Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12
Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative
हरिभक्तिः परा नॄणां कामधेनूपमा स्मृता । तस्यां सत्यां पिबन्त्यज्ञाः संसारगरलं ह्यहो ॥ १२ ॥
haribhaktiḥ parā nṝṇāṃ kāmadhenūpamā smṛtā | tasyāṃ satyāṃ pibantyajñāḥ saṃsāragaralaṃ hyaho || 12 ||
Supreme devotion to Hari is remembered as being like Kāmadhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow, for human beings. Yet even when that true bhakti is present, the ignorant—alas—still drink the poison of saṃsāra.
Sanatkumāra (teaching to Nārada in a dialogue on Hari-bhakti)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It declares Hari-bhakti as the highest spiritual resource—capable of fulfilling the true aims of life—while warning that without right understanding and steadiness, people still cling to saṃsāra, which is likened to poison.
Bhakti is portrayed as supremely beneficial (like Kāmadhenu), but the verse implies that devotion must be genuine and accompanied by discernment (jñāna/viveka); otherwise, one may continue “drinking” worldly attachments despite having access to devotion.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is ethical-spiritual discipline—cultivating viveka and detachment so devotion becomes transformative rather than merely nominal.