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 ||
Walau seseorang tekun dalam bhakti kepada Hari atau mantap dalam meditasi pada Hari, bila ia menyimpang dari ācāra sesuai āśrama-nya, ia disebut “patita” (yang jatuh).
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.