Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34
Varṇāśrama-ācāra: Common Virtues, Varṇa Duties, and the Four Āśramas
चतुर्भिराश्रमैरेभिः साध्यते धर्म उत्तमः । विष्णुस्तुष्यति विप्रेंद्र कर्मयोगरतात्मनः ॥ ३४ ॥
caturbhirāśramairebhiḥ sādhyate dharma uttamaḥ | viṣṇustuṣyati vipreṃdra karmayogaratātmanaḥ || 34 ||
ഈ നാലാശ്രമങ്ങളുടെ യഥാവിധി അനുഷ്ഠാനത്തിലൂടെ ഉത്തമധർമ്മം സിദ്ധിക്കുന്നു. ഹേ വിപ്രേന്ദ്രാ, കർമയോഗത്തിൽ ലീനമായ മനസ്സുള്ളവനിൽ ശ്രീവിഷ്ണു പ്രസന്നനാകുന്നു॥
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a dharma discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that spiritual success is not confined to one lifestyle: when the duties of the four āśramas are lived as dharma and offered through Karma-yoga, they become a direct means to please Viṣṇu and advance toward liberation.
Bhakti here is expressed as pleasing Viṣṇu through karmayoga—performing prescribed duties without selfish motive and with inner dedication—so action itself becomes devotion.
The verse emphasizes dharma-śāstra application (right conduct across āśramas) and the ritual-principle of offering actions as worship; it implies correct observance of vaidika duties rather than focusing on a specific Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.