Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 50

Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds

Devanagari script

समस्तदेवतारुपो ब्राह्मणः परिकीर्तितः । जीवनं ददतस्तस्य कः पुण्यं गदितुं क्षमः ॥ ५१ ॥

Transliteration

samastadevatārupo brāhmaṇaḥ parikīrtitaḥ | jīvanaṃ dadatastasya kaḥ puṇyaṃ gadituṃ kṣamaḥ || 51 ||

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ സമസ്ത ദേവതകളുടെയും രൂപമാണെന്ന് പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്. അവനു ജീവൻ നിലനിൽക്കാനുള്ള സഹായം നൽകുന്നവന്റെ പുണ്യം ആര് വിവരിക്കാൻ കഴിയും?

Word by Word

• samasta-devatā-rūpaḥ: having the form of all deities
• samasta-devatā-rūpaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + devatā (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (samastāḥ devatāḥ; tāsāṃ rūpaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• brāhmaṇaḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• parikīrtitaḥ: is proclaimed
• parikīrtitaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-kīrt (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (Past Passive Participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; अर्थः—‘is declared/has been proclaimed’

• jīvanam: life, livelihood
• jīvanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd); एकवचन

• dadatāḥ: of (one) giving
• dadatāḥ: Kartṛ-sambandha (कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—शतृ (Present Active Participle); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (ददतः)

• tasya: of him/that person
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative pronoun)

• puṇyam: merit
• puṇyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• gaditum: to describe
• gaditum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Infinitive purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gad (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—तुमुन् (Infinitive); अर्थः—‘to tell/speak’

• kṣamaḥ: capable
• kṣamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in dialogue)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Devatāḥ (all deities)

FAQs

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

It equates honoring a worthy Brāhmaṇa with honoring all devas, and teaches that sustaining such a person’s life (through support like food, shelter, or protection) yields immeasurable puṇya.

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

It frames devotion as practical reverence expressed through service: by serving a sacred recipient viewed as embodying the divine, one performs an act akin to deity-worship, a bhakti-oriented ethic of seeing God in dharmic persons.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this verse; it emphasizes dharma-śāstra practice—dāna and proper honoring of Brāhmaṇas as a foundational ritual-ethical principle.