Shloka 22
The Teaching on Śiva-Dharma and the Supremacy of Food-Giving
within the Pitṛtīrtha–Yayāti Episode
तस्मादन्नसमं दानं न भूतं न भविष्यति । त्रयाणामपि लोकानामुदकं जीवनं स्मृतम्
tasmādannasamaṃ dānaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati | trayāṇāmapi lokānāmudakaṃ jīvanaṃ smṛtam
لذلك لم يكن عطـاءٌ، ولن يكون، مساوياً لعطية الطعام. وللعوالم الثلاثة يُذكَر الماءُ أنه الحياةُ بعينها.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narrative)
Concept: No charity equals anna-dāna; and water (udaka) is life for all worlds—therefore giving sustenance is the highest dharma.
Application: Prioritize providing clean water and meals; keep a water pot for passersby; reduce waste; support wells/filters and feeding programs as spiritual practice.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A traveler kneels as a householder offers a clay pot of cool water and a plate of food; the water’s surface reflects the three worlds—stars above, earth’s fields, and a subtle nether glow—signifying ‘triloka-jīvana’. The act is framed like a ritual, with the water pouring as a silver stream of life.","primary_figures":["householder donor","thirsty traveler","child assisting","a distant temple silhouette"],"setting":"Roadside rest spot with a shaded tree, earthen water pots, and a small stone platform for offerings","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["silver-blue","earthen terracotta","pale gold","forest green","white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: roadside jaladāna and anna-dāna—donor pouring water from an ornate pot with gold-leaf highlights, food plate gleaming, a stylized triloka reflection in the water rendered with embossed gold, rich maroon and green garments, decorative border with conch and lotus motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle humanitarian scene under a tree—cool blue water stream, delicate expressions of relief, distant hills and a faint temple spire, soft palette with terracotta accents, lyrical calm emphasizing water as life.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic composition—large earthen pot, stylized flowing water as white ribbon, donor and traveler in profile with bold outlines, flat pigments, symbolic triloka motifs (sun, earth, nāga) embedded in the water stream.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central water-pot lotus medallion, attendants offering water and prasāda, ornate floral borders, deep indigo background with gold, peacocks near the tree, devotional framing that treats jaladāna as Krishna’s seva."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["pouring water","soft wind in leaves","temple bell","distant conch","quiet footsteps"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tasmādannasamaṃ = tasmāt anna-samam; trayāṇāmapi = trayāṇām api; lokānāmudakam = lokānām udakam
FAQs
It teaches that giving food (anna-dāna) is the highest form of charity, and it underscores that water is essential—life itself—for all beings across the three worlds.
Food is praised as the supreme gift in the moral hierarchy of dāna, while water is identified as the very basis of life; together they highlight sustaining others as the core ethic of charity.
Prioritize compassionate, practical giving—especially providing nourishment and drinking water—since sustaining life is presented as the most valuable service.