Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41
The Characteristics of Devotion to Hari
चण्डालोऽपि मुनिश्रेष्ठ विष्णुभक्तो द्विजाधिकः । विष्णुभक्तिविहीनश्च द्विजोऽपि श्वपचाधमः ॥ ४१ ॥
caṇḍālo'pi muniśreṣṭha viṣṇubhakto dvijādhikaḥ | viṣṇubhaktivihīnaśca dvijo'pi śvapacādhamaḥ || 41 ||
يا أفضلَ الحكماء، إنّ الشاندالا إذا كان مُتعبِّدًا لفيشنو (بهاكتي) فهو أرفعُ من ذي الميلادين؛ أمّا ذو الميلادين الخالي من بهاكتي لفيشنو فهو حقًّا أحطُّ الناس، كطابخِ الكلاب.
Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
It declares bhakti to Viṣṇu as the true measure of spiritual worth and authority (adhikāra), overruling mere birth-identity; devotion elevates, and devotionlessness degrades.
Bhakti is presented as the decisive criterion of holiness: one who takes refuge in Viṣṇu with devotion becomes spiritually foremost, regardless of social origin, while ritual status without devotion is spiritually empty.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is dharma-nirṇaya—judging merit by conduct and Viṣṇu-bhakti rather than by lineage alone.