Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 43
Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds
धर्मराज उवाच । साधु साधु महाबुद्धे मतिस्ते विमलोर्जिता । धर्माधर्मान्प्रवक्ष्यामितत्त्वतः श्रृणु भक्तितः ॥ ४४ ॥
dharmarāja uvāca | sādhu sādhu mahābuddhe matiste vimalorjitā | dharmādharmānpravakṣyāmitattvataḥ śrṛṇu bhaktitaḥ || 44 ||
Dharmarāja sprach: „Wohl gesprochen, wohl gesprochen, o Großgesinnter. Dein Verständnis ist rein und fest errungen. Nun werde ich dir der Wahrheit gemäß darlegen, was Dharma und was Adharma ist—höre mit Hingabe.“
Dharmaraja (Yama)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It establishes the proper attitude for receiving dharma-śāstra teaching: the listener’s mind must be purified and steady, and the instruction on dharma vs. adharma should be heard with bhakti (reverent devotion), not mere curiosity.
Bhakti here is presented as the inner method of learning—devotional receptivity. Even moral and legal categories like dharma/adharma become spiritually transformative when heard and applied with reverence and surrender.
The verse points to dharma-nirṇaya (ascertaining right conduct) as a practical application of śāstric reasoning; while no single Vedāṅga is named, it implies disciplined study and correct interpretation of scriptural teaching for ethical practice.