Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 87

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

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

Translation

គួរឲ្យទាន «ឧភយតោមុខី» ដល់ព្រាហ្មណ៍អ្នកចេះវេទៈ; ពុណ្យនៃកិច្ចនោះ គ្មានអ្នកណាអាចរាប់បាន ទោះជារយឆ្នាំក៏ដោយ។

Word by Word

• विप्राय: to a brahmin
• विप्राय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/दत्तेः), एकवचन — Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular

• वेदविदुषे: to the knower of the Veda
• वेदविदुषे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद-विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक); वेद + विद्वस्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन — Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदं विद्वान्)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, Active, 3rd person, Singular

• उभयतःमुखीम्: a cow with two-faced (i.e., two-mouthed) [marking]
• उभयतःमुखीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभयतः-मुखी (प्रातिपदिक); उभयतः + मुखी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; कर्मधारयः (उभयतः मुखं यस्याः/या)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• तस्य: of that (gift/act)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Genitive (6th), Singular

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• सङ्ख्यातुम्: to enumerate
• सङ्ख्यातुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/तुमर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive) — Infinitive (to count/enumerate)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय — Negation particle

• शक्तः: able
• शक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शक्-समर्थे, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally)

• अब्दशतैः: by hundreds of years
• अब्दशतैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द-शत (प्रातिपदिक); अब्द + शत
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समासः (अब्दानां शतम्)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-अव्यय — particle ‘even/also’

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a dharma-instruction context)

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 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.

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

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.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

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.