Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23
Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy
महापातकिनस्त्वेते तत्संसर्गी च पञ्चमः । पंतिभेदीवृथापाकी नित्यं ब्रह्मणदूषकः ॥ २३ ॥
mahāpātakinastvete tatsaṃsargī ca pañcamaḥ | paṃtibhedīvṛthāpākī nityaṃ brahmaṇadūṣakaḥ || 23 ||
Ceux-ci sont véritablement les grands pécheurs (mahāpātakin) ; et, comme cinquième, on compte celui qui s’associe à eux. Sont aussi compris : celui qui brise la rangée du repas commun, celui qui cuisine en vain (sans but ni rite prescrit) et celui qui, sans cesse, calomnie un brāhmaṇa.
Sūta (narrating the teaching as part of the Narada Purana’s dharma discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It warns that grave sin is not only in direct wrongdoing but also in enabling it—association with great sinners, disrupting sacred communal norms, misusing food, and habitual brāhmaṇa-slander are treated as serious dharmic violations that damage inner purity.
By stressing śuddhi (purity) in conduct and speech: devotion thrives with sat-saṅga and reverence for the dharmic order, while bad company and contemptuous speech undermine the devotional temperament.
It reflects smārta-ācāra tied to ritual discipline—rules of food preparation and communal eating (linked to kalpa/ācāra traditions), emphasizing that external ritual order supports internal purity.