Shloka 148

Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रदायाग्र यः सुहृद्भिः सहाश्नुते / स प्रेत्य लभते स्वर्गमन्नदानं समाचरन्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇebhyaḥ pradāyāgra yaḥ suhṛdbhiḥ sahāśnute / sa pretya labhate svargamannadānaṃ samācaran

Translation

Wer zuerst den Brāhmaṇas Speise darbringt und dann mit seinen Freunden isst—indem er anna-dāna, die Gabe der Nahrung, übt—erlangt nach dem Tod den Himmel (svarga).

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन

• प्रदाय: having given
• प्रदाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• अग्रे: first/beforehand
• अग्रे: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'first/beforehand')

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• सुहृद्भिः: with friends
• सुहृद्भिः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• अश्नुते: eats/enjoys
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संकेतवाचक सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• प्रेत्य: after death
• प्रेत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); अर्थः—मरणानन्तरम् (after departing/after death)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अन्नदानम्: gift of food
• अन्नदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + दान (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अन्नस्य दानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• समाचरन्: practising/performing
• समाचरन्: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Before one’s own meal; also applicable in śrāddha-bhojana where brāhmaṇas are fed first.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Annadāna with precedence to brāhmaṇas, followed by communal eating, yields svarga after death.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala: self-transcending action (dāna) purifies and bears higher-loka results; yajña-spirit in daily life.

Application: Before eating, feed qualified recipients (brāhmaṇas/guests/needful) respectfully; cultivate shared meals without greed; make food-giving a regular vow.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: household/ritual space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: annadāna praise and śrāddha feeding injunctions in adjacent verses; Garuda Purana: statements linking dāna to svarga and pitṛ-tṛpti

Characters & Entities

• Brahmanas
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the importance of annadāna (food donation) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that feeding—especially offering first to Brāhmaṇas—is a high merit act that yields svarga (heaven) after death.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s fate after death?

It links ethical ritual conduct (dāna of food done in the right order) with post-mortem results, teaching that punya acquired through annadāna supports a favorable afterlife destination.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Before eating, share food respectfully—especially with those devoted to learning and service—and cultivate the habit of feeding others as a regular dharmic practice.