Varaha Purana 207.29 — Adhyaya 207, Shloka 29
Section on the ‘Person’ who Entices Beings within the Cycle of Rebirth
नारद उवाच ॥ किं दानं श्रेय आहोस्वित्पात्रेण फलमुच्यते ॥ किं वा कर्म महत्कृत्वा स्वर्गलोके महीयते
nārada uvāca || kiṃ dānaṃ śreya āhosvit pātreṇa phalam ucyate || kiṃ vā karma mahat kṛtvā svargaloke mahīyate
နာရဒက ပြောသည်— မည်သည့် ဒါနသည် အမြတ်ဆုံးဟု သတ်မှတ်ကြသနည်း။ ဒါန၏ အကျိုးသည် ပာတ်ရ (လက်ခံသူ) အပေါ် မူတည်သည်ဟု ဆိုကြသလား။ သို့မဟုတ် မည်သည့် မဟာကမ္မကို ပြုလုပ်လျှင် ကောင်းကင်လောက၌ ဂုဏ်သိက္ခာရသနည်း။
Nārada
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"Which dāna is most beneficial, how does the recipient’s worth affect fruit, and what great act grants eminence in heaven?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Raises the dharma-śāstric problem of dāna: comparative excellence of gifts, dependence of fruit on pātra (recipient), and the highest karma for svarga-prestige.","karmic_consequence":"Implied: right dāna to worthy recipients yields amplified puṇya and heavenly eminence; misguided giving or wrong intention yields diminished/unstable fruit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of intention and relational merit","core_concept":"Merit is conditioned by act, intention, and the moral/spiritual ‘field’ (pātra) receiving the gift.","practical_application":"Before giving, assess need and worthiness; give with śraddhā and non-egoic intent; prioritize gifts that relieve suffering and support dharma."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Gift-giving (dāna)","Karma theory"]
Primary Rasa: jijñāsā (inquiry)
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: discursive/teaching space
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: dāna discussions in the same section (207) continuing with Yama’s response
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Nārada, veena-bearing sage, respectfully questions a stern dharma-authority figure about the hierarchy of gifts and the role of the recipient.","item_prompts":["Nārada with vīṇā","gesture of inquiry (añjali or raised hand)","scrolls or sacrificial implements symbolizing dāna","seated authority figure (Yama or dharma-teacher)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Nārada in bright garments with vīṇā; the teacher figure seated on a stylized throne; clear mudrās indicating question/answer.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate throne and haloed figures; gold-leaf highlights on vīṇā and ornaments; rich reds/greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate ornamentation, calm faces; emphasis on courtly dialogue composition; detailed textiles.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate satsanga scene under a tree or pavilion; lyrical lines; soft palette; vīṇā prominent."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquisitive and reflective","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, curious, respectful"}
FAQs
It frames a classical South Asian ethical debate: whether merit arises primarily from the act of giving or from the worthiness of the recipient—an issue discussed across Purāṇic and Dharma texts.
No location is identified; the focus is doctrinal and ethical.
The verse prompts discernment about ethical giving and meaningful action rather than prescribing a single rule in this line alone.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.