Shloka 48

यममार्गे सुखदायकधर्माः

Dharmas that Grant Ease on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

अन्नं प्रजापतिस्साक्षादन्नं विष्णुस्स्वयं हरः । तस्मादन्नसमं दानं न भूतं न भविष्यति

Transliteration

annaṃ prajāpatissākṣādannaṃ viṣṇussvayaṃ haraḥ | tasmādannasamaṃ dānaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati

Translation

Food is verily Prajāpati himself; food is Viṣṇu; and food is Śiva (Hara) in person. Therefore, no gift has ever been, nor will ever be, equal to the gift of food.

Word by Word

• अन्नम्: food, grain
• अन्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati (lord of creatures)
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• अन्न-समम्: equal to food; like food
• अन्न-समम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (comparative determinative)

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• भूतम्: has been; existed
• भूतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; भूत (past/been) as nominal predicate

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva Purana teachings to the sages at Naimisharanya, within the Umāsaṃhitā discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a jyotirliṅga-specific verse; it universalizes sustenance as divine presence (Prajāpati/Viṣṇu/Hara), a theological basis for temple feeding traditions across Śaiva kṣetras.

Significance: Establishes annadāna as the highest dāna because it participates in divine sustenance (sthiti) of beings.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Prajapati

FAQs

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

It teaches that sustenance is a direct manifestation of divine grace: food supports life, worship, and dharma, so offering food (annadāna) becomes a high Shaiva act of compassion that honors Pati (Śiva) through care for paśu (living beings).

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

In Saguna worship, serving Śiva includes serving His devotees and beings sustained by His śakti; annadāna functions as practical pūjā—recognizing Hara’s presence in the life-supporting principle and offering it in a spirit of devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform annadāna as a vrata or on Shiva days (e.g., Mondays/Mahāśivarātri), offering food after simple Śiva pūjā (with pañcākṣara japa—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and dedicating the merit to Śiva for purification and upliftment.