Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 75
Yuga-Dharma Framework, Kali-Yuga Diagnosis, and the Hari-Nāma Remedy
Transition to Vedānta Inquiry
वेदनिंदापराश्चैव धर्मशास्त्रविनिंदुकाः । शूद्रवृत्त्यैव जीवंति नरकार्हा द्विजा मुने ॥ ७५ ॥
vedaniṃdāparāścaiva dharmaśāstraviniṃdukāḥ | śūdravṛttyaiva jīvaṃti narakārhā dvijā mune || 75 ||
And those dvijas who are intent on reviling the Vedas and who disparage the Dharmaśāstras—living only by occupations deemed proper to śūdras—O sage, are fit for hell.
Sanatkumara (addressing Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It asserts that rejecting Vedic authority and ridiculing Dharmaśāstra is spiritually corrosive; for a dvija, such contempt combined with abandoning prescribed conduct leads to severe karmic consequences (nāraka-phala).
By implication, bhakti is grounded in śraddhā toward śāstra; reviling the Vedas and dharma-texts undermines the very framework through which devotion is practiced and safeguarded as sadācāra.
The verse points to śāstra-prāmāṇya (scriptural authority) rather than a specific Vedāṅga; practically, it emphasizes disciplined adherence to dharma-text guidance that governs ritual conduct and daily duties.