Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 68
Gaṅgā-māhātmya: Bāhu’s Envy, Defeat, Forest Exile, and Aurva’s Dharmic Consolation
योऽन्यदुःखानि विज्ञाय साधुवाक्यैः प्रबोधयेत् । स एव विष्णुस्तत्त्वस्थो यतः परहिते स्थितः ॥ ६८ ॥
yo'nyaduḥkhāni vijñāya sādhuvākyaiḥ prabodhayet | sa eva viṣṇustattvastho yataḥ parahite sthitaḥ || 68 ||
Ang sinumang nakakabatid sa pagdurusa ng iba at gumigising sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng mararangal na salita—siya nga ang tunay na Viṣṇu, nakatindig sa katotohanan, sapagkat nakatuon siya sa kapakanan ng kapwa.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It equates true God-centered living with compassion: one who recognizes others’ pain and guides them with virtuous counsel is described as “truly Viṣṇu,” i.e., embodying the Lord’s all-pervading dharmic nature through selfless welfare.
Bhakti here is not merely ritual praise; it becomes lived devotion expressed as parahita—actively uplifting others with sādhū-vākya (noble, truthful, beneficial speech), which is treated as a direct mark of being established in tattva (spiritual truth).
The verse highlights disciplined use of speech—aligned with śikṣā (proper articulation and training) and vyākaraṇa (clarity and correctness of expression)—as a practical tool for ethical instruction (upadeśa) and social uplift.