Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 73

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

Devanagari script

सद्यस्तुष्टिकरं ज्ञेयं जलदानं यतोऽधिकम् । अन्नदानान्नृपश्रेष्ठ निर्दिष्टं ब्रह्मवादिभिः ॥ ७३ ॥

Transliteration

sadyastuṣṭikaraṃ jñeyaṃ jaladānaṃ yato'dhikam | annadānānnṛpaśreṣṭha nirdiṣṭaṃ brahmavādibhiḥ || 73 ||

Translation

水の施しはただちに満足をもたらすと知れ。されど、王の中の最勝者よ、ブラフマンを知る者たちは、食の施しこそさらに勝ると説き示した。

Word by Word

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: immediately)

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

• ज्ञेयम्: should be known
• ज्ञेयम्: विधेय (Predicate; to be understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञेय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक-तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: to be known)

• जलदानम्: the gift of water
• जलदानम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; of implied अस्ति/भवति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलदान (प्रातिपदिक; जल + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: जलस्य दानम्)

• यतः: because
• यतः: हेतु (Hetu/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: because/for)

• अधिकम्: superior/more
• अधिकम्: विधेय (Predicate adjective; of जलदानम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनार्थ (comparative sense: more/superior)

• अन्नदानात्: than the gift of food
• अन्नदानात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्नदान (प्रातिपदिक; अन्न + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: अन्नस्य दानम्)

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; नृप + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (श्रेष्ठः नृपः)

• निर्दिष्टम्: declared
• निर्दिष्टम्: विधेय (Predicate; said/declared)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + दिश् (धातु) → निर्दिष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP)

• ब्रह्मवादिभिः: by the expounders of Brahman
• ब्रह्मवादिभिः: करण (Karaṇa/Agent-instrument; by whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मवादिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + वादिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः वादी)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressed to a king as narrative exemplar)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Brahmavadins

FAQs

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

It ranks charitable gifts by their dharmic impact: water-giving yields instant relief and merit, while food-giving is upheld as a higher, more sustaining form of compassion and punya.

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

By urging service to living beings through essential gifts, it frames charity as a practical expression of devotion—pleasing the Divine through compassionate action rather than mere speech.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Dharma-śāstra style ritual ethics—how to prioritize dana in practice—though it does not directly teach a specific Vedanga like Vyakarana or Jyotisha in this verse.