Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 45

Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds

Devanagari script

विस्तराद्गदितुं नालमपि वर्षशतायुतैः । तस्मातंसमासतो वक्ष्ये धर्माधर्मनिदर्शनम् ॥ ४६ ॥

Transliteration

vistarādgadituṃ nālamapi varṣaśatāyutaiḥ | tasmātaṃsamāsato vakṣye dharmādharmanidarśanam || 46 ||

Translation

纵使历经千万亿百世之久，也不足以尽述其详。故我将略说法与非法（dharma 与 adharma）的分辨之相。

Word by Word

• vistarāt: in detail; from elaboration
• vistarāt: Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• gaditum: to narrate; to tell
• gaditum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gad (धातु) ; gaditum (कृदन्त, तुमुन्-प्रत्यय/Infinitive)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (Infinitive), क्रियार्थक-नाम (verbal noun)

• na: not
• na: Nipāta (निपात/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• alam: enough; sufficient
• alam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पर्याप्त्यर्थक (sufficiency)

• api: even; also
• api: Nipāta (निपात/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle) समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (even/also)

• varṣa-śata-ayutaiḥ: with tens of thousands of hundreds of years (i.e., innumerable years)
• varṣa-śata-ayutaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक) + ayuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter, as numeral compound), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); द्विगु-समास (numerical compound) ‘ayuta of hundreds of years’

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोग (ablative used adverbially): ‘therefore’

• aṃśa-samāsataḥ: briefly; in summary (in part)
• aṃśa-samāsataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + samāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; ‘samāsataḥ’ = adverb ‘in brief’; with aṃśa = partially/briefly

• vakṣye: I shall speak; I will explain
• vakṣye: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• dharma-adharma-nidarśanam: the exposition of dharma and adharma
• dharma-adharma-nidarśanam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + adharma (प्रातिपदिक) + nidarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मपद; ‘dharma-adharma’ द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद + ‘nidarśanam’ (exposition/illustration)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It frames dharma-discernment as vast and subtle, and legitimizes a concise, practice-oriented summary of dharma and adharma so seekers can apply it in life rather than be lost in endless detail.

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

By promising a practical summary of dharma, the verse supports bhakti indirectly: steady devotion to Vishnu is sustained by clear ethical boundaries, because dharma protects purity of intent and adharma disrupts devotion through confusion and misconduct.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The emphasis is on pedagogical method—samāsa (concise exposition), akin to the discipline of Vyākaraṇa and śāstric teaching style—summarizing complex doctrine into actionable markers for conduct.