Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 34
Karmas Leading to Hell and Heaven
Ethical Catalog of Destinies
द्विषतामपि ये दोषान्न वदंति कदाचन । कीर्तयंति गुणान्ये च ते नराः स्वर्गगामिनः
dviṣatāmapi ye doṣānna vadaṃti kadācana | kīrtayaṃti guṇānye ca te narāḥ svargagāminaḥ
حتى تجاه من يبغضونهم، الذين لا يذكرون عيوبهم قط، بل يذيعون محاسنهم، أولئك الرجال ينالون السماء.
Unspecified (narratorial/teachings context within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa; speaker not identifiable from single verse)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दोषान्न = दोषान् + न; गुणान्ये = गुणान् + ये.
FAQs
It praises restraint from fault-finding (doṣa-vāda) and the deliberate practice of acknowledging and speaking of others’ virtues (guṇa-kīrtana), even when they are hostile.
Here kīrtana means “proclaiming/praising” virtues in general, not specifically devotional singing; the principle aligns with cultivating a pure, non-malicious speech that supports spiritual merit.
The verse states that those who avoid speaking enemies’ faults and instead praise their good qualities become “svarga-gāminaḥ,” destined for heaven.