Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23
Hari-nāma Mahimā and Caraṇāmṛta: The Redemption of the Hunter Gulika
Uttaṅka Itihāsa
स कदाचिन्महापापो जंतृनामन्तकोपमः । सौवीरराज्ञो नगरं सर्वैश्वर्यसमन्वितम् ॥ २३ ॥
sa kadācinmahāpāpo jaṃtṛnāmantakopamaḥ | sauvīrarājño nagaraṃ sarvaiśvaryasamanvitam || 23 ||
Sang pendosa besar itu—mengerikan bagi makhluk hidup bagaikan Maut sendiri—pada suatu ketika datang ke kota raja Sauvīra yang dipenuhi segala kemakmuran dan keagungan kerajaan.
Narada (narrating to the Sanatkumara brothers in the broader dialogue frame)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It sets up a karmic contrast: a fearsome sinner, “like Death” to others, enters a city rich in prosperity—hinting that outer wealth does not guarantee inner safety, and that adharma eventually confronts the order of dharma.
Indirectly, it prepares the narrative ground for why refuge in dharma and devotion is necessary: when one lives like “Antaka” to beings, only purification—often taught in the Purana through Vishnu-bhakti, vrata, and repentance—can reverse such destructive tendencies.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; it functions as an itihāsa-style narrative marker used in Purāṇas to introduce a moral and karmic teaching context.