Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 17
The Teaching on Śiva-Dharma and the Supremacy of Food-Giving
within the Pitṛtīrtha–Yayāti Episode
संतप्ता दुःखभारेण म्रियंते सर्वदेहिनः । अन्नदः पुण्यदः प्रोक्तः प्राणदश्चापि सर्वदः
saṃtaptā duḥkhabhāreṇa mriyaṃte sarvadehinaḥ | annadaḥ puṇyadaḥ proktaḥ prāṇadaścāpi sarvadaḥ
جميع ذوي الأجساد، المحترقين بثقل المعاناة، يهلكون. لذلك قيل إن مُعطي الطعام مُعطيَ البرّ؛ بل إن مُعطي الطعام هو أيضًا مُعطي الحياة، وهو الذي يعطي كلَّ شيء.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmikhaṇḍa context)
Concept: Because all beings perish under suffering, anna-dāna is supreme: giving food gives merit, life, and in effect 'everything'.
Application: Prioritize feeding others: donate meals, support food banks/annadāna kitchens, offer prasāda; treat hospitality as spiritual practice.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A simple annadāna pavilion stands beside a dusty road: travelers, ascetics, children, and the poor sit in a line as steaming rice and dal are served on leaf-plates. In the background, a faint procession of funeral smoke reminds viewers of mortality, while the foreground glows with warmth—hands offering food become hands offering life.","primary_figures":["householder donor","servers","hungry travelers","ascetic recipient","children"],"setting":"roadside dharmaśālā/annadāna hall with clay pots, leaf plates, water jars, shade canopy","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["turmeric yellow","earth brown","leaf green","copper","warm white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: annadāna scene with a central benevolent householder offering steaming food to seated recipients; gold leaf highlights on vessels and halos of virtue, rich reds and greens in garments, ornate border with lotus and grain motifs, temple-like pavilion pillars, emphasis on abundance and sanctity of food.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle village roadside pavilion with delicate brushwork; long line of recipients on leaf plates, servers moving gracefully; soft morning light, muted natural palette, refined expressions showing relief and gratitude; distant smoke motif subtly indicating impermanence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and flat pigments; rhythmic composition of seated figures receiving food; large expressive eyes, stylized pots and ladles; warm red-yellow-green palette; decorative border with rice-grain and lotus motifs, conveying dharma through iconic simplicity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate annadāna pavilion framed by intricate floral borders; rows of leaf plates like a patterned mandala; deep indigo background with gold accents on vessels; lotus and grain motifs throughout, peacocks at corners, the act of feeding presented as a devotional offering akin to prasāda distribution."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["clinking serving ladles","low communal murmurs","temple bells (distant)","sparrows","boiling pot simmer"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संतप्ता = संतप्ताः (पदपाठे बहुवचन); चापि = च + अपि; प्राणदश्चापि = प्राणदः + च + अपि
FAQs
It teaches that charity of food (anna-dāna) is life-sustaining and spiritually meritorious; feeding others is equated with giving life itself.
Because food supports prāṇa (vitality) and bodily survival; without nourishment, embodied beings succumb to suffering and death.
It encourages prioritizing compassionate support of others—especially feeding the hungry—as a foundational dharmic act that benefits both society and the giver’s spiritual merit.