Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 110
Mantra-Māhātmya and Sādhana of Kārtavīryārjuna
Nyāsa, Yantra, Homa, and Dīpa-Vrata
दत्त्वा धनादिकं तस्मै दीपदानाय नारद । गुर्वाज्ञामन्तरा कुर्याद्यो दीपं स्वेष्टसिद्धये ॥ ११० ॥
dattvā dhanādikaṃ tasmai dīpadānāya nārada | gurvājñāmantarā kuryādyo dīpaṃ sveṣṭasiddhaye || 110 ||
हे नारद! दीपदानासाठी त्याला धनादी देऊनही जो गुरुची आज्ञा न घेता स्वतःच्या इष्टसिद्धीसाठी दीप लावतो, तो अयोग्य करतो।
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
It teaches that even meritorious acts like lamp-offering (dīpa-dāna) must be grounded in dharma—performed with proper authorization and humility—rather than driven by self-serving desire for personal gain.
It implies that genuine devotion is aligned with obedience and reverence to the guru’s guidance; ritual devotion becomes distorted when done primarily for personal “wish-fulfillment” (iṣṭa-siddhi) without proper spiritual discipline.
Ritual propriety and procedural correctness (a kalpa-oriented principle) are emphasized: offerings should follow prescribed rules, including eligibility and permission under a guru-led tradition.