Shloka 5
Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)
नारद उवाच अन्नमेव प्रशंसन्ति देवा ऋषिगणास्तथा । लोकततन्त्र हि संज्ञाश्न सर्वमन्ने प्रतेष्ठितम्
nārada uvāca | annam eva praśaṃsanti devā ṛṣigaṇās tathā | lokatantraṃ hi saṃjñāś ca sarvam anne pratiṣṭhitam ||
Narada berkata: “Para dewa dan para resi memuji makanan semata. Tatanan dan kelangsungan hidup dunia bergantung pada makanan; darinya timbul kesadaran dan kejernihan budi, dan pada makanan pula sesungguhnya segala sesuatu berdiri.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Food (anna) is the foundation of life and social order: it sustains worldly activity, supports cognition and clarity, and therefore becomes a primary object of reverence and ethical concern—implying the duty to produce, protect, and share food through righteous livelihood and charity.
Nārada is instructing by emphasizing a practical pillar of dharma: even gods and sages extol food, because the world’s functioning and human capacities depend on it; the statement supports broader teachings in Anuśāsana Parva on right conduct, giving, and sustaining society.