Shloka 46
The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts
यावंत्यन्नानि भो विप्र यच्छति क्षितिमंडले । ब्रह्महत्याश्च तावंत्यो नश्यंत्येव तपोधन
yāvaṃtyannāni bho vipra yacchati kṣitimaṃḍale | brahmahatyāśca tāvaṃtyo naśyaṃtyeva tapodhana
Oh brāhmana, tantas porciones de alimento como una persona ofrece sobre la tierra, tantas culpas de brahmahatyā (matar a un brāhmana) quedan en verdad destruidas, oh tesoro de austeridad.
Unspecified narrator addressing a brāhmaṇa (vipra) within the Adhyāya’s dialogue context
Concept: Anna-dāna functions as a powerful prāyaścitta, proportionally erasing even grave sin when performed sincerely.
Application: Practice regular food-giving (to guests, the needy, ascetics) with purity of means and intention; treat feeding as worship, not social display.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: earthly
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble donor kneels on sun-warmed earth, placing bowls of cooked rice and lentils into the hands of wandering brāhmaṇas and hungry travelers. Above them, an unseen current of light rises like a lotus-stem, symbolizing sins dissolving into radiance as the act of feeding becomes worship.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa recipient","householder donor","wandering ascetic","subtle presence of Hari as aura"],"setting":"Village edge on the open earth (kṣitimandala), with a small thatched shelter, clay pots, and a banyan tree offering shade.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron ochre","earth brown","lotus pink","leaf green","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a householder offering anna-dāna to serene brāhmaṇas on a stylized earth platform, Vishnu’s faint haloed presence above as a lotus aura, heavy gold leaf embellishment on vessels and ornaments, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, gem-studded borders, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate scene of anna-dāna under a banyan tree, refined faces and gentle gestures, cool morning sky with pale gold sun, lyrical naturalism in grasses and clay pots, subtle divine glow suggesting sin-dissolution, fine linework and soft washes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, donor and brāhmaṇa figures in frontal grace, warm red/yellow/green pigments, stylized earth band and banyan leaves, a circular Vishnu-like radiance above indicating purification, temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental margins.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional feeding scene framed by lotus and creeper borders, peacocks near grain bowls, deep indigo background with gold highlights, a central lotus medallion suggesting Hari’s presence, intricate floral motifs and rhythmic repetition of offering vessels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","morning birds","distant village ambience","gentle silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यावंत्यन्नानि = यावन्ति + अन्नानि; ब्रह्महत्याश्च = ब्रह्महत्याः + च; नश्यंत्येव = नश्यन्ति + एव; क्षितिमंडले = क्षिति + मण्डले
FAQs
The verse praises anna-dāna—donating food—as a powerful act of religious merit.
It teaches that compassionate giving, especially of food, is a potent means of moral purification and social responsibility.
Yes; it explicitly states that the destruction of sins is proportionate to the amount of food given, even referencing the grave sin termed brahmahatyā.