Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 78
गङ्गामाहात्म्य — The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
साधुवृत्तीः समाजह्रुः सदाचाराननाशयन् । मित्रैश्च योद्धुमारब्धा बलिनोऽत्यन्तपापिनः ॥ ७८ ॥
sādhuvṛttīḥ samājahruḥ sadācārānanāśayan | mitraiśca yoddhumārabdhā balino'tyantapāpinaḥ || 78 ||
Esses homens poderosos e extremamente pecadores tomaram os meios de subsistência dos virtuosos, destruíram a boa conduta e, com seus aliados, puseram-se a travar guerra.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It portrays the karmic and societal consequences of adharma: when the powerful become “atyanta-pāpinaḥ,” they attack the livelihood of the virtuous and dismantle sadācāra, leading to collective suffering and conflict.
By highlighting the collapse of ethical life under adharma, the verse indirectly points to the need for dharma-supported bhakti—devotion grounded in right conduct and protection of the righteous—to restore stability and spiritual clarity.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is ethical discipline (sadācāra) as the foundation that sustains Vedic life and religious practice.