Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 57
Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds
मृदं सिद्धार्थमात्रां वा तडागाद्यो वहिः क्षिपेत् । तिष्टत्यब्दशतं स्वर्गे विमुक्तः पापकोटिभिः ॥ ५८ ॥
mṛdaṃ siddhārthamātrāṃ vā taḍāgādyo vahiḥ kṣipet | tiṣṭatyabdaśataṃ svarge vimuktaḥ pāpakoṭibhiḥ || 58 ||
Wenn jemand aus dem Teich Schlamm herausträgt und nach draußen wirft—sei es auch nur ein wenig, ja nur im Maß eines Senfkorns—so weilt er hundert Jahre im Himmel, befreit von Kroren von Sünden.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a dharma-upadesha sequence)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that even a tiny act of public purification—cleaning a water source—carries great punya, leading to svarga and the destruction of vast sin (pāpa), emphasizing intention and service (seva) over scale.
While not explicitly naming bhakti, it promotes a bhakti-aligned ethic: serving what sustains life (water resources) as an offering to dharma, cultivating purity, humility, and welfare of beings—qualities supportive of Vishnu-bhakti.
It highlights ritual-practical dharma rather than a specific Vedanga: a concrete purification act (cleaning a taḍāga) functioning as prayāścitta and punya-karman within smārta-style conduct.