Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16
The Exposition of Spiritual Knowledge
Jñāna-pradarśanam
वेदमालिर्बहूपायैर्धनं सम्पाद्य यत्नतः । स्वधनं गणयामास कियत्स्यादिति वेदितुम् ॥ १६ ॥
vedamālirbahūpāyairdhanaṃ sampādya yatnataḥ | svadhanaṃ gaṇayāmāsa kiyatsyāditi veditum || 16 ||
Vedamālī, der sich mit Mühe auf vielerlei Weise Reichtum erworben hatte, begann sein eigenes Geld zu zählen, um zu erfahren, wie viel es sei.
Suta (narrator)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
It highlights the mind’s fixation on accumulation and measurement of wealth, setting up a dharmic contrast: artha gained by effort still demands discernment (viveka) about its true value and purpose.
Indirectly: by showing absorption in counting wealth, it implies the need to redirect attention from possession to remembrance of the Divine—using wealth in service (dāna, yajña, worship) rather than mere hoarding.
Not a Vedāṅga instruction directly; the practical takeaway is ethical accounting of one’s resources for dharmic use—supporting duties like dāna (charity) and ritual obligations rather than indulgence.