Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 87
Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds
खनितं हस्तमात्रं तु जलं तुण्डेन चात्मनः । ततोऽन्यदाऽमुया काल्याहस्त युग्ममितः कृतः ॥ ८८ ॥
khanitaṃ hastamātraṃ tu jalaṃ tuṇḍena cātmanaḥ | tato'nyadā'muyā kālyāhasta yugmamitaḥ kṛtaḥ || 88 ||
হে ভূ-পতি, প্রথমে সে মাত্র এক হাত গভীর খুঁড়ল এবং নিজের ঠোঁট দিয়ে জল এনে দিল। পরে অন্য সময়ে, কাল্য্যার সেই একই প্রচেষ্টায় দুই হাত পরিমাণ গভীরতা/বিস্তার হল।
Suta (narrating the Purana’s account in the flow of instruction)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It teaches that sustained self-effort (ātmanaḥ) produces tangible growth over time—what begins as a small measure becomes greater through persistence.
Though not directly a bhakti injunction, it supports bhakti-sādhana by implying that daily practice—japa, vrata, pūjā—may start modestly but steadily deepens and expands with consistency.
It reflects a practical sense of māna (measurement) and method—useful for ritual discipline and ordered practice—though it is not a direct exposition of a specific Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.