Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31
Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State
प्रेतभूतप्रियश्चैव देवता ह्युपयाचनम् । मृतकर्मनिवत्तिं च प्रमाणमिति निश्चयः ॥ ३१ ॥
pretabhūtapriyaścaiva devatā hyupayācanam | mṛtakarmanivattiṃ ca pramāṇamiti niścayaḥ || 31 ||
此为定论：其征相是——喜爱饿鬼（preta）与鬼魅（bhūta）的神祇、该神祇索求供品、并推动为亡者而设的仪式；这些都被视为其性相之证。
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in Moksha-dharma context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It gives discernment: worship that centers on pretas/bhūtas, demands offerings through solicitation, and leans toward dead-rites is presented as a recognizable sign of a lower, binding ritual tendency rather than a liberating (moksha-oriented) path.
By contrast, it implies that sāttvika bhakti is not driven by fear of spirits or transactional begging for offerings; it turns the seeker toward higher devotion and inner purification rather than preta-centered propitiation.
Ritual discernment (kalpa-oriented practical judgment) is implied—how to evaluate the character of a worship practice by its stated focus (preta/bhūta), its mode (upayācana), and its ritual aim (mṛtakarma).