Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 74
Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative
यो लोकहितकृन्मर्त्यो गतासुर्यो विमत्सरः । निःशङ्गः प्रोच्यते सद्भिरिहामात्र च सत्तमाः ॥ ७४ ॥
yo lokahitakṛnmartyo gatāsuryo vimatsaraḥ | niḥśaṅgaḥ procyate sadbhirihāmātra ca sattamāḥ || 74 ||
Sesiapa antara manusia yang berbuat demi kebajikan dunia, bebas daripada iri hati dan tidak terikat—maka oleh orang-orang saleh diisytiharkan sebagai ‘sattama’ (yang terbaik antara yang berbudi) di sini, dalam kehidupan ini juga.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a dharma-upadesha context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It defines the hallmark of a spiritually mature person: active compassion (lokahita), freedom from envy (vimatsara), and inner detachment (niḥśaṅga). Such virtues are presented as realizable “here and now,” not merely after death.
While not naming a deity here, the verse describes the bhakti-compatible temperament: non-enviousness, non-clinging, and service for the common good—qualities that stabilize devotion and prevent egoic rivalry and possessiveness from corrupting worship.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is ethical discipline (sadācāra) as a prerequisite for any śāstric practice—ritual, study, or meditation—to bear fruit.