Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22

Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative

Devanagari script

आचारप्रभवो धर्मः धर्म्मस्य प्रभुरच्युतः । आश्रमाचारयुक्तेन पूजितः सर्वदा हरिः ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

ācāraprabhavo dharmaḥ dharmmasya prabhuracyutaḥ | āśramācārayuktena pūjitaḥ sarvadā hariḥ || 22 ||

Translation

Dharma entspringt aus rechter Lebensführung (ācāra), und der Herr Acyuta ist die höchste Autorität über Dharma. Darum soll, wer in den Disziplinen der Āśramas gefestigt ist, Hari stets verehren.

Word by Word

• ācāraprabhavaḥ: born from conduct
• ācāraprabhavaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ācāraprabhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• dharmaḥ: righteousness/duty
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• dharmasya: of righteousness
• dharmasya: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• prabhuḥ: lord/master
• prabhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• acyutaḥ: Achyuta (Vishnu)
• acyutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• āśramācārayuktena: by one endowed with conduct of his stage of life
• āśramācārayuktena: Karta (Agent/कर्ता) in Passive
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āśramācārayukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• pūjitaḥ: is worshipped
• pūjitaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (पूज्)
• Form: Kta Pratyaya (Past Passive Participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• sarvadā: always
• sarvadā: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (Time)

• hariḥ: Hari (Vishnu)
• hariḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म) in Passive
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Acyuta
• Hari
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It links dharma to lived discipline (ācāra) and grounds that discipline in devotion: since Acyuta is the authority of dharma, righteous living culminates in steady worship of Hari.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti is presented as consistent worship supported by āśrama-appropriate conduct—devotion is not isolated from daily duties but fulfilled through them when oriented to Hari.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes smārta/ācāra-based practice—proper observance of āśrama duties and ritual decorum (sadācāra) as the practical framework for worship, rather than a specific Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.