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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 87

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

विप्राय वेदविदुषे दद्यादुभयतोमुखीम् । यस्तस्य पुण्यं सङ्ख्यातुं न शक्तोऽब्दशतैरपि ॥ ८७ ॥

viprāya vedaviduṣe dadyādubhayatomukhīm | yastasya puṇyaṃ saṅkhyātuṃ na śakto'bdaśatairapi || 87 ||

Hendaknya diberikan anugerah ‘ubhayato-mukhī’ kepada brāhmaṇa yang menguasai Weda; pahala sucinya tak dapat dihitung bahkan dalam ratusan tahun.

विप्रायto a brahmin
विप्राय:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootविप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/दत्तेः), एकवचन — Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular
वेदविदुषेto the knower of the Veda
वेदविदुषे:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootवेद-विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक); वेद + विद्वस्
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन — Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदं विद्वान्)
दद्यात्should give
दद्यात्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootदा (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, Active, 3rd person, Singular
उभयतःमुखीम्a cow with two-faced (i.e., two-mouthed) [marking]
उभयतःमुखीम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootउभयतः-मुखी (प्रातिपदिक); उभयतः + मुखी
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; कर्मधारयः (उभयतः मुखं यस्याः/या)
यःwho
यः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम
तस्यof that (gift/act)
तस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Genitive (6th), Singular
पुण्यम्merit
पुण्यम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular
सङ्ख्यातुम्to enumerate
सङ्ख्यातुम्:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/तुमर्थ)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-ख्या (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive) — Infinitive (to count/enumerate)
not
:
Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय — Negation particle
शक्तःable
शक्तः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootशक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शक्-समर्थे, क्त-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally)
अब्दशतैःby hundreds of years
अब्दशतैः:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअब्द-शत (प्रातिपदिक); अब्द + शत
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समासः (अब्दानां शतम्)
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अपेक्षा-अव्यय — particle ‘even/also’

Narada (teaching in a dharma-instruction context)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

It elevates dāna offered to a genuine Veda-knower as an act whose puṇya is beyond ordinary measurement, emphasizing that dharmic charity generates vast, subtle spiritual merit.

While framed as dāna, it supports bhakti-culture by honoring Vedic custodians; reverence, humility, and giving to those who preserve sacred knowledge are treated as devotional virtues that strengthen sattva and devotion.

The verse foregrounds the authority of the Veda and the importance of a qualified vedavid recipient; practically, it implies that dāna should be guided by śāstric discernment (recipient-qualification), a core principle in dharma-śāstra reasoning.