Shloka 32
Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)
अन्नप्रणाशे भिद्यन्ते शरीरे पजच धातव: । बल॑ बलवतो<पीह प्रणश्यत्यन्नहानित:
annapraṇāśe bhidyante śarīre pañca dhātavaḥ | balaṃ balavato 'pīha praṇaśyaty annahānitaḥ ||
ナーラダは言った。「食が失われ、あるいは得られぬとき、身体を支える五つの成分はばらばらに崩れる。滋養を失えば、この世の最強の者でさえ、その力は衰え尽きる。」
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Food is the foundation of bodily integrity and strength; deprivation of nourishment causes the body’s sustaining constituents to deteriorate, so ethical life includes ensuring sustenance—both for oneself and for others.
Nārada is instructing by stating a practical truth: when food is lacking, the body’s internal supports break down and even the powerful lose their vigor—underscoring the moral and social importance of providing food and preventing hunger.