Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 79

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

Devanagari script

तैलाभ्यङ्गं महाराज ब्राह्मणानां करोति यः । स स्नातोऽष्टशतं साग्रं गङ्गायां नात्र संशयः ॥ ७९ ॥

Transliteration

tailābhyaṅgaṃ mahārāja brāhmaṇānāṃ karoti yaḥ | sa snāto'ṣṭaśataṃ sāgraṃ gaṅgāyāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ || 79 ||

Translation

О великий царь, кто совершает для брахманов умащение и массаж маслом (тайлабхьянга), тот считается омывшимся в Ганге восемьсот раз и даже более; в этом нет сомнения.

Word by Word

• तैल-अभ्यङ्गम्: oil-massage
• तैल-अभ्यङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• महा-राज: O great king
• महा-राज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of Brahmins)

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्नातः: (is) bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त/PPP, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अष्ट-शतम्: eight hundred (times)
• अष्ट-शतम्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; परिमाण (eight hundred times)

• स-अग्रम्: and more
• स-अग्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘साग्रम्’ = अधिकम्/उपरि (with something extra)

• गङ्गायाम्: in the Ganga
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय (there is no doubt)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Brahmanas

FAQs

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

It elevates practical dharma—serving and honoring Brāhmaṇas through charitable care (taila-abhyanga)—as a powerful source of puṇya, equating it to repeated Gaṅgā-snāna, showing that merit comes not only from pilgrimage but also from compassionate service.

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

By valuing humble service and giving (seva/dāna) as sacred acts, the verse supports a bhakti-oriented ethic: devotion expresses itself through honoring the worthy and performing selfless acts that please dharma and, by extension, the Divine order upheld in Purāṇic teaching.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual-practical dharma (smārta/ācāra): the idea of prescribed acts (dāna, upacāra like abhyanga) producing specific phala (merit), a key principle used across ritual manuals and dharma traditions rather than a technical Vedāṅga like Jyotiṣa or Vyākaraṇa.