Shloka 60
Karmic Causality, Fate, and the Supremacy of Food-Charity
within Guru-tīrtha Glorification
प्राणास्तेन प्रदत्ता हि येन चान्नं समर्पितम् । अन्नदानं महाराज देहि त्वं तु प्रयत्नतः
prāṇāstena pradattā hi yena cānnaṃ samarpitam | annadānaṃ mahārāja dehi tvaṃ tu prayatnataḥ
ಯಾರು ಅನ್ನವನ್ನು ಸಮರ್ಪಿಸುತ್ತಾರೋ ಅವರು ಪ್ರಾಣವನ್ನೇ ದಾನ ಮಾಡಿದವರಾಗುತ್ತಾರೆ; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಹೇ ಮಹಾರಾಜ, ನೀನು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ಅನ್ನದಾನ ಮಾಡು।
Unspecified (a narrator/sage addressing a king within the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue frame)
Concept: To give food is to give prāṇa itself; therefore anna-dāna should be pursued with deliberate effort, especially by rulers and householders with capacity.
Application: Institutionalize feeding: community kitchens, daily guest-meals, support for the hungry; treat it as a primary duty, not leftover charity.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A compassionate king stands before granaries opened wide, directing attendants to distribute cooked rice, bread, and water to the hungry, pilgrims, and brāhmaṇas. Above the scene, a subtle overlay shows prāṇa as golden breath entering recipients, visually equating food-giving with life-giving.","primary_figures":["a dharmic king (mahārāja)","attendants distributing food","hungry villagers/pilgrims","brāhmaṇas receiving respectfully"],"setting":"palace granary courtyard with banners, large cauldrons, and orderly lines; a small Viṣṇu shrine at the edge","lighting_mood":"golden dawn (duty awakening)","color_palette":["royal blue","antique gold","earth brown","white jasmine","scarlet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a king in royal blue and gold ornaments commands anna-dāna distribution; massive gold-leaf granary doors, embossed halos around recipients, ornate vessels and cauldrons, temple-arch border, rich reds/greens, devotional Viṣṇu emblem subtly present.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: compassionate rājadhrama scene with orderly lines, delicate faces showing relief; palace courtyard with trees and distant hills; soft morning light, fine brushwork, understated symbolism of prāṇa as a pale-gold mist.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic king figure with bold outlines, attendants with pots, rhythmic composition of recipients; warm pigments, temple-wall symmetry, prāṇa depicted as stylized golden swirls entering chests.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central panel of anna-dāna as loka-sevā; ornate floral borders, lotus motifs, deep blue ground with gold; side vignettes show prāṇa as luminous breath, implying Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu’s pleasure in feeding beings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","drum pulse (mridangam)","crowd murmur","temple bells"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्राणास्तेन = प्राणाः + तेन; चान्नं = च + अन्नम्; महाराज = महा + राजन् (सम्बोधन); प्रयत्नतः = प्रयत्न + तसिल् (अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणरूप).
FAQs
It teaches that giving food (annadāna) is equivalent to giving life, so it should be practiced diligently as a high form of dharma.
Because food sustains the body and vitality; without food, life cannot be maintained. Thus, feeding another is viewed as sustaining their very life-force.
A king’s duty includes welfare and protection of subjects; supporting food-giving and preventing hunger is presented as a direct, practical expression of righteous governance.