Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 68
Dvādaśī-vrata: Month-by-month Viṣṇu Worship and the Year-End Udyāpana
सुखप्रदत्त्वाद्विप्रांश्च भोजयेच्छक्तितो व्रती । एव कृत्वाश्वमेधानां सहस्त्रस्य फलं लभेत् ॥ ६८ ॥
sukhapradattvādviprāṃśca bhojayecchaktito vratī | eva kṛtvāśvamedhānāṃ sahastrasya phalaṃ labhet || 68 ||
సుఖప్రదమైనదని తెలిసి వ్రతధారి భక్తుడు తన శక్తి మేరకు బ్రాహ్మణులకు భోజనం పెట్టాలి. ఇలా చేసినవాడు సహస్ర అశ్వమేధ యజ్ఞఫలాన్ని పొందుతాడు.
Nārada (teaching in a dharma/vrata context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It elevates annadāna (feeding the worthy) as a powerful dharma-act: when done with vrata-discipline and within one’s means, it yields extraordinary puṇya comparable to major Vedic sacrifices.
By emphasizing compassionate service—feeding learned Brāhmaṇas as representatives of sacred learning—this verse frames devotion as practical generosity performed with sincerity and restraint (vrata).
Ritual application is highlighted: the principle of śaktitaḥ (capacity-based observance) and the equivalence-of-merit teaching used in Dharma-śāstra style reasoning, relating charitable rites to major śrauta sacrifices like Aśvamedha.