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 ||
क्षत्रियासाठी दंड दुप्पट सांगितला आहे आणि वैश्यासाठी तिप्पट स्मृत आहे। जो शूद्र ब्राह्मणाचा वध करतो, त्याला बुधजन मुशलाने मृत्युदंड योग्य म्हणतात॥१८॥
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.