Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24
Varṇāśrama Saṁskāras, Upanayana Windows, Brahmacārin Ācāra, and Anadhyāya Prohibitions
नष्टे भ्रष्टे नवं मंत्राद्धृत्वा भ्रष्टं जले क्षिपेत् । वर्णिनो वर्त्तनं प्राहुर्भिक्षान्नेनैव केवलम् ॥ २४ ॥
naṣṭe bhraṣṭe navaṃ maṃtrāddhṛtvā bhraṣṭaṃ jale kṣipet | varṇino varttanaṃ prāhurbhikṣānnenaiva kevalam || 24 ||
Si le texte du mantra est perdu ou altéré, qu’on en prenne une version neuve et correcte auprès de l’enseignement du mantra, puis qu’on jette l’exemplaire fautif dans l’eau. Les sages déclarent que le juste moyen de subsistance du varṇin/brahmacārin est uniquement la nourriture obtenue par l’aumône.
Narada (teaching in the dharma-instruction context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It emphasizes mantra-śuddhi (purity and correctness of sacred formulae) and disciplined living: preserving a correct transmission while discarding defective recitations/texts, and sustaining the brahmacārin through humble dependence on bhikṣā.
By insisting on accurate mantra practice and a life of simplicity, it supports bhakti as steady, reverent discipline—devotion expressed through correct sacred speech and renunciation of worldly earning during studentship.
It points to the need for correct mantra preservation and recitation—closely tied to Śikṣā (phonetics) and Vyākaraṇa (grammar)—so that a corrupted form is replaced with an authentic version from proper instruction.