Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 50
गङ्गामाहात्म्य — The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
मा रक्ष तस्मादेतान्वै गोरूपव्याघ्रकर्मिणः । हत्वैतानखिलान् दुष्टांस्त्वत्प्रसादान्महीं भजे ॥ ५० ॥
mā rakṣa tasmādetānvai gorūpavyāghrakarmiṇaḥ | hatvaitānakhilān duṣṭāṃstvatprasādānmahīṃ bhaje || 50 ||
پس ان کی حفاظت نہ کیجیے—یہ صورت میں تو گائے جیسے ہیں مگر عمل میں ببر شیر۔ ان سب بدکاروں کو قتل کیجیے؛ آپ کے فضل سے میں زمین سے بہرہ مند ہو کر حکومت کروں گا۔
Unspecified petitioner/supplicant (dialogue context within Narada Purana narrative; addressed to a ruler/protector figure)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It condemns hypocrisy—those who appear gentle and righteous but act violently—and affirms that protecting dharma may require firm punishment of persistent evil.
Bhakti is not mere outward display; sincere devotion aligns with truth and dharma. The verse critiques external “cow-like” appearances that hide predatory conduct, implying that devotion must be inwardly pure and ethically consistent.
No specific Vedanga (Śikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, Kalpa, Jyotiṣa, Nirukta, Chandas) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is rajadharma—discerning character beyond appearances and acting to restrain adharma.