Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 90
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā (Gaṅgā-māhātmya): Saudāsa/Kalmāṣapāda’s Curse and Release
कल्माषपाद उवाच । गुरवो बहवः प्रोक्ता एतेषां कतमो वरः । तुल्याः सर्वेऽप्युत सरवे तद्यथावद्धि ब्रूहि मे ॥ ९० ॥
kalmāṣapāda uvāca | guravo bahavaḥ proktā eteṣāṃ katamo varaḥ | tulyāḥ sarve'pyuta sarave tadyathāvaddhi brūhi me || 90 ||
قال كَلْمَاشَپَادَة: «لقد ذُكرت أنواع كثيرة من المعلمين. فأيّهم هو الأفضل؟ أم إنهم جميعًا متساوون؟ أخبرني على وجه الصواب، كما هي الحقيقة.»
Kalmāṣapāda
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: jijnasa (inquisitive)
FAQs
It frames a core dharmic inquiry: spiritual progress depends on right guidance, so the seeker must discern what makes a guru truly “श्रेष्ठ/वर” (best) rather than assuming all instruction is equivalent.
Bhakti in the Purāṇic framework is transmitted through proper upadeśa (authoritative instruction). By asking for the “best” guru, the speaker highlights that devotion becomes steady and effective when received from a competent, truth-aligned teacher.
The verse does not teach a specific Vedāṅga directly; instead, it emphasizes epistemic discipline—seeking “yathāvat” (correct method and meaning), which underlies proper learning of śāstra, including Vedāṅgas like Vyākaraṇa (grammar) and Śikṣā (phonetics).