Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 72
Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy
कथयन्तश्च तत्कर्म नयन्ते नरकान्क्रमात् । अन्यं भजन्ते भूपाल पतिं त्यक्त्वा च याः स्त्रियः ॥ ७२ ॥
kathayantaśca tatkarma nayante narakānkramāt | anyaṃ bhajante bhūpāla patiṃ tyaktvā ca yāḥ striyaḥ || 72 ||
Mereka yang memuji perbuatan itu pun, setahap demi setahap, digiring ke berbagai neraka. Wahai raja, para perempuan yang meninggalkan suami lalu bersatu dengan yang lain pun mengalami kejatuhan yang sama.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressed to the king as 'bhūpāla')
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka (fear)
Secondary Rasa: raudra (anger)
FAQs
It warns that not only wrongful acts, but also endorsing or narrating them approvingly, becomes a cause of spiritual decline—leading one gradually toward naraka; it also stresses the gravity of breaking marital vows.
By implication, bhakti requires śuddha-ācāra (pure conduct) and śuddha-vāk (pure speech); praising adharma and violating vows obstruct devotion by strengthening pāpa-saṃskāras and turning the mind away from dharmic living.
No specific Vedanga is taught directly; the practical takeaway is dharma-nīti regarding speech (vāk-śuddhi) and household ethics (gṛhastha-dharma), which support correct ritual and devotional life.