Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16
Yuga-Dharma Framework, Kali-Yuga Diagnosis, and the Hari-Nāma Remedy
Transition to Vedānta Inquiry
द्विपादो वर्तते धर्मो द्वापरे च मुनीश्वर । हरिः पीतत्वमायाति वेदश्चापि विभज्यते ॥ १६ ॥
dvipādo vartate dharmo dvāpare ca munīśvara | hariḥ pītatvamāyāti vedaścāpi vibhajyate || 16 ||
يا أفضلَ الحكماء، في عصرِ الدڤابَرا يقومُ الدَّرما على ساقين؛ ويتجلّى هَري بلونٍ أصفر، كما ينقسمُ الفيدا أيضًا.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the yuga-dharma discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It marks the Dvāpara shift: righteousness weakens (Dharma stands on only two supports), divine manifestation changes (Hari’s yellow hue), and sacred knowledge becomes specialized through the division of the Veda—signaling the need for clearer, more accessible paths of practice.
By showing decline in dharma and the fragmentation of Vedic authority, the verse implicitly supports the Purāṇic emphasis on turning toward Hari with steadier devotion, since external order and unified revelation become harder to sustain in later ages.
The key takeaway is Veda-vibhāga (division/organization of Vedic corpus). This points to the practical need for structured study methods supported by Vedāṅgas such as Śikṣā (phonetics) and Vyākaraṇa (grammar) to preserve and interpret the now-divided Vedic tradition.