Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 55
The Greatness of Viṣṇu
Viṣṇor Māhātmya
दुर्लभं प्राप्य मानुष्यं न तथा गमयेद् बुधः । अर्चयेद्धि जगन्नाथं सारमेतद् द्विजोत्तम ॥ ५५ ॥
durlabhaṃ prāpya mānuṣyaṃ na tathā gamayed budhaḥ | arcayeddhi jagannāthaṃ sārametad dvijottama || 55 ||
দুর্লভ মানবজন্ম লাভ করে জ্ঞানী যেন তা বৃথা না কাটায়; সে জগন্নাথের অর্চনা করুক—হে দ্বিজশ্রেষ্ঠ, এটাই সার।
Narada (teaching in dialogue addressed to a dvija; within the Narada–Sanatkumara instructional flow)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It declares that human birth is rare and meaningful, and its highest purpose is to turn life toward the worship of Jagannātha (Vishnu), which the text calls the essential conclusion (sāra).
Bhakti is presented as the practical and central response to human life’s rarity: instead of letting life slip away, one should actively engage in arcana (worship) of Vishnu as the core spiritual practice.
The verse emphasizes practice over technical detail: it points to arcana (ritual worship) as the actionable takeaway; specific Vedanga disciplines (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) are not directly taught in this line.