Shloka 21
The Teaching on Śiva-Dharma and the Supremacy of Food-Giving
within the Pitṛtīrtha–Yayāti Episode
स्थितिस्तस्यान्नपानाभ्यामतस्तत्सर्वसाधनम् । अन्नं प्रजापतिः साक्षादन्नं विष्णुः शिवः स्वयम्
sthitistasyānnapānābhyāmatastatsarvasādhanam | annaṃ prajāpatiḥ sākṣādannaṃ viṣṇuḥ śivaḥ svayam
ಅದರ ಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಅನ್ನಪಾನಗಳ ಮೇಲೆಯೇ ಅವಲಂಬಿತ; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅದೇ (ಅನ್ನ) ಸರ್ವಸಾಧನ. ಅನ್ನವೇ ಸಾಕ್ಷಾತ್ ಪ್ರಜಾಪತಿ; ಅನ್ನವೇ ವಿಷ್ಣು; ಅನ್ನವೇ ಸ್ವಯಂ ಶಿವನು.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narration)
Concept: Food is the sustaining principle and is identified with Prajāpati and with the deities (Viṣṇu and Śiva), implying divinity immanent in nourishment.
Application: Eat mindfully as a sacred act; avoid wasting food; offer naivedya to Viṣṇu before eating; treat feeding others as direct worship.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cosmic vision overlays a humble meal: from a bowl of rice and water rise translucent forms—Prajāpati as creator, Viṣṇu as preserver with śaṅkha-cakra, and Śiva as ascetic—merging into a single radiance that descends into the hearts of beings. The dining space becomes a mandala of sustenance, with prāṇa depicted as golden breath-lines.","primary_figures":["Viṣṇu (Nārāyaṇa)","Śiva","Prajāpati (symbolic creator form)","householder offering naivedya"],"setting":"Simple household shrine beside a dining mat; cosmic backdrop faintly visible like a veil behind the room","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","ash white","lotus pink","molten gold","deep charcoal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a sacred meal transformed into theophany—naivedya bowl in foreground with embossed gold rays, Viṣṇu emerging in iconic posture with gold-leaf halo, Śiva and Prajāpati as luminous companion forms, ornate arch framing a humble interior, rich reds/greens, heavy gold embellishment on vessels and divine ornaments.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: subtle mysticism—delicate interior scene with a small offering plate, translucent deities rising like mist, refined faces and gentle gestures, cool blues and smoky whites, a lyrical cosmic veil behind the room, minimal but evocative symbolism of prāṇa as fine golden lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined triadic revelation—central Viṣṇu with śaṅkha-cakra, flanked by Śiva and Prajāpati, all emerging from a stylized food vessel, flat pigments (red/yellow/green) with deep blue for Viṣṇu, temple-wall symmetry and large expressive eyes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a lotus-mandala meal offering—central lotus bowl with radiating petals, Krishna/Viṣṇu symbolism at center, surrounding motifs of conch/discus and sacred ash patterns, ornate floral borders, deep indigo with gold, peacocks at corners, devotional atmosphere linking nourishment to divine presence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["conch shell","deep temple bell","low drone (tanpura)","silence","soft wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sthitistasyānnapānābhyām = sthitiḥ tasya anna-pānābhyām; atastat = ataḥ tat; sākṣādannaṃ = sākṣāt annam
FAQs
It teaches that life’s continuance relies on food and drink, and therefore food is sacred—identified with the highest divine principles (Prajāpati, Viṣṇu, and Śiva).
To emphasize that nourishment is not merely material but a divine support of creation (Prajāpati), preservation (Viṣṇu), and transformative power (Śiva), making food worthy of reverence and ethical handling.
It implies reverence toward food: avoid waste, obtain it by righteous means, share it charitably, and treat feeding others as a sacred act.