Shloka 121

Viśokā Dvādaśī Vow, Guḍa-Dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift, and Śaila-Dāna (Mountain-Charity) Rites

Devanagari script

अन्नं ब्रह्म यतः प्रोक्तमन्नं प्राणाः प्रकीर्तिताः । अन्नाद्भवंति भूतानि जगदन्नेन वर्धते

Transliteration

annaṃ brahma yataḥ proktamannaṃ prāṇāḥ prakīrtitāḥ | annādbhavaṃti bhūtāni jagadannena vardhate

Translation

অন্নকেই ব্ৰহ্ম বুলি কোৱা হৈছে; অন্নকেই প্ৰাণ বুলি প্ৰখ্যাত। অন্নৰ পৰা জীৱসমূহ জন্মে, আৰু অন্নে জগতক পালন কৰি বৃদ্ধি কৰে।

Word by Word

• अन्नम्: food; grain
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman; the Absolute
• ब्रह्म: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• यतः: since; because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतुवाचक (Causal indeclinable: 'since/because')

• प्रोक्तम्: declared; said
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Past passive participle: 'said/declared')

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• प्राणाः: vital breaths; life-forces
• प्राणाः: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• प्रकीर्तिताः: proclaimed; celebrated
• प्रकीर्तिताः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Past passive participle: 'are proclaimed')

• अन्नात्: from food
• अन्नात्: Apadāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• भवन्ति: become; arise
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd person, Plural)

• भूतानि: beings; creatures
• भूतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• अन्नेन: by/with food
• अन्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• वर्धते: grows; prospers
• वर्धते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रोक्तमन्नं = प्रोक्तम् + अन्नम्; अन्नाद्भवंति = अन्नात् + भवन्ति; जगदन्नेन = जगत् + अन्नेन.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman

FAQs

What is the central teaching of this verse?

It identifies food (anna) as sacred—equated with Brahman—and teaches that life-forces and all beings depend on nourishment; the world is sustained through food.

Does this verse relate to creation theology in the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa?

Yes. It frames creation and continued existence in practical metaphysical terms: beings arise from food and the cosmos endures through the sustaining principle of nourishment.

What ethical lesson follows from calling food ‘Brahman’?

It implies reverence toward food: avoid waste, practice gratitude, support feeding and charity (anna-dāna), and recognize nourishment as a sacred duty sustaining life.