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 ||
O ikaw na dalawang-ulit na isinilang, sinuman—lalaki man o babae—na may kabutihang-asal ang siyang pinakakarapat-dapat purihin; ngunit kahit sagana sa yaman at ginhawa, kung salat sa kabutihan, hinahamak ng mga tao.
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.