Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 128
Dharmānukathana
Narration of Dharma
यावत्पांसु युगावासं वैष्णवे मन्दिरे लभेत् । शीर्णं स्फटिकलिङ्गं तु यः संदध्यान्नृपोत्तम ॥ १२८ ॥
yāvatpāṃsu yugāvāsaṃ vaiṣṇave mandire labhet | śīrṇaṃ sphaṭikaliṅgaṃ tu yaḥ saṃdadhyānnṛpottama || 128 ||
O bester der Könige: So wie schon ein Augenblick des Aufenthalts und Dienstes in einem vaiṣṇavischen Tempel Verdienst bringt, ebenso sammelt Verdienst, wer das abgenutzte Kristall-Emblem (Liṅga) wiederherstellt und neu einsetzt.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It elevates temple-service (mandira-sevā) to a high dharmic act, teaching that even brief association with a Vaiṣṇava temple yields immense merit, and that restoring sacred icons is a powerful form of puṇya and devotion.
Bhakti here is expressed as practical service—maintaining the Lord’s abode and repairing sacred emblems—showing devotion through preservation, care, and reverence rather than mere speech.
Ritual competence (kalpa-oriented practice) is implied: the proper repair/re स्थापना (saṃdhāna) of sacred icons and temple upkeep as regulated religious duty, especially relevant for rulers overseeing dharma.