Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 74

The Characteristics of Devotion to Hari

Devanagari script

सृष्टिस्तु विविधा प्रोक्ता देवासुरविभेदतः । हरिभक्तियुता दैवी तद्धीना ह्यासुरी महा ॥ ७४ ॥

Transliteration

sṛṣṭistu vividhā proktā devāsuravibhedataḥ | haribhaktiyutā daivī taddhīnā hyāsurī mahā || 74 ||

Translation

ଦେବ-ଅସୁର ଭେଦରୁ ସୃଷ୍ଟି ବିଭିନ୍ନ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଇଛି। ହରିଭକ୍ତିଯୁକ୍ତ ଦୈବୀ; ତାହାହୀନ ମହା ଆସୁରୀ।

Word by Word

• sṛṣṭiḥ: creation/creation-type
• sṛṣṭiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-अव्यय (contrastive particle)

• vividhā: various
• vividhā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with sṛṣṭiḥ

• proktā: is declared
• proktā: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has been said’

• deva-asura-vibhedataḥ: according to the distinction of gods and demons
• deva-asura-vibhedataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक) + vibheda (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from/according to the distinction’; तत्पुरुष-समासः: देवासुरयोः विभेदः

• hari-bhakti-yutā: endowed with devotion to Hari
• hari-bhakti-yutā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + yuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: हरौ भक्तिः तया युता = ‘endowed with devotion to Hari’

• daivī: divine (type)
• daivī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate noun (divine [creation])

• tat-hīnā: devoid of that (devotion)
• tat-hīnā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: तेन (हरिभक्त्या) हीना = ‘devoid of that’

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (emphatic/causal particle)

• āsurī: asuric (type)
• āsurī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āsurī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate noun (asuric [creation])

• mahā: great
• mahā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; qualifies āsurī (or implied sṛṣṭiḥ)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It defines the core spiritual criterion for divinity: devotion to Hari. The verse reframes “divine vs. demonic” not as birth or power, but as an inner orientation toward Vishnu-bhakti.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti is presented as the decisive spiritual qualifier: when creation (one’s life, tendencies, and actions) is united with Hari-bhakti it becomes daivī; when separated from it, it becomes āsurī. Thus devotion is not optional—it is the transforming principle.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Śikṣā) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is ethical-spiritual discernment (daivī/āsurī lakṣaṇa) grounded in Hari-bhakti.