Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 153
Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy
यः स्वधर्मं परित्यज्य भक्तिमात्रेण जीवति । न तस्य तुष्यते विष्णुराचारेणैव तुष्यते ॥ १५३ ॥
yaḥ svadharmaṃ parityajya bhaktimātreṇa jīvati | na tasya tuṣyate viṣṇurācāreṇaiva tuṣyate || 153 ||
Celui qui délaisse son propre svadharma et ne vit que de bhakti—Viṣṇu n’en est pas satisfait ; Il n’est satisfait que par le juste ācāra, la conduite droite.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta (peace)
Secondary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)
FAQs
It teaches that devotion is not meant to cancel dharma; Vishnu is pleased when bhakti is grounded in ācāra—ethical discipline, prescribed duties, and a life aligned with sacred norms.
Bhakti is affirmed, but the verse corrects a common error: claiming devotion while neglecting svadharma. True Vaishnava bhakti expresses itself through conduct—humility, restraint, duty, and integrity.
The emphasis is on ācāra (proper practice), which in tradition is supported by Kalpa (ritual procedure and dharma-sutras) and Smriti-based conduct codes—showing that correct observance is part of devotional life.