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 ||
اے دو بار جنم لینے والے، جو کوئی بھی انسان بافضیلت ہو وہی سب سے زیادہ قابلِ ستائش ہے؛ مگر جو ہر طرح کی دولت رکھ کر بھی بے صفت ہو، وہ لوگوں کی ملامت کا نشانہ بنتا ہے۔
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.