Shloka 37

The Greatness of Haridvāra

Gaṅgādvāra-māhātmya

Devanagari script

ततो भद्रे समासाद्य कपिलाह्रदमुत्तमम् । धेनुं दत्त्वा द्विजाग्र्याय गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् ॥ ३७ ॥

Transliteration

tato bhadre samāsādya kapilāhradamuttamam | dhenuṃ dattvā dvijāgryāya gosahasraphalaṃ labhet || 37 ||

Translation

ثمّ، يا ذات اليُمن، إذا بلغ المرء بحيرة كَبِلا الرفيعة، فمن قدّم بقرة حلوبًا لبرهمن جليل نال ثوابًا يعادل التصدّق بألف بقرة.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘thereafter’)

• भद्रे: at (the place) Bhadra
• भद्रे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; place-name ‘Bhadra’

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): ‘having approached/reached’

• कपिलाह्रदम्: Kapilā lake
• कपिलाह्रदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला + ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कपिलायाः ह्रदः / कपिलासम्बन्धी ह्रदः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with ह्रदम्; Masculine, Accusative singular

• धेनुम्: a cow
• धेनुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): ‘having given’

• द्विजाग्र्याय: to an excellent Brahmin
• द्विजाग्र्याय: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (अग्र्यः द्विजः); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular

• गोसहस्रफलम्: the merit equal to (gifting) a thousand cows
• गोसहस्रफलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + सहस्र + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गोसहस्रस्य फलम्—‘fruit equal to a thousand cows’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Optative, 3rd person singular (Ātmanepada)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Kapilahrada
• Brahmana (Dvijagrya)

FAQs

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

It links tīrtha-yātrā (reaching Kapilā Lake) with dāna (gift-giving), teaching that charity performed at a sacred place and offered to a worthy recipient yields amplified puṇya (spiritual merit).

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

While not directly describing bhakti practices like nāma-kīrtana, it supports devotional living by prescribing dharmic generosity—an outward expression of reverence for sacred places and service to the virtuous, which purifies the heart and supports bhakti.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects kalpa-vidhi (ritual procedure) principles: the dāna’s fruit depends on deśa (sacred location/tīrtha) and pātra (worthy recipient, here a dvijāgrya), a standard dharma-śāstra framework.