Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 58

Yuga-Dharma Framework, Kali-Yuga Diagnosis, and the Hari-Nāma Remedy

Transition to Vedānta Inquiry

Devanagari script

धर्मविध्वंसशीलानां द्विजानां द्विजसत्तम । शूद्रा धर्मान्प्रवक्ष्यंतिह्यधिरुह्योत्तमासनम् ॥ ५८ ॥

Transliteration

dharmavidhvaṃsaśīlānāṃ dvijānāṃ dvijasattama | śūdrā dharmānpravakṣyaṃtihyadhiruhyottamāsanam || 58 ||

Translation

Ó melhor entre os duas-vezes-nascidos, quando os duas-vezes-nascidos se inclinarem à destruição do dharma, os śūdras subirão ao assento mais elevado e começarão a expor o dharma.

Word by Word

• dharma: righteousness/sacred law

• vidhvaṃsa-śīlānām: of those whose nature is to ruin/destroy

• dvijānām: of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)

• dvija-sattama: O best among the twice-born

• śūdrāḥ: Śūdras

• dharmān: dharmas/teachings on sacred duty

• pravakṣyanti: will proclaim/expound

• hi: indeed

• adhiruhya: having mounted/ascended

• uttama-āsanam: the highest seat/throne

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Dvija
• Shudra

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It warns that when those entrusted with preserving dharma abandon it, moral and spiritual authority becomes inverted—an indicator of dharma’s decline and a call for self-correction among the learned.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Indirectly, it highlights that external status and “seats of authority” are unreliable in times of decline; seekers should anchor themselves in genuine sādhana and devotion to the Lord rather than mere social prestige.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this verse; it is primarily a dharma-diagnostic statement about who upholds or distorts dharma in an age of decline.