Shloka 50

गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः

Devanagari script

ततो ऽन्यद् अन्नम् आदाय भूमिभागे शुचौ बुधः दद्याद् अशेषभूतेभ्यः स्वेच्छया तत्समाहितः

Transliteration

tato 'nyad annam ādāya bhūmibhāge śucau budhaḥ dadyād aśeṣabhūtebhyaḥ svecchayā tatsamāhitaḥ

Translation

Then, taking a separate portion of food, the wise man should place it upon a clean spot of ground and, with a composed mind, offer it—according to his means and willing intent—to all beings without exception.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थे) — indeclinable: then/thereafter

• अन्यत्: other / additional
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम् — Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (अन्नम्)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम् — Accusative singular

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययीभावरूपेण), अव्ययकृदन्तम् — gerund: ‘having taken’

• भूमिभागे: in a portion of ground
• भूमिभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम् — Locative singular; तत्पुरुषः (भूमेः भागः)

• शुचौ: clean / pure
• शुचौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम् — Locative singular; विशेषणम् (भूमिभागे)

• बुधः: the wise man
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम् — Nominative singular

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् — should give

• अशेषभूतेभ्यः: to all beings without remainder
• अशेषभूतेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी) बहुवचनम्/चतुर्थी बहुवचनम् रूपसाम्यं; अत्र चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचनम् — Dative plural ‘to’; कर्मधारयः (अशेषाणि भूतानि)

• स्वेच्छया: according to one’s own wish
• स्वेच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वेच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचनम् — Instrumental singular (by one’s own will)

• तत्: that / thus
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम् — Nominative singular; सर्वनाम

• समाहितः: composed / attentive
• समाहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम् — PPP: ‘composed/collected’; विशेषणम् (बुधः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Offering a separate portion of food on clean ground for all beings, done calmly and according to means

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Set aside food and offer it with mental steadiness to all beings, proportionate to one’s capacity—dharma is measured by sincerity and steadiness, not display.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Before eating, reserve a portion for animals/birds/others in need; give within your means, and do it consistently with a calm mind.

Vishishtadvaita: Service to ‘all beings’ is implicitly service to the Lord whose body the world is; compassion becomes a mode of worship rather than mere social virtue.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• All beings (Bhūtas)

FAQs

What is the significance of offering food to all beings (bhūta-yajña) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames feeding beings as a daily dharmic act that upholds universal order—recognizing life as interconnected and worthy of care.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the proper attitude behind this offering?

He emphasizes inner composure (samāhita) and voluntary capacity (svecchayā), indicating that sincerity and mindful intent are central to the rite.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

By honoring “all beings without exception,” the practice aligns with a Vaishnava vision of Vishnu as the sustaining reality in whom all creatures subsist, making compassion a form of reverence.