Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 52
Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds
यो ददस्वेति विप्राणां जीवनं प्रेरयेत्परम् । सोऽपि तत्फलमाप्नोति किमन्यैर्बहुभाषितैः ॥ ५३ ॥
yo dadasveti viprāṇāṃ jīvanaṃ prerayetparam | so'pi tatphalamāpnoti kimanyairbahubhāṣitaiḥ || 53 ||
مَن يحثُّ بإخلاصٍ على إعاشةِ البراهمة قائلاً: «أعطوا!»، فإنّه هو أيضًا ينالُ ثمرةَ تلك الصدقة بعينها. فما الحاجةُ إلى كثرةِ الكلام؟
Sage Nārada (teaching in dialogue to the Sanatkumāra tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that inspiring and facilitating righteous charity—especially sustaining brāhmaṇas—produces real puṇya; merit is not limited only to the physical donor.
By promoting selfless support of sacred learning and dharma-bearers, one serves Bhagavān’s order (dharma) indirectly; such service-oriented encouragement is aligned with bhakti’s spirit of loving, selfless action.
Ritual-practical dharma: the verse underscores dāna as an actionable duty and highlights the role of brāhmaṇas as preservers/teachers of Veda and Vedāṅga learning—so sustaining them supports Vedic transmission.