Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13
Uttaraloka
Northern Higher World), Dharma–Adharma Viveka, and Adhyatma-Prashna (Prelude
यस्त्वेतानाचरेद्विद्वान्न तपस्तस्य वर्द्धते । इह चिंता बहुविधा धर्माधर्मस्य कर्मणः ॥ १३ ॥
yastvetānācaredvidvānna tapastasya varddhate | iha ciṃtā bahuvidhā dharmādharmasya karmaṇaḥ || 13 ||
But the learned one who does not practice these prescribed disciplines finds that his tapas (austerity) does not increase. In this very life, manifold anxieties arise from actions mixed with dharma and adharma.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-Dharma dialogue)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It states that mere learning is insufficient: without actual practice of prescribed disciplines, tapas does not mature, and one remains entangled in the mental burdens produced by morally mixed actions.
By insisting on lived conduct (ācāra), it supports bhakti as a practical path—devotion expressed through disciplined life and righteous action, which stabilizes the mind and removes anxiety that obstructs remembrance of the Divine.
The emphasis is on ācāra and karma-viveka (discerning dharma vs. adharma in action), aligning with Kalpa (ritual and right procedure) and Dharmaśāstra-oriented discipline rather than a purely theoretical study.