Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3
The Exposition of the Table of Contents of the Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां सारः प्रीतिर्हरौ हरे । तयोरभेदसिद्ध्यर्थं ब्रह्मवैवर्तमुत्तमम् ॥ ३ ॥
dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇāṃ sāraḥ prītirharau hare | tayorabhedasiddhyarthaṃ brahmavaivartamuttamam || 3 ||
Das Wesen von Dharma, Artha, Kāma und Mokṣa ist liebende Hingabe (Bhakti) zu Hari (Viṣṇu). Und um die Nichtverschiedenheit beider—der vier Lebensziele und der Hingabe zu Hari—zu begründen, wird das erhabene Brahma-vaivarta (Purāṇa) gelehrt.
Narada (within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue context of the Anukramanika section)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It declares that the four human goals (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa) reach their true fulfillment when centered in loving devotion (prīti) to Hari, making bhakti the inner essence of all pursuits.
Bhakti is presented not as one goal among others, but as the unifying core that gives dharma its purity, artha its right use, kāma its sanctity, and mokṣa its culmination—hence devotion to Hari is the decisive spiritual principle.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Śikṣā) is taught in this verse; it functions as a Purāṇic index statement (anukramaṇikā) prioritizing bhakti as the interpretive key to the puruṣārthas.