Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 124
Jyotiṣa-saṅgraha: Varga-vibhāga, Bala-nirṇaya, Garbha-phala, Āyuḥ-gaṇanā
हानिद्वयेऽधिकाः कार्या यदा क्रूरस्तनौ तदा । विहायारीनंशाद्यैर्हन्यादायुर्लवान् भजेत् ॥ १२४ ॥
hānidvaye'dhikāḥ kāryā yadā krūrastanau tadā | vihāyārīnaṃśādyairhanyādāyurlavān bhajet || 124 ||
جب دو طرح کا نقصان سامنے ہو تو کم نقصان کو اختیار کرنا چاہیے۔ اور جب کوئی سنگدل دشمن اپنے ہی بدن پر حملہ آور ہو، تو جھجک چھوڑ کر ایسے دشمنوں وغیرہ کو ختم کر کے عمر کے حصّے کی حفاظت کرنی چاہیے۔
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in Moksha-dharma context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches dharmic discernment (viveka): when all options involve harm, one should choose the lesser harm, and preserving life in the face of a cruel aggressor can be a legitimate dharmic duty.
Bhakti is grounded in dharma; protecting one’s life and capacity for sādhana (practice) is presented as valid when threatened by cruelty, so devotion is supported by wise, duty-based action rather than passivity.
It reflects dharma-nīti reasoning used in smṛti-style decision rules (choosing the lesser harm), a practical framework often applied alongside śāstra interpretation (vyākaraṇa/nyāya-style clarity of meaning) rather than a ritual or astrology instruction.