Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 9
Dvādaśī-vrata: Month-by-month Viṣṇu Worship and the Year-End Udyāpana
प्रवृत्तं च निवृत्तं च यत्कर्म हरितो षणम् । तदाख्याहि मुनिश्रेष्ठ विष्णुभक्तोऽसि मानद ॥ ९ ॥
pravṛttaṃ ca nivṛttaṃ ca yatkarma harito ṣaṇam | tadākhyāhi muniśreṣṭha viṣṇubhakto'si mānada || 9 ||
హే మునిశ్రేష్ఠా! హరిని తృప్తిపరచే కర్మ—ప్రవృత్తి మార్గములోనిదీ, నివృత్తి మార్గములోనిదీ—అది నాకు వివరించండి. మీరు విష్ణుభక్తుడు, హే మానదా!॥ ९ ॥
Sanatkumāra (one of the Kumāras) addressing Nārada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It frames the core inquiry of dharma in two complementary modes—pravṛtti (right action in the world) and nivṛtti (detachment leading to liberation)—both to be aligned with devotion to Hari (Viṣṇu).
Bhakti is presented as the qualifying authority for instruction: because the sage is a Viṣṇu-bhakta, he can clarify how both active life and renunciation become spiritually valid when offered in devotion to Viṣṇu.
The verse is primarily dharma-oriented rather than technical Vedāṅga instruction; its practical takeaway is the correct classification of duties into pravṛtti and nivṛtti, which guides ritual action and renunciant discipline under Viṣṇu-centered norms.