Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18
Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative
यस्य धर्म्मविहीनानि दिनान्यायान्ति यान्ति च । स लोहकारभस्त्रेव श्वसन्नपि न जीवति ॥ १८ ॥
yasya dharmmavihīnāni dinānyāyānti yānti ca | sa lohakārabhastreva śvasannapi na jīvati || 18 ||
Celui dont les jours vont et viennent sans dharma est tel le soufflet du forgeron : bien qu’il inspire et expire, il ne vit pas véritablement.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It teaches that biological life alone is not “true living”; without dharma (righteous conduct and spiritual orientation), one’s days pass fruitlessly, like a bellows that only moves air.
By implying that life becomes meaningful when aligned with dharma, it supports the Purana’s broader thrust that dharma culminates in devotion—living for divine purpose rather than mere bodily maintenance.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyakarana or Jyotisha) is directly taught; the practical takeaway is ethical discipline (sadachara) and daily dharmic living as the foundation for all Vedic practice and ritual.