Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17
The Greatness of Viṣṇu
Viṣṇor Māhātmya
वीतिहोत्र उवाच । राजन्परमधर्मज्ञ हरिभक्तिपरायण । विष्णुभक्तिमतां पुंसां श्रेष्ठोऽसि भरतर्षभ ॥ १७ ॥
vītihotra uvāca | rājanparamadharmajña haribhaktiparāyaṇa | viṣṇubhaktimatāṃ puṃsāṃ śreṣṭho'si bharatarṣabha || 17 ||
ವೀತಿಹೋತ್ರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಓ ರಾಜನೇ, ಪರಮ ಧರ್ಮಜ್ಞನೇ, ಹರಿಭಕ್ತಿಗೆ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ಪರಾಯಣನೇ! ಓ ಭರತಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನೇ, ವಿಷ್ಣುಭಕ್ತ ಪುರುಷರಲ್ಲಿ ನೀನೇ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನು।
Vītihotra
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It identifies Viṣṇu-bhakti as the mark of the highest dharma, praising the king as exemplary because devotion to Hari is treated as the supreme virtue.
Bhakti is presented as a total orientation of life—“haribhakti-parāyaṇa”—where the devotee becomes foremost not by power or learning alone, but by steadfast devotion to Viṣṇu.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is ethical-spiritual: align conduct with dharma through sustained Viṣṇu-bhakti.