Shloka 15
Śāpaprāpti (Receiving a Curse) — Mohinī Narrative
मंत्रहीनविधिं युद्धं धर्मं च दयया विना । पृथ्वीं भूपालहीना वा मंत्रही नोयथा नृप ॥ १५ ॥
maṃtrahīnavidhiṃ yuddhaṃ dharmaṃ ca dayayā vinā | pṛthvīṃ bhūpālahīnā vā maṃtrahī noyathā nṛpa || 15 ||
मन्त्रहीनविधिना युद्धं, दयाविहीनो धर्मश्च; भूपालहीना पृथ्वी च—हे नृप, मन्त्रिहीनो नृपो यथा, तथा सर्वं व्यर्थम्।
Narada (instructional voice within the Narada Purana’s didactic discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It teaches that dharma is not merely external rule-following; without daya (compassion) and wise mantra (counsel), even “righteous” action becomes hollow, and governance loses its sacred purpose of protecting beings.
Bhakti is expressed through kindness and protection of life; this verse aligns devotion with ethical living—compassion becomes a lived offering, not just a ritual identity.
It underscores the importance of vidhi (proper procedure), a core Vedic principle applied to action—suggesting disciplined method and informed counsel, akin to the procedural precision emphasized in Kalpa (ritual/disciplinary Vedanga).