Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa
द्विगुणं क्षत्रियस्योक्तं त्रिगुणं तु विशः स्मृतम् । ब्राह्मणं हंति यः शूद्रस्तं मुशल्यं विर्दुर्बुधाः ॥ १८ ॥
dviguṇaṃ kṣatriyasyoktaṃ triguṇaṃ tu viśaḥ smṛtam | brāhmaṇaṃ haṃti yaḥ śūdrastaṃ muśalyaṃ virdurbudhāḥ || 18 ||
ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯನಿಗೆ ದಂಡವು ದ್ವಿಗುಣವೆಂದು, ವೈಶ್ಯನಿಗೆ ತ್ರಿಗುಣವೆಂದು ಸ್ಮೃತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನನ್ನು ಹತ್ಯೆ ಮಾಡುವ ಶೂದ್ರನಿಗೆ ಬುದ್ಧಿವಂತರು ಮುಶಲದಿಂದ ಮರಣದಂಡನೆ ಯೋಗ್ಯನೆಂದು ಘೋಷಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ॥೧೮॥
Narada (teaching in a Dharma context, as preserved in Narada Purana)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
The verse stresses the gravity of hiṁsā (violence), especially brahma-hatyā (killing a Brāhmaṇa), and presents a graded accountability framework intended to protect dharma and social stability.
Indirectly, it supports bhakti by emphasizing dharmic restraint and non-violence as foundational virtues; devotion to Bhagavān is traditionally grounded in ethical conduct (sadācāra) and avoidance of grave sins.
This is primarily dharmaśāstra/Smṛti reasoning (normative law), not a Vedāṅga technical topic like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa; the practical takeaway is the concept of graded penalties and the categorization of major transgressions (mahāpātaka) such as brahma-hatyā.