Shloka 51

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

Devanagari script

देवा मनुष्याः पशवो वयांसि सिद्धाः सयक्षोरगदैत्यसङ्घाः प्रेताः पिशाचास् तरवः समस्ता ये चान्नम् इच्छन्ति मया प्रदत्तम्

Transliteration

devā manuṣyāḥ paśavo vayāṃsi siddhāḥ sayakṣoragadaityasaṅghāḥ pretāḥ piśācās taravaḥ samastā ye cānnam icchanti mayā pradattam

Translation

Gods and human beings; beasts and birds; the perfected ones; hosts of Yakṣas, Nāgas, and Daityas; the departed spirits and the Piśācas; and even the trees—indeed, all who seek food—may they receive what has been granted by me.

Word by Word

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural

• मनुष्याः: humans
• मनुष्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural

• पशवः: animals
• पशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural

• वयांसि: birds
• वयांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural

• सिद्धाः: Siddhas (perfected beings)
• सिद्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural

• सयक्षोरगदैत्यसङ्घाः: hosts along with Yakṣas, serpents, and Daityas
• सयक्षोरगदैत्यसङ्घाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत् ‘सहित’) + यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + उरग (प्रातिपदिक) + दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural; तत्पुरुषसमासः (यक्ष-उरग-दैत्यानां सङ्घाः; ‘स’ = सहितार्थक-पूर्वपद)

• प्रेताः: ghosts / departed spirits
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural

• पिशाचाः: piśācas (goblins)
• पिशाचाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural

• तरवः: trees
• तरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural

• समस्ताः: all (together)
• समस्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural; विशेषणम् (देवा-आदि-समूहः)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम् — Nominative plural; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधकः) — conjunction ‘and’

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

• इच्छन्ति: desire
• इच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् — they desire

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचनम् — Instrumental singular ‘by me’

• प्रदत्तम्: given / offered
• प्रदत्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√दा (धातु) → प्रदत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम् — PPP; विशेषणम् (अन्नम्)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Mantra-like universal address: devas, humans, animals, birds, siddhas, yakṣas, nāgas, daityas, pretas, piśācas, and trees—may all who desire food receive it

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The bali becomes a universal benediction extending across visible and invisible life-forms, expressing non-exclusion and the sacred duty to sustain life.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Adopt a daily ‘universal prayer’ of goodwill and tangible giving—feed or support some form of life each day, without discrimination.

Vishishtadvaita: The sweeping address to all classes of beings coheres with Viśiṣṭādvaita’s organic unity: plurality is real yet embraced within the Lord’s all-pervading order, making compassion a theological act.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Humans
• Animals
• Birds
• Siddhas
• Yakshas
• Nagas
• Daityas
• Pretas
• Trees

FAQs

What is the significance of universal nourishment (anna) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents food as a universal entitlement within cosmic order—extending across divine, human, animal, spirit, and vegetal life—showing that sustenance is governed as part of the universe’s ordained maintenance.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic order through categories of beings?

By listing devas, humans, animals, semi-divine beings, spirits, and even trees, Parāśara frames creation as a single integrated hierarchy where all classes depend on a higher dispensation for survival.

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

The verse implies a supreme governing source behind the provision of sustenance; in Vaishnava theology this points to Vishnu as the sustaining Lord whose sovereignty extends to every realm and life-form.