Shloka 32

Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

अन्नप्रणाशे भिद्यन्ते शरीरे पजच धातव: । बल॑ बलवतो<पीह प्रणश्यत्यन्नहानित:

Transliteration

annapraṇāśe bhidyante śarīre pañca dhātavaḥ | balaṃ balavato 'pīha praṇaśyaty annahānitaḥ ||

Translation

قال نارادا: «إذا فُقِد الطعام أو تعذّر وجوده تفرّقت العناصر الخمسة التي تقوم عليها البنية في الجسد. وبفقدان القوت يذبل حتى بأسُ أشدّ الأقوياء في هذا العالم».

Word by Word

• अन्नप्रणाशे: in the destruction/loss of food
• अन्नप्रणाशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्नप्रणाश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भिद्यन्ते: are split/separated
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद्
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Plural

• शरीरे: in the body
• शरीरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च

• धातवः: constituents/elements
• धातवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बलम्: strength
• बलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• बलवतः: of the strong (man)
• बलवतः: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• इह: here/in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• प्रणश्यति: perishes/declines
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नश्
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• अन्नहानितः: from loss of food; due to lack of food
• अन्नहानितः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्नहानि
• Form: Feminine, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Food is the foundation of bodily integrity and strength; deprivation of nourishment causes the body’s sustaining constituents to deteriorate, so ethical life includes ensuring sustenance—both for oneself and for others.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is instructing by stating a practical truth: when food is lacking, the body’s internal supports break down and even the powerful lose their vigor—underscoring the moral and social importance of providing food and preventing hunger.