Shloka 18

यममार्गे सुखदायकधर्माः

Dharmas that Grant Ease on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

नान्नदानसमं दानं विद्यते मुनिसत्तम । अन्नाद्भवंति भूतानि तदभावे म्रियंति च

Transliteration

nānnadānasamaṃ dānaṃ vidyate munisattama | annādbhavaṃti bhūtāni tadabhāve mriyaṃti ca

Translation

O best of sages, no gift is equal to the gift of food. From food all beings arise, and in its absence they perish.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अन्नदानसमम्: equal to the gift of food
• अन्नदानसमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्नदान + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थ/उपमान (अन्नदानेन समम् = equal to food-gift)

• दानम्: gift, donation
• दानम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे प्रयोग (exists)

• मुनिसत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनिसत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सत्तमः मुनिः)

• अन्नात्: from food
• अन्नात्: Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• भवन्ति: come to be, arise
• भवन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• तदभावे: in the absence of that (food)
• तदभावे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Condition-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्य अभावः)

• म्रियन्ति: die
• म्रियन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating dharma-teachings within Umāsaṃhitā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Reinforces annadāna as universal dharma sustaining all jīvas; prepares the ethical ground for higher Śaiva pursuit where pāśa is cut by Śiva’s grace rather than by finite puṇya alone.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: General cosmological causality: beings arise from food and perish without it (sustenance law).

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares annadāna as the highest practical dharma because it directly sustains life; in a Shaiva Siddhanta spirit, serving living beings is reverence to Pati (Shiva) present as the inner Lord of all.

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

Linga-worship is completed by compassionate action—feeding devotees, guests, and the needy; annadāna becomes a saguna expression of devotion where worship extends from the shrine to Shiva’s creation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Offer food as naivedya to Shiva and then perform annadāna (feeding) as a vrata-practice—especially on Mondays and Mahāśivarātri—while remembering the Panchākṣarī mantra, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”