Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26
योगस्वरूप-धारणा-समाधि-वर्णनम् (केशिध्वजोपदेशः)
सनकाद्यासदा ज्ञानिन् ब्रह्मभावनया युताः । कर्मभावनया चान्ये देवाद्याः स्थावराश्चराः ॥ २६ ॥
sanakādyāsadā jñānin brahmabhāvanayā yutāḥ | karmabhāvanayā cānye devādyāḥ sthāvarāścarāḥ || 26 ||
Sanaka y los demás sabios están siempre establecidos en el conocimiento, dotados de contemplación de Brahman (brahma-bhāvanā); mientras que otros seres—desde los dioses en adelante, tanto móviles como inmóviles—se orientan por la contemplación de la acción (karma-bhāvanā).
Sanatkumara (addressing Narada in Moksha-dharma discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It distinguishes two inner orientations: the jñānī’s steady brahma-bhāvanā that leads toward mokṣa, and the karmic conditioning (karma-bhāvanā) that keeps most beings—high or low—moving within samsāra.
While the verse explicitly contrasts jñāna and karma, it supports bhakti by implying that liberation depends on inner remembrance/contemplation of the Supreme reality; in Narada Purana, such sustained contemplation is commonly fulfilled through Vishnu-bhakti as a stable, purifying bhāvanā.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is sādhanā-oriented—cultivate brahma-bhāvanā (steady contemplative discipline) rather than remaining driven by karma-bhāvanā (fruit-oriented action).