Yajñamālī–Sumālī Upākhyāna: Merit-Transfer through Temple Plastering (Lepa) and the Redemption of a Sinner
सख्यं साप्तपदीनं स्यादित्याहुर्धर्मकोविदाः । सतां साप्तपदी मैत्री सत्सतां त्रिपदी तथा ॥ ३२ ॥
sakhyaṃ sāptapadīnaṃ syādityāhurdharmakovidāḥ | satāṃ sāptapadī maitrī satsatāṃ tripadī tathā || 32 ||
ダルマに通じた者たちは言う。「七歩の契り(サプタパディー)」によって真の友情は成り立つ。徳ある者の間では七歩で友情が確かめられ、真に高貴な者の間では三歩でさえ足りる。
Narada (teaching in a dharma-instruction context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
It teaches that dharmic relationships are tested through shared conduct over time: sustained companionship with the virtuous confirms trust, while the highest souls recognize virtue quickly and bond with minimal association.
By emphasizing satsanga (company of the good), it indirectly supports bhakti: devotion matures in the presence of saintly character, where even brief contact with the truly noble can awaken faith and right conduct.
It highlights sadācāra (practical dharmic conduct) and social ethics rather than a specific Vedanga; the takeaway is discernment in companionship—testing character through sustained association.