Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 46
Yamapatha (The Road of Yama), Dāna-Phala, and the Imperishable Fruition of Karma
यद्यत्पापतरं तत्तत्किमर्थं चरितं जनाः । कृतवंतः पुरा पापान्यत्यंतहर्षिताः ॥ ४६ ॥
yadyatpāpataraṃ tattatkimarthaṃ caritaṃ janāḥ | kṛtavaṃtaḥ purā pāpānyatyaṃtaharṣitāḥ || 46 ||
Why is it that people commit precisely those acts which are more sinful—indeed the most sinful? In the past they have performed sins, and that too with excessive delight.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It highlights the paradox of human conduct: due to ingrained tendencies (pāpa-vāsanā) and delusion, people not only fall into sin but can even take pleasure in it—prompting the need for dharma, self-restraint, and purification.
By exposing attraction to pāpa as a core obstacle, the verse implicitly points toward bhakti as a purifier of desire—redirecting delight from wrongdoing to remembrance, praise, and service of Bhagavān.
It chiefly teaches ethical discernment rather than a technical Vedāṅga; the practical takeaway aligns with dharma-śāstra style discipline—examining motives, restraining harmful impulses, and cultivating sattva through regulated conduct.