Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 76
Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds
सरसीं सागरं कर्त्तुमुद्यतः पुण्यकृत्तमः । धनुषां चैव पञ्चाशत्सर्वतो विस्तृतायताम् ॥ ७७ ॥
sarasīṃ sāgaraṃ karttumudyataḥ puṇyakṛttamaḥ | dhanuṣāṃ caiva pañcāśatsarvato vistṛtāyatām || 77 ||
तो परम पुण्यकर्मी त्या सरोवरास सागरासारखे करण्यास उद्युक्त झाला आणि ते सर्व बाजूंनी पन्नास धनुष्यांइतके विस्तीर्ण केले।
Narada (narrative voice within the Narada Purana’s teaching dialogue)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It highlights dharmic public works—especially creating or enlarging sacred waters—as a high form of puṇya, linking physical upliftment with spiritual merit.
While not explicitly naming bhakti, the verse supports bhakti-culture by emphasizing service that benefits pilgrims and supports tīrtha life, which traditionally nourishes devotion to Vishnu and other deities through worship and pilgrimage.
It uses traditional measurement language (dhanuḥ as a unit of distance), reflecting practical śāstric precision often employed in dharma and tīrtha descriptions.