. That Yagya which gives fruit of Swarg, is also a Shreya, but the main Shreya is in not to desire any fruit. Yogee and others should meditate upon Paramaatmaa, because to join Pramaatmaa is the real Shreya.

Thus Shreya are many, but all of them are not Paramaarth. Now I tell you what is Paramaarth. If wealth is Paramaarth then why is it given up for Dharm, and is spent to get pleasures? If to get kingdom is Paramaarth, then it doesn't stay forever. If you consider the Yagya as Paramaarth, which are done with the help of Ved Mantra, then listen to about them also. Whatever is born from whatever, it is considered the same from whatever it is born, for example, if something is made out of mud, its all qualities will be of mud, if something is made out of gold, naturally its all qualities will be of gold. With this analogy, whatever action (Yagya) is completed through wood, Ghee, Kush grass etc, it should also be destructible, while learned people consider Paramaarth immortal. 

Whatever process is completed by destructible things, both the process and its fruit are undoubtedly destructible. If you consider Nish-Kaam Karm as Paramaarth, then in my opinion, that is also only a means to attain Moksh and a means cannot be Paramaarth, because Paramaarth is the end, not the means. Therefore, Hey Raajan, They are all Shreya, not Paramaarth. Now you listen to about Paramaarth in brief.

Soul is one, extensive, pure, Nir-Gun, and beyond Prakriti. It has no impurity like birth or growth or deterioration etc. It has never related to name or caste, nor it will be. In spite of living in many bodies, it will be the same. This Gyaan is known as Paramaarth. Who consider them as two, they do not know Paramaarth. As there is only one air but as it passes through different holes of a flute and produces different sounds, in the same way the same Paramaatmaa looks different in different bodies. But this difference exists only till ignorance is there. Listen to an ancient story in this regard.

Brahmaa Jee had a son named Ribhu. He knew Paramaarth by nature. Pulastya Muni's son Nidaagh was his disciple. Ribhu preached him about A-Dwaitvaad. Even after learning about A-Dwaitvaad, Nidaagh could not get ready to accept it. Ribhu had guessed his situation. Pulastya Rishi inhabited a city named Veer Nagar on the banks of Devikaa River. Nidaagh used to live there. After 1,000 Divine years, Ribhu went to that city to see his disciple. Nidaagh was waiting for guests to feed them, so he took Ribhu inside, washed his feet and offered him an Aasan. Nidaagh asked him as what he would like to eat. Ribhu said - "What do you have? Tell me their names." Nidaagh said - "Hey Vipra, I have Sattoo, Lapasee of barley flour and Baatee. Whatever you like to eat, eat that." Ribhu said - "I do not like any one of them. I would like to eat some sweets, such as Halvaa, Kheer or anything sweet with sugar."

Nidaagh said to his wife - "Dear, Prepare some sweets for him with whatever best is available in our house." His wife prepared sweets for the guest and offered it to him. After Ribhu had taken food, Nidaagh asked - "Brahman, Are you satisfied with this food? Are you fine now? Where do you live? Where have you come from, and where are you going? Please tell me everything." Ribhu said - "Whoever is hungry, only he is satisfied after taking food. I was never hungry, nor I am satisfied. Then why do you ask me? Hunger and thirst is felt only when this stomach fire has burned already eaten material. These hunger and thirst are the nature of this body, not mine, that is why I am always satisfied. As far as health of mind and satisfaction are concerned they are the impurities of heart, therefore soul is not concerned with them. You have asked, "where is your abode, where will you go, where have you come from?" Soul exists in all, it is widespread like space, therefore questions about it are meaningless. Neither I come from anywhere, nor I go anywhere.

When I asked you to give me sweets, I meant the same thing, and I wanted to know what do you say about it? Even sweets doesn't seem to be sweet once one is satisfied; and sometimes something seems to be sweet although it is not sweet (means when one is hungry even not tasty things taste tasty). Which is that food that tastes alike in the beginning, in the middle and in the end. As a mud house is strengthened by mud, in the same way this body is also strengthened by food and water. Thinking thus you should train your mind that should think tasty and not tasty foods alike, so that it doesn't make the difference between them because thinking in this way is the way to attain Moksh."

Hearing this Nidaagh saluted Ribhu and said - "Who are you who have come to do good for me? My all delusion is destroyed after hearing your preaching." Ribhu said - "I am your Guru Ribhu, and I have come to teach you Tattwa Gyaan. Now I am going. I have told you about Paramaarth. Now you think about it and consider this whole world as the form of Vaasudev. This world has no place for distinction."

Jadbharat said - "Then Nidaagh saluted his Guru and worshipped him. Ribhu went from there although Nidaagh didn't want him to go. Again 1,000 Divine years had passed. Ribhu again came to the same city to preach Nidaagh. He found Nidaagh standing outside the city. Its king was entering the city with great pomp and show, and Nidaagh was just standing aside far from the crowd. Ribhu went to him, greeted him and asked - "Why are you standing here in a lonely place?" Nidaagh said - "The king is entering this city, so a lot of crowd has gathered here, that is why I am standing here."

Ribhu said - "It seems that you know everything of this place. Tell me who is the king here and who are others?" Nidaagh said - "This man who is riding on this elephant, is king and the other people are his people." Ribhu said - "I saw the king and elephant together, you have not told me separate markings for them, that is why I could not identify them, so please tell me their identification that who is the king and who is the elephant among them?" Nidaagh said - "Whoever is below, it is elephant, and who is sitting on it, he is king. One is a conveyance and another is the rider. Who doesn't know the relationship between rider and conveyance?" Ribhu said - "Brahman, Please explain me in clear words so that I can understand it easily. What do you mean by below and what do you mean by above?"

Jadbharat further said - "Hearing this Nidaagh suddenly climbed upon him and said - "See now, I am above like king, and you are below like elephant. I did this just to explain you clearly." Ribhu said - "If you are like king and I am like elephant, then tell me who are you and who am I?" As Ribhu said this, immediately Nidaagh fell on Ribhu's feet and said - "Certainly you are my Guru Ribhu, because nobody else knows about A-Dwaitvaad so much as you do." Ribhu said - "You have served me a lot, that is why I have come to preach you. Maintaining A-Dwait mind is the gist of Paramaarth." and Ribhu went away."

Sanandan Jee said - "Hearing Braahman, Sauveer king also followed Paramaarh and attained Mukti in the same life.