Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 52
Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds
यो ददस्वेति विप्राणां जीवनं प्रेरयेत्परम् । सोऽपि तत्फलमाप्नोति किमन्यैर्बहुभाषितैः ॥ ५३ ॥
yo dadasveti viprāṇāṃ jīvanaṃ prerayetparam | so'pi tatphalamāpnoti kimanyairbahubhāṣitaiḥ || 53 ||
‘ദാനം കൊടുക്കൂ’ എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു ബ്രാഹ്മണരുടെ ജീവിക്കാനുള്ള ഉപാധിക്കായി മറ്റുള്ളവരെ പ്രേരിപ്പിക്കുന്നവനും ആ ദാനത്തിന്റെ ഫലം തന്നെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; പിന്നെ അധികവാക്കുകൾ എന്തിന്?
Sage Nārada (teaching in dialogue to the Sanatkumāra tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that inspiring and facilitating righteous charity—especially sustaining brāhmaṇas—produces real puṇya; merit is not limited only to the physical donor.
By promoting selfless support of sacred learning and dharma-bearers, one serves Bhagavān’s order (dharma) indirectly; such service-oriented encouragement is aligned with bhakti’s spirit of loving, selfless action.
Ritual-practical dharma: the verse underscores dāna as an actionable duty and highlights the role of brāhmaṇas as preservers/teachers of Veda and Vedāṅga learning—so sustaining them supports Vedic transmission.