Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 76

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

Devanagari script

यद्यत्तुष्टिकरं दानं सर्वकामफलप्रदम् । तस्मादन्नसमं दानं नास्ति भूपाल भूतले ॥ ७६ ॥

Transliteration

yadyattuṣṭikaraṃ dānaṃ sarvakāmaphalapradam | tasmādannasamaṃ dānaṃ nāsti bhūpāla bhūtale || 76 ||

Translation

Welche Gabe auch immer Zufriedenheit schenkt und die Früchte aller Wünsche gewährt—doch, o König, auf dieser Erde gibt es keine Spende, die der Gabe von Nahrung gleichkommt.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (Relative; correlating with तत् implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun: whatever)

• तुष्टिकरम्: satisfaction-causing
• तुष्टिकरम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa of दानम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्टिकर (प्रातिपदिक; तुष्टि + कर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तुष्टेः करम्)

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वकामफलप्रदम्: granting the fruits of all desires
• सर्वकामफलप्रदम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa of दानम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वकामफलप्रद (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + काम + फल + प्रद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वेषां कामानां फलप्रदम् = giving the fruits of all desires)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: हेतु (Hetu/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययीभाव (therefore); हेत्वर्थे

• अन्नसमम्: equal to (the gift of) food
• अन्नसमम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa of दानम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्नसम (प्रातिपदिक; अन्न + सम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अन्नेन समम् = equal to food)

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; of अस्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध/निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अस्ति: exists/is
• अस्ति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• भूपाल: O king
• भूपाल: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक; भू + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भूः पालः)

• भूतले: on the earth
• भूतले: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक; भू + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भूतेः तलम् = surface of the earth)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressing a king as 'bhūpāla' within the discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

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

It declares anna-dāna (the gift of food) as the highest form of charity because it directly sustains life and produces broad spiritual merit (puṇya), fulfilling aims while generating inner contentment (tuṣṭi).

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

By elevating selfless service through feeding others, it supports bhakti as practical compassion—offering nourishment as an act of reverence to the Divine present in beings, aligning daily conduct with dharma.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is ritual-ethics within dāna-dharma—prioritizing anna-dāna as a direct, universally beneficial act.