Shloka 76

Narmadā–Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Sequence of Sacred Fords and Their Fruits

Devanagari script

दानं दद्याद् यथाशक्ति प्रीयेतां हरिशङ्करौ / एतत् तीर्थप्रभावेण सर्वं भवति चाक्षयम्

Transliteration

dānaṃ dadyād yathāśakti prīyetāṃ hariśaṅkarau / etat tīrthaprabhāveṇa sarvaṃ bhavati cākṣayam

Translation

Man soll nach Kräften Almosen geben, damit Hari und Śaṅkara erfreut sind. Durch die Macht dieser Tīrtha wird jedes solche Verdienst unvergänglich (akṣaya).

Word by Word

• dānam: a gift/charity
• dānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — object

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 'should give'

• yathā-śakti: according to ability
• yathā-śakti: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः — अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः 'according to (one's) ability'

• prīyetām: may be pleased (both)
• prīyetām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prī (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन — 'may (they two) be pleased'

• hari-śaṅkarau: Hari and Śaṅkara
• hari-śaṅkarau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual), पुंलिङ्ग — द्वन्द्वः 'Hari and Śaṅkara'

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — demonstrative pronoun

• tīrtha-prabhāveṇa: by the power of the sacred place
• tīrtha-prabhāveṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग — तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) 'by the power of the tīrtha'

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — 'everything'

• bhavati: becomes
• bhavati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present Indicative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 'becomes/is'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• akṣayam: imperishable, inexhaustible
• akṣayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — predicate adjective qualifying sarvam

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (as Viṣṇu), instructing on tīrtha-dharma and dāna

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Shankara (Shiva)
• Tirtha

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

It does not define Ātman directly; it teaches that devotion expressed through dharmic action (dāna) pleases the Supreme as Hari and Śaṅkara, and that tīrtha-supported merit can become akṣaya (imperishable), pointing to a higher, enduring spiritual fruit beyond transient worldly results.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes karma-yoga in a dhārmic form—selfless giving within one’s capacity (yathāśakti) as a disciplined offering—supported by tīrtha-sevā (reverent engagement with sacred places), which the Purāṇic tradition treats as a purifier and merit-multiplier.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

By naming them together as “Hari-Śaṅkara,” it presents a synthetic, non-sectarian vision: the same supreme devotion and righteous act can be offered to both, affirming harmony and functional unity between Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva devotion in the Kūrma Purāṇa.