Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 11
Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds
शूद्रान्नभोजिनश्चैव शूद्राणां शवदाहिनः । पौंश्वलान्नभुजश्चापि दत्तं भवति निष्फलम् ॥ १२ ॥
śūdrānnabhojinaścaiva śūdrāṇāṃ śavadāhinaḥ | pauṃśvalānnabhujaścāpi dattaṃ bhavati niṣphalam || 12 ||
Eine Gabe wird fruchtlos, wenn sie einem gegeben wird, der die Speise eines Śūdra isst, einem, der die Leichen der Śūdras verbrennt, oder einem, der die Speise einer zügellosen Frau isst.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada on dāna-dharma and eligibility)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
It teaches that the merit (puṇya) of dāna depends not only on intention but also on the recipient’s ritual purity and conduct; giving to those associated with impure food or occupations is said to yield no spiritual fruit (niṣphala).
By stressing discernment and purity in religious acts, it supports bhakti as disciplined worship—offerings and charity should be aligned with dharma and śauca so that devotional acts bear lasting merit.
It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Dharma-śāstra style rules about eligibility and purity—especially the doctrine of anna-doṣa (impurity through food) affecting the outcome of rites like dāna.