What is the direction of に in this sentence?


> この力によって神様達は下界の者達 **に** 持ち上げられる。

Are the 下界の者達 the ones doing the action of 持ち上げられる to the 神様達 or are the 神様達
the ones doing the action of 持ち上げられる？

I'm confused because I learned passive form as [subject] wa/ga [agent] ni
[passive form verb], but the translation for this is: This power is basically
what the gods gave the to the Lower World Humans.

Thanks!




Translation is an art. It could help you learn a foreign language just as
often as it could get in your way of understanding it.

> " This power is basically what the gods gave the to the Lower World Humans."

is clearly **_not_** a literal translation of the original:

> 「この力{ちから}によって神様達{かみさまたち} **は** 下界{げかい}の者達{ものたち} **に** 持{も}ち上{あ}げられる。」

In the original, the subject of the sentence is 「神様達」, but in the translation,
it is "this power".

> Are the 下界の者達 the ones doing the action of 持ち上げ **られる** to the 神様達 or are
> the 神様達 the ones doing the action of 持ち上げ **られる** ？

「下界の者達」 are the ones doing the action of 「持ち上げる」, not of 「持ち上げ **られる** 」. They
are doing the "lifting up" the 「神様達」 with the help of 「この力」.

「神様達」 are on the receiving end of that action performed by 「下界の者達」.

「下界の者達 **に** 」 = 「 **by** 下界の者達」




Translation is an art. It could help you learn a foreign language just as
often as it could get in your way of understanding it.

> " This power is basically what the gods gave the to the Lower World Humans."

is clearly **_not_** a literal translation of the original:

> 「この力{ちから}によって神様達{かみさまたち} **は** 下界{げかい}の者達{ものたち} **に** 持{も}ち上{あ}げられる。」

In the original, the subject of the sentence is 「神様達」, but in the translation,
it is "this power".

> Are the 下界の者達 the ones doing the action of 持ち上げ **られる** to the 神様達 or are
> the 神様達 the ones doing the action of 持ち上げ **られる** ？

「下界の者達」 are the ones doing the action of 「持ち上げる」, not of 「持ち上げ **られる** 」. They
are doing the "lifting up" the 「神様達」 with the help of 「この力」.

「神様達」 are on the receiving end of that action performed by 「下界の者達」.

「下界の者達 **に** 」 = 「 **by** 下界の者達」

