Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 32
Yajñamālī–Sumālī Upākhyāna: Merit-Transfer through Temple Plastering (Lepa) and the Redemption of a Sinner
सख्यं साप्तपदीनं स्यादित्याहुर्धर्मकोविदाः । सतां साप्तपदी मैत्री सत्सतां त्रिपदी तथा ॥ ३२ ॥
sakhyaṃ sāptapadīnaṃ syādityāhurdharmakovidāḥ | satāṃ sāptapadī maitrī satsatāṃ tripadī tathā || 32 ||
通晓法（dharma）者说：真正的友谊由“七步之盟”（saptapadī）而立。在贤善之人中，七步便能印证友谊；而在至高的君子之间，甚至三步亦足矣。
Narada (teaching in a dharma-instruction context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that dharmic relationships are tested through shared conduct over time: sustained companionship with the virtuous confirms trust, while the highest souls recognize virtue quickly and bond with minimal association.
By emphasizing satsanga (company of the good), it indirectly supports bhakti: devotion matures in the presence of saintly character, where even brief contact with the truly noble can awaken faith and right conduct.
It highlights sadācāra (practical dharmic conduct) and social ethics rather than a specific Vedanga; the takeaway is discernment in companionship—testing character through sustained association.