Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 6
Bharata’s Attachment and the Palanquin Teaching on ‘I’ and ‘Mine’
स राजा प्राप्तराज्यस्तु पितृपैतामहं क्रमात् । पालयामास धर्मेण पितृवद्रंजयन् प्रजाः ॥ ६ ॥
sa rājā prāptarājyastu pitṛpaitāmahaṃ kramāt | pālayāmāsa dharmeṇa pitṛvadraṃjayan prajāḥ || 6 ||
Jener König, der das Reich in der Erbfolge von Vater und Großvater erlangt hatte, regierte nach dem Dharma und erfreute die Untertanen wie ein Vater seine Kinder.
Narada (narrating within the Moksha-Dharma context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It presents dharmic rulership (ruling as a protector like a father) as a sacred duty: social order and the welfare of prajā are upheld through dharma, creating the ethical ground on which higher spiritual pursuits, including mokṣa-dharma, can flourish.
While not explicitly naming bhakti, it reflects a bhakti-aligned ethic: leadership becomes service (sevā) to living beings, and such compassionate, dharma-based protection is consistent with devotion-centered living praised in Narada Muni’s teachings.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Śikṣā) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is Rajadharma—administering society according to dharma and ensuring the contentment and protection of the people.