Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 146
Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy
यस्तु स्वकृतपापानां क्षयार्थं प्रार्चयेद्वरिम् । श्रद्धया परयोपेतः सा सात्त्विक्यधमा स्मृता ॥ १४६ ॥
yastu svakṛtapāpānāṃ kṣayārthaṃ prārcayedvarim | śraddhayā parayopetaḥ sā sāttvikyadhamā smṛtā || 146 ||
जो स्वतः केलेल्या पापांचा क्षय व्हावा म्हणून परम श्रद्धेने हरिचे पूजन करतो, त्याची ती भक्ति सात्त्विकी भक्तींमध्ये अधम मानली जाते.
Sanatkumāra (teaching Nārada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It ranks devotion by motive: worship aimed primarily at erasing one’s own sins is still sāttvika due to faith, yet considered a lower grade because it is self-focused rather than purely God-centered.
It implies that bhakti matures as the devotee’s aim shifts from personal relief (like pāpa-kṣaya) to selfless love and service to Hari, where God is sought for His own sake.
Ritual principle (kalpa/ācāra): the same act of worship is evaluated by saṅkalpa (intention). The verse teaches that motive determines the qualitative category (guṇa-based ranking) of a rite.