Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 9
The Exposition of Spiritual Knowledge
Jñāna-pradarśanam
तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि चरितं यज्ञमालिसुमालिनोः । यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण वाजिमेधफलं लभेत् ॥ ९ ॥
tatpravakṣyāmi caritaṃ yajñamālisumālinoḥ | yasya śravaṇamātreṇa vājimedhaphalaṃ labhet || 9 ||
I shall now recount the sacred story of Yajñamāli and Sumāli—by merely hearing it, one gains the merit that comes from performing the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice).
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It elevates śravaṇa (devotional hearing) as a powerful dharmic practice, declaring that listening to this specific kathā yields merit comparable to a major Vedic sacrifice (Aśvamedha).
By promising great spiritual fruit through attentive hearing, it frames bhakti as accessible—devotion expressed through listening to sacred narratives can confer results otherwise associated with elaborate ritual performance.
It references śrauta ritual ideology by naming the Aśvamedha (Vājimedha) and its phala, underscoring the Purāṇic teaching that narrative-hearing can function as an efficacious alternative or complement to complex sacrificial rites.