Shloka 7

अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā

Devanagari script

यद्‌ यदिष्टतमं लोके यच्चास्य दयितं गृहे । तत्‌ तद्‌ गुणवते देयं तदेवाक्षयमिच्छता

Transliteration

yad yadiṣṭatamaṃ loke yaccāsya dayitaṃ gṛhe | tat tad guṇavate deyaṃ tadevākṣayam icchatā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: Whatever is most cherished in the world, and whatever is dear to one within one’s own home—those very things should be given to a person of merit. For one who seeks that one’s gift become imperishable in its fruit, giving in this manner is the proper course.

Word by Word

• {'yad yad': 'whatever, whichever (repeated for emphasis)', 'iṣṭatamam': 'most desired, most beloved (superlative of iṣṭa)', 'loke': 'in the world, among people', 'yat ca': 'and whatever', 'asya': 'of him/one’s (genitive)', 'dayitam': 'dear, beloved', 'gṛhe': 'in the house, at home', 'tat tat': "that very (corresponding to 'whatever')", 'guṇavate': 'to the virtuous/meritorious person (dat. of guṇavat)', 'deyam': 'should be given

• is to be given (gerundive)', 'tat eva': 'that alone/that indeed', 'akṣayam': 'imperishable, inexhaustible', 'icchatā': 'by one who desires (instr. of present participle)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• guṇavat (a virtuous/meritorious recipient)
• gṛha (home/household possessions)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

To make the fruit of charity imperishable, one should give not leftovers or what is easy to part with, but what one truly values—offered to a worthy, virtuous recipient.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma (especially dāna-dharma), he advises the listener that the highest-quality giving is to offer one’s most cherished possessions to a deserving person, thereby ensuring enduring spiritual merit.