Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26
The Description of the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa’s Table of Contents
Anukramaṇī
वर्णनं नरकाणां च विकर्माचरणैस्ततः । मनोमयपुराख्यानं लयः प्राकृतिकस्ततः ॥ २६ ॥
varṇanaṃ narakāṇāṃ ca vikarmācaraṇaistataḥ | manomayapurākhyānaṃ layaḥ prākṛtikastataḥ || 26 ||
Vient ensuite la description des enfers et de l’accomplissement des actes interdits (vikarma) ; puis le récit de la cité Manomaya ; et ensuite la dissolution (laya) relevant de Prakṛti, la nature primordiale.
Sage Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada, giving a sequential outline of topics)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It functions as an index-like summary, linking ethical causality (vikarma leading to naraka) with a broader cosmological frame that culminates in prākṛtika laya—reminding the reader that actions have consequences within a universe that also undergoes periodic dissolution.
Indirectly: by warning against vikarma and its painful results (naraka), it pushes the seeker toward sādhana grounded in dharma—within which Vishnu-bhakti is traditionally upheld as a purifying, liberating orientation that counters sinful tendencies.
No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this verse; it is primarily a Purāṇic topic-outline. Practically, it reinforces dharma-śāstric discernment between karma and vikarma (permissible vs. forbidden acts).