Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38
Gaṅgā-māhātmya: Bāhu’s Envy, Defeat, Forest Exile, and Aurva’s Dharmic Consolation
यो वा को या गुणी मर्त्यः सर्वश्लाघ्यतरो द्विज । सर्वसंपत्समायुक्तोऽप्यगुणी निन्दितो जनैः ॥ ३८ ॥
yo vā ko yā guṇī martyaḥ sarvaślāghyataro dvija | sarvasaṃpatsamāyukto'pyaguṇī nindito janaiḥ || 38 ||
Ó duas-vezes-nascido, qualquer pessoa—seja quem for—que possua virtude é a mais digna de louvor; mas mesmo quem reúna toda prosperidade, se carece de virtude, é censurado pelo povo.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It establishes that true worth is measured by guṇa (virtue and character), not by saṃpat (wealth/status); social and spiritual honor naturally follows dharmic qualities.
Bhakti is sustained by virtues like humility, truthfulness, and self-control; without these guṇas, external success or display cannot earn genuine respect or devotional credibility.
No specific Vedanga (Śikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, etc.) is taught in this verse; it is primarily a dharma-nīti principle about ethical qualification (guṇa) over material prosperity.