Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 48
Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy
ब्रह्मणं द्वेष्टि यस्तस्य निष्कृतिर्नास्ति कुत्रचित् । विश्वस्तघातिनं चैव कृतन्घानां नरेश्वर ॥ ४८ ॥
brahmaṇaṃ dveṣṭi yastasya niṣkṛtirnāsti kutracit | viśvastaghātinaṃ caiva kṛtanghānāṃ nareśvara || 48 ||
ഹേ നരേശ്വരാ! ബ്രാഹ്മണനെ ദ്വേഷിക്കുന്നവന് എവിടെയും പ്രായശ്ചിത്തമില്ല; അതുപോലെ വിശ്വസ്തനെ വഞ്ചിക്കുന്നവനും ഉപകാരിയെ വധിക്കുന്ന കൃതഘ്നനും പ്രായശ്ചിത്തമില്ല।
Narada (teaching to a king, addressed as nareśvara)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It classifies certain acts as exceptionally destructive to dharma—hatred of Brahmins (custodians of Vedic learning), betrayal of trust, and killing a benefactor—stating they admit no ordinary expiation, thereby warning that inner moral collapse blocks spiritual uplift.
Bhakti in the Narada Purana is grounded in purity of conduct; hatred, treachery, and ingratitude contradict compassion and reverence, so the verse implies that devotion to Vishnu must be supported by ethical restraints (yama-like virtues) and protection of the righteous.
The verse aligns with Dharmaśāstra-style reasoning used alongside Vedanga studies: it emphasizes niṣkṛti (expiation theory) and moral classification of offenses—practical guidance for ritual/legal discernment rather than a technical lesson in Śikṣā or Jyotiṣa.