Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24
Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative
हरिभक्तिपरि वाऽपि हरिध्यानपरोऽपि वा । भ्रष्टो यः स्वाश्रमाचारात्पतितः सोऽभिधीयते ॥ २४ ॥
haribhaktipari vā'pi haridhyānaparo'pi vā | bhraṣṭo yaḥ svāśramācārātpatitaḥ so'bhidhīyate || 24 ||
चाहे कोई हरि-भक्ति में रत हो या हरि-ध्यान में तत्पर हो, यदि वह अपने आश्रम-धर्म के आचार से गिर जाए, तो वह ‘पतित’ कहलाता है।
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It asserts that devotion and meditation on Hari do not excuse abandoning one’s prescribed āśrama-dharma; a lapse in ordained conduct is treated as a serious spiritual and social fall (patitatva).
The verse frames bhakti as meant to be lived through disciplined conduct—devotion to Vishnu is upheld alongside adherence to one’s āśrama responsibilities, not as a pretext to neglect them.
It implicitly relies on Dharmaśāstra-style application of Vedic injunctions (kalpa/prayoga and sadācāra): knowing one’s āśrama duties and the correct rules of conduct is essential for religious life.