Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 50

Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds

Devanagari script

समस्तदेवतारुपो ब्राह्मणः परिकीर्तितः । जीवनं ददतस्तस्य कः पुण्यं गदितुं क्षमः ॥ ५१ ॥

Transliteration

samastadevatārupo brāhmaṇaḥ parikīrtitaḥ | jīvanaṃ dadatastasya kaḥ puṇyaṃ gadituṃ kṣamaḥ || 51 ||

Translation

يُعلَن أنَّ البراهمنَ يجسِّدُ صورَ جميعِ الآلهة. فمَن يهبُه ما يُقيمُ حياته ويُعينُ معيشته، مَن ذا يقدرُ أن يصفَ ما ينشأ من ذلك من ثوابٍ وبرّ (puṇya)؟

Word by Word

• samasta-devatā-rūpaḥ: having the form of all deities
• samasta-devatā-rūpaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + devatā (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (samastāḥ devatāḥ; tāsāṃ rūpaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• brāhmaṇaḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• parikīrtitaḥ: is proclaimed
• parikīrtitaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-kīrt (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (Past Passive Participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; अर्थः—‘is declared/has been proclaimed’

• jīvanam: life, livelihood
• jīvanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd); एकवचन

• dadatāḥ: of (one) giving
• dadatāḥ: Kartṛ-sambandha (कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—शतृ (Present Active Participle); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (ददतः)

• tasya: of him/that person
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative pronoun)

• puṇyam: merit
• puṇyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• gaditum: to describe
• gaditum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Infinitive purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gad (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—तुमुन् (Infinitive); अर्थः—‘to tell/speak’

• kṣamaḥ: capable
• kṣamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in dialogue)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Devatāḥ (all deities)

FAQs

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

It equates honoring a worthy Brāhmaṇa with honoring all devas, and teaches that sustaining such a person’s life (through support like food, shelter, or protection) yields immeasurable puṇya.

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

It frames devotion as practical reverence expressed through service: by serving a sacred recipient viewed as embodying the divine, one performs an act akin to deity-worship, a bhakti-oriented ethic of seeing God in dharmic persons.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this verse; it emphasizes dharma-śāstra practice—dāna and proper honoring of Brāhmaṇas as a foundational ritual-ethical principle.