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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41

The Characteristics of Devotion to Hari

चण्डालोऽपि मुनिश्रेष्ठ विष्णुभक्तो द्विजाधिकः । विष्णुभक्तिविहीनश्च द्विजोऽपि श्वपचाधमः ॥ ४१ ॥

caṇḍālo'pi muniśreṣṭha viṣṇubhakto dvijādhikaḥ | viṣṇubhaktivihīnaśca dvijo'pi śvapacādhamaḥ || 41 ||

噢,最胜仙贤!即使是旃陀罗,若对毗湿奴怀有虔敬(bhakti),也胜过二次生者;而二次生者若无对毗湿奴的虔敬,实为最下劣,如同烹狗之人。

चण्डालःa caṇḍāla (outcaste)
चण्डालः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootचण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), अर्थः—‘even/also’
मुनि-श्रेष्ठO best of sages
मुनि-श्रेष्ठ:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘munīnām śreṣṭhaḥ’)
विष्णु-भक्तःa devotee of Viṣṇu
विष्णु-भक्तः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘viṣṇoḥ bhaktaḥ’)
द्विज-अधिकःsuperior to a twice-born
द्विज-अधिकः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
TypeAdjective
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तुलनार्थक-विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (‘dvijebhyaḥ adhikaḥ’)
विष्णु-भक्ति-विहीनःdevoid of devotion to Viṣṇu
विष्णु-भक्ति-विहीनः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + विहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘विष्णुभक्त्या विहीनः’ (तृतीया/पञ्चमी-अर्थे) बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)
द्विजःa twice-born (brāhmaṇa etc.)
द्विजः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), अर्थः—‘even’
श्वपच-अधमःthe lowest of dog-eaters
श्वपच-अधमः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
TypeNoun
Rootश्वपच (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘अधमः श्वपचः’/‘lowest dog-cooker’)

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: raudra

V
Vishnu

FAQs

It declares bhakti to Viṣṇu as the true measure of spiritual worth and authority (adhikāra), overruling mere birth-identity; devotion elevates, and devotionlessness degrades.

Bhakti is presented as the decisive criterion of holiness: one who takes refuge in Viṣṇu with devotion becomes spiritually foremost, regardless of social origin, while ritual status without devotion is spiritually empty.

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is dharma-nirṇaya—judging merit by conduct and Viṣṇu-bhakti rather than by lineage alone.