Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 104

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

Devanagari script

तत्फलं समवाप्नोति लिङ्गदानान्न संशयः । शालग्रामशिलादाने ततोऽपि द्विगुणं फलम् ॥ १०४ ॥

Transliteration

tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti liṅgadānānna saṃśayaḥ | śālagrāmaśilādāne tato'pi dviguṇaṃ phalam || 104 ||

Translation

On obtient assurément ce fruit par le don d’un liṅga, sans aucun doute. Et par le don d’une pierre Śālagrāma, le mérite est encore le double de cela.

Word by Word

• तत्-फलम्: that result
• तत्-फलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (तत् फलम् = 'that result')

• समवाप्नोति: fully attains
• समवाप्नोति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• लिङ्ग-दानात्: from the gift of a liṅga
• लिङ्ग-दानात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य दानम्)

• न: no/not
• न: Sambandha/Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied 'asti')
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शालग्राम-शिला-दाने: in/with the gifting of a Śālagrāma stone
• शालग्राम-शिला-दाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शालग्रामशिलायाः दाने)

• ततः: than that/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha/Comparative adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थ/क्रियाविशेषण (thereafter/than that)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• द्वि-गुणम्: twofold/double
• द्वि-गुणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वौ गुणौ यस्य/द्विगुणम्)

• फलम्: result
• फलम्: Karma (कर्म) (elliptical: 'भवति/अस्ति')
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Sanatkumāra (teaching Nārada in the dāna context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)

Secondary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Śālagrāma

FAQs

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

It ranks sacred donations by फल (merit), affirming that liṅga-dāna yields definite spiritual reward, while Śālagrāma-śilā dāna is praised as giving a doubled result—highlighting the extraordinary sanctity of Śālagrāma in dharma practice.

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

By praising Śālagrāma—traditionally revered as a direct emblem of Viṣṇu—the verse connects devotional reverence with concrete dharmic action (dāna), presenting bhakti not only as feeling but as worship expressed through sacred giving.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual prioritization within dāna-vidhi (procedural dharma): it teaches comparative फल-śruti (hierarchy of results) for specific sacred objects, a practical guideline for donors and officiants in determining the intended religious outcome.