Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2
Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative
भक्तिर्भक्त्यैव कर्त्तव्यातथा कर्माणि भक्तितः । कर्मश्चद्धाविहीनानि न सिध्यन्तिं द्विजोत्तमाः ॥ २ ॥
bhaktirbhaktyaiva karttavyātathā karmāṇi bhaktitaḥ | karmaścaddhāvihīnāni na sidhyantiṃ dvijottamāḥ || 2 ||
Bhakti soll durch Bhakti selbst vollzogen werden; ebenso sollen rituelle Handlungen (karma) aus Hingabe unternommen werden. Taten jedoch, denen śraddhā fehlt, gelangen nicht zum Erfolg, o dvijottama, Bester der Zweimalgeborenen.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressing assembled dvijas in the didactic frame)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)
Secondary Rasa: shanta (peace)
FAQs
It establishes bhakti (devotion) and śraddhā (faith) as the inner power that makes all religious practice fruitful; without them, karma becomes mechanically performed and fails to yield its intended spiritual result.
It teaches that bhakti is self-sustaining—devotion grows by practicing devotion—and that even Vedic duties (karmāṇi) should be rooted in devotion rather than mere formality.
The verse highlights the principle of correct ritual intention (śraddhā) underlying Vaidika karma; it is not a technical Vedāṅga rule (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa), but a foundational requirement for successful ritual efficacy.