Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 52
The Greatness of Viṣṇu
Viṣṇor Māhātmya
सुलभं जाह्नवीस्नानं तथैवातिथिपूजनम् । सुलभाः सर्वयज्ञाश्च विष्णुभक्तिः सुदुर्लभा ॥ ५२ ॥
sulabhaṃ jāhnavīsnānaṃ tathaivātithipūjanam | sulabhāḥ sarvayajñāśca viṣṇubhaktiḥ sudurlabhā || 52 ||
Il est aisé de se baigner dans la Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā), et d’honorer l’hôte. Même l’accomplissement de tous les sacrifices est accessible; mais la bhakti envers le Seigneur Viṣṇu est d’une rareté extrême.
Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue framework)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It ranks common meritorious acts—Gaṅgā bathing, honoring guests, and sacrifices—as comparatively accessible, while declaring true Viṣṇu-bhakti to be the rarest attainment, emphasizing inner transformation over external merit.
By contrasting ritual and social dharma with devotion, it teaches that bhakti is not merely an act one performs but a sustained, grace-oriented orientation of the heart toward Viṣṇu—hence its rarity.
Ritual practice is implied through yajña (connected to Kalpa/Vedāṅga for sacrificial procedure), but the verse’s takeaway is that correct ritual performance alone does not guarantee the rare attainment of Viṣṇu-bhakti.