Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 27
Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds
यत्र दानादिकानां तु लक्षणं परिकीर्तितम् । गङ्गामाहात्म्यसहितं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ॥ २८ ॥
yatra dānādikānāṃ tu lakṣaṇaṃ parikīrtitam | gaṅgāmāhātmyasahitaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam || 28 ||
அங்கே தானம் முதலிய தர்மங்களின் இலக்கணங்கள் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளன; கங்கையின் மஹிமையுடன் கூடிய அந்த உபதேசம் எல்லாப் பாவங்களையும் அழிக்கும்।
Suta (narrating the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It highlights that the Purana’s guidance on dāna (charitable giving) and related dharmic acts, when taught along with Gaṅgā’s māhātmya, is presented as a means for sarva-pāpa-praṇāśa—removal of accumulated sin and inner impurity.
While not naming a specific deity here, it frames dharma (like dāna) and reverence for a sacred tīrtha (Gaṅgā) as supportive disciplines that purify the heart—an essential foundation for steady bhakti and sacred living taught throughout the Narada Purana.
The verse points to dharma-śāstric practicality: lakṣaṇa (defining criteria) for dāna—i.e., how to recognize proper forms of giving and allied rites—rather than a technical Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.