Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20

Yamapatha (The Road of Yama), Dāna-Phala, and the Imperishable Fruition of Karma

Devanagari script

वस्त्रदो मुनुशार्दूल याति दिव्याम्बरावृतः । पुराकरप्रदो याति स्तूयमानोऽमरैः पथि ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

vastrado munuśārdūla yāti divyāmbarāvṛtaḥ | purākaraprado yāti stūyamāno'maraiḥ pathi || 20 ||

Translation

ഹേ നരശാർദൂലാ! വസ്ത്രദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ ദിവ്യാംബരങ്ങളാൽ ആവൃതനായി മുന്നോട്ട് പോകുന്നു. പുരാകര (ധന-കരം/പൂർവ്വ ലേവി) ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ അമരന്മാർ സ്തുതിക്കുന്ന പഥത്തിൽ ഗമിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वस्त्रदः: the giver of clothes
• वस्त्रदः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्रद (प्रातिपदिक; वस्त्र + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (वस्त्रं ददाति इति)

• मुनुशार्दूल: O tiger among sages
• मुनुशार्दूल: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनुशार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक; मुनु + शार्दूल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मुनु-शार्दूलः = मुनिषु शार्दूलः)

• याति: goes
• याति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दिव्य-अम्बर-आवृतः: clothed in divine garments
• दिव्य-अम्बर-आवृतः: विशेषण (Adjectival to कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (कृदन्त; आ√वृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘आवृत’; तत्पुरुषसमासः (दिव्येन अम्बरेण आवृतः)

• पुरा-कर-प्रदः: the giver of a former tax/tribute (one who gives ‘kara’ beforehand)
• पुरा-कर-प्रदः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय) + कर (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; प्र + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पुरा करं ददाति इति)

• याति: goes
• याति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्तूयमानः: being praised
• स्तूयमानः: विशेषण (Adjectival to कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तूयमान (कृदन्त; √स्तु धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्/Passive present participle) ‘being praised’

• अमरैः: by the immortals (gods)
• अमरैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पथि: on the path
• पथि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (पथिन्-शब्दः), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; वैकल्पिक रूप ‘पथि’

Speaker

Nārada (instructing the Sanatkumāra tradition; dāna-phala discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Amarāḥ (Devas)

FAQs

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

It teaches that specific forms of dāna (charitable giving) yield corresponding post-mortem rewards: giving clothing leads to divine apparel, and giving wealth/tribute leads to an honored passage praised by the devas—underscoring karma and dharma as measurable spiritual causes.

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

While framed as dāna-phala, it supports bhakti through selfless offering: giving to support others (and dharmic institutions) is a devotional ethic that purifies intention and aligns one’s life with divine approval, symbolized by being praised by the devas.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Dharma-śāstra style ritual ethics (connected to Kalpa/Vedāṅga practice): different donations have specified results, encouraging disciplined, rule-based charity such as vastra-dāna and dhana-dāna in prescribed contexts.