Shloka 41

यममार्गे सुखदायकधर्माः

Dharmas that Grant Ease on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

अन्नदानेन ये लोकास्स्वर्गे विरचिता मुने । अन्नदातुर्महादिव्यास्ताञ्छृणुष्व महामुने

Transliteration

annadānena ye lokāssvarge viracitā mune | annadāturmahādivyāstāñchṛṇuṣva mahāmune

Translation

أيها الحكيم، إن العوالم في السماء التي تُشيَّد بعطية الطعام—تلك المساكن الإلهية العظمى التي تخصّ مُعطي الطعام—فاسمع عنها، أيها الحكيم العظيم.

Word by Word

• anna-dānena: by food-giving/food donation
• anna-dānena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) 'anna-dāna' = 'gift of food'; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ye: which (those)
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन), relative pronoun (सर्वनाम)

• lokāḥ: worlds/realms
• lokāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• svarge: in heaven
• svarge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• viracitāḥ: have been created/arranged
• viracitāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√rac (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त, PPP), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• anna-dātuḥ: of the food-giver
• anna-dātuḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक) + dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) 'anna-dātṛ' = 'giver of food'; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahā-divyāḥ: greatly divine
• mahā-divyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) 'mahā-divya' = 'great and divine'; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tān: those (worlds)
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन), demonstrative pronoun (सर्वनाम)

• śṛṇuṣva: listen (you)
• śṛṇuṣva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• mahā-mune: O great sage
• mahā-mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) 'mahā-muni' = 'great sage'; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a specific Jyotirliṅga episode; the passage functions as a dharma-phala-śruti describing svarga-lokas attained by annadāna (food-gift), often framed in Purāṇas as a meritorious support of beings and yajña.

Significance: Encourages annadāna as a Śaiva dharma supportive of devotees and pilgrims; merit is said to yield luminous heavenly abodes and prosperity, and (in a Siddhānta reading) purifies mala/karma, preparing the paśu for higher sādhana.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

FAQs

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

It teaches that annadāna (offering food) is a highly sattvic, compassion-based dharma that generates great puṇya, leading to exalted heavenly attainments; in Shaiva ethics, sustaining life is a direct form of service aligned with Shiva’s grace working through dharma.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

While not naming the Liṅga directly, it supports Saguna Shaiva worship by emphasizing outward dharmic acts—like feeding others—as offerings made in the spirit of devotion, complementing temple worship and Liṅga-pūjā as lived bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice annadāna—feeding devotees, the poor, or guests—ideally after Shiva-pūjā, while mentally offering the act to Lord Shiva (e.g., with the Panchakshara ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya’) as a devotional dedication of merit.