Shloka 17
The Teaching on Śiva-Dharma and the Supremacy of Food-Giving
within the Pitṛtīrtha–Yayāti Episode
संतप्ता दुःखभारेण म्रियंते सर्वदेहिनः । अन्नदः पुण्यदः प्रोक्तः प्राणदश्चापि सर्वदः
saṃtaptā duḥkhabhāreṇa mriyaṃte sarvadehinaḥ | annadaḥ puṇyadaḥ proktaḥ prāṇadaścāpi sarvadaḥ
Tous les êtres incarnés, brûlés par le fardeau de la souffrance, périssent. C’est pourquoi celui qui donne la nourriture est dit donner le mérite ; en vérité, le donateur de nourriture est aussi donateur de vie, celui qui donne tout.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmikhaṇḍa context)
Concept: Because all beings perish under suffering, anna-dāna is supreme: giving food gives merit, life, and in effect 'everything'.
Application: Prioritize feeding others: donate meals, support food banks/annadāna kitchens, offer prasāda; treat hospitality as spiritual practice.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A simple annadāna pavilion stands beside a dusty road: travelers, ascetics, children, and the poor sit in a line as steaming rice and dal are served on leaf-plates. In the background, a faint procession of funeral smoke reminds viewers of mortality, while the foreground glows with warmth—hands offering food become hands offering life.","primary_figures":["householder donor","servers","hungry travelers","ascetic recipient","children"],"setting":"roadside dharmaśālā/annadāna hall with clay pots, leaf plates, water jars, shade canopy","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["turmeric yellow","earth brown","leaf green","copper","warm white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: annadāna scene with a central benevolent householder offering steaming food to seated recipients; gold leaf highlights on vessels and halos of virtue, rich reds and greens in garments, ornate border with lotus and grain motifs, temple-like pavilion pillars, emphasis on abundance and sanctity of food.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle village roadside pavilion with delicate brushwork; long line of recipients on leaf plates, servers moving gracefully; soft morning light, muted natural palette, refined expressions showing relief and gratitude; distant smoke motif subtly indicating impermanence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and flat pigments; rhythmic composition of seated figures receiving food; large expressive eyes, stylized pots and ladles; warm red-yellow-green palette; decorative border with rice-grain and lotus motifs, conveying dharma through iconic simplicity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate annadāna pavilion framed by intricate floral borders; rows of leaf plates like a patterned mandala; deep indigo background with gold accents on vessels; lotus and grain motifs throughout, peacocks at corners, the act of feeding presented as a devotional offering akin to prasāda distribution."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["clinking serving ladles","low communal murmurs","temple bells (distant)","sparrows","boiling pot simmer"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संतप्ता = संतप्ताः (पदपाठे बहुवचन); चापि = च + अपि; प्राणदश्चापि = प्राणदः + च + अपि
FAQs
It teaches that charity of food (anna-dāna) is life-sustaining and spiritually meritorious; feeding others is equated with giving life itself.
Because food supports prāṇa (vitality) and bodily survival; without nourishment, embodied beings succumb to suffering and death.
It encourages prioritizing compassionate support of others—especially feeding the hungry—as a foundational dharmic act that benefits both society and the giver’s spiritual merit.