Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 166
Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy
सनक उवाच । इत्युक्त्वा मुनिशार्दूल महाराजं भगीरथम् । धर्मात्मानं धर्मराजः सद्यश्वान्तर्दधेतदा ॥ १६६ ॥
sanaka uvāca | ityuktvā muniśārdūla mahārājaṃ bhagīratham | dharmātmānaṃ dharmarājaḥ sadyaśvāntardadhetadā || 166 ||
Sanaka sprach: Nachdem Dharma-rāja (Yama), der Gerechte, so geredet und sich an König Bhagīratha—den Tiger unter den Weisen—gewandt hatte, verschwand er sogleich.
Sanaka
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It underscores the authority and immediacy of Dharma itself: once the dharmic instruction is delivered, Dharma-rāja withdraws, implying the responsibility now rests on the listener to embody and enact dharma.
Bhakti is implied indirectly: reverent reception of divine/ethical instruction is part of devotion, and the verse highlights humility and readiness to follow dharma—foundational qualities that mature into steadfast Vishnu-bhakti in Purāṇic teaching.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is dharma-nīti—ethical conduct and kingly duty—presented through Purāṇic narrative.