Shloka 46
यावंत्यन्नानि भो विप्र यच्छति क्षितिमंडले । ब्रह्महत्याश्च तावंत्यो नश्यंत्येव तपोधन
yāvaṃtyannāni bho vipra yacchati kṣitimaṃḍale | brahmahatyāśca tāvaṃtyo naśyaṃtyeva tapodhana
يا أيها البرهمي، بقدر ما يهب الإنسان من حصص الطعام على وجه الأرض، يُمحى حقًّا مثلُ ذلك العدد من آثام «براهمهاتيا» (قتل البرهمي)، يا كنزَ الزهد.
Unspecified narrator addressing a brāhmaṇa (vipra) within the Adhyāya’s dialogue context
Concept: Anna-dāna functions as a powerful prāyaścitta, proportionally erasing even grave sin when performed sincerely.
Application: Practice regular food-giving (to guests, the needy, ascetics) with purity of means and intention; treat feeding as worship, not social display.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: earthly
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble donor kneels on sun-warmed earth, placing bowls of cooked rice and lentils into the hands of wandering brāhmaṇas and hungry travelers. Above them, an unseen current of light rises like a lotus-stem, symbolizing sins dissolving into radiance as the act of feeding becomes worship.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa recipient","householder donor","wandering ascetic","subtle presence of Hari as aura"],"setting":"Village edge on the open earth (kṣitimandala), with a small thatched shelter, clay pots, and a banyan tree offering shade.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron ochre","earth brown","lotus pink","leaf green","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a householder offering anna-dāna to serene brāhmaṇas on a stylized earth platform, Vishnu’s faint haloed presence above as a lotus aura, heavy gold leaf embellishment on vessels and ornaments, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, gem-studded borders, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate scene of anna-dāna under a banyan tree, refined faces and gentle gestures, cool morning sky with pale gold sun, lyrical naturalism in grasses and clay pots, subtle divine glow suggesting sin-dissolution, fine linework and soft washes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, donor and brāhmaṇa figures in frontal grace, warm red/yellow/green pigments, stylized earth band and banyan leaves, a circular Vishnu-like radiance above indicating purification, temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental margins.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional feeding scene framed by lotus and creeper borders, peacocks near grain bowls, deep indigo background with gold highlights, a central lotus medallion suggesting Hari’s presence, intricate floral motifs and rhythmic repetition of offering vessels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","morning birds","distant village ambience","gentle silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यावंत्यन्नानि = यावन्ति + अन्नानि; ब्रह्महत्याश्च = ब्रह्महत्याः + च; नश्यंत्येव = नश्यन्ति + एव; क्षितिमंडले = क्षिति + मण्डले
FAQs
The verse praises anna-dāna—donating food—as a powerful act of religious merit.
It teaches that compassionate giving, especially of food, is a potent means of moral purification and social responsibility.
Yes; it explicitly states that the destruction of sins is proportionate to the amount of food given, even referencing the grave sin termed brahmahatyā.