Shloka 5
The Supremacy of Food-Charity and the Rāma–Śambūka Episode
Child Revived through Rājadharma
अहो माहात्म्यमन्नस्य इह दत्तस्य यत्फलम् । परत्र भुज्यते पुंभिः स्वर्गश्चाक्षयतां व्रजेत्
aho māhātmyamannasya iha dattasya yatphalam | paratra bhujyate puṃbhiḥ svargaścākṣayatāṃ vrajet
അഹോ! അന്നത്തിന്റെ മഹിമ എത്ര മഹത്തായതു—ഇവിടെ നൽകിയ അന്നദാനത്തിന്റെ ഫലം പരലോകത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യൻ അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു; അവനു സ്വർഗ്ഗവും അക്ഷയമാകുന്നു.
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator within Adhyaya 35)
Concept: Annadāna (gift of food) yields enduring heavenly enjoyment; merit (puṇya) follows the giver beyond death.
Application: Feed someone daily (guest, poor, animals) before one’s own meal; treat food as sacred and give with respect, cleanliness, and timely delivery.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble householder offers steaming rice and bread to a weary traveler and a brāhmaṇa guest at the threshold; above them, a translucent vision shows the same giver ascending to a radiant svarga where celestial attendants present inexhaustible dishes. The scene contrasts earthly simplicity with the imperishable brilliance of the hereafter, emphasizing the unseen continuity of merit.","primary_figures":["householder donor","brāhmaṇa guest","traveler/poor recipient","celestial attendants (apsaras/gaṇas)","Indra (distant, symbolic)"],"setting":"Village doorway with a clean threshold, water pot and leaf-plates; upper register: cloud-borne svarga pavilion with jeweled columns and kalpavṛkṣa.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn transitioning into divine radiance","color_palette":["saffron gold","lotus pink","sapphire blue","ivory white","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a central seated donor offering a golden bowl of anna to a brāhmaṇa, with a two-tier composition showing svarga above; heavy gold leaf halos, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments, ornate arch (prabhāvali) framing the heavenly pavilion, intricate floral borders and embossed gold detailing on vessels and jewelry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate village courtyard annadāna with delicate linework and soft shading; a lyrical upper sky band reveals the donor’s subtle ascent to svarga; cool blues and greens, refined faces, gentle gestures of giving, distant hills and trees, patterned textiles rendered with fine brushwork.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; donor and recipient in frontal grace, stylized eyes; a luminous svarga register above with Indra’s court simplified into iconic forms; dominant reds, yellows, greens with rhythmic ornamentation and temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional annadāna framed by lotus and creeper borders; upper portion shows a celestial feast as an ‘akṣaya’ motif; deep indigo background with gold highlights, peacocks and floral medallions, ornate vessels and patterned textiles, symmetrical composition reminiscent of Nathdwara aesthetics."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","gentle silence between pādas","distant conch shell","low drone (tanpura)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: माहात्म्यमन्नस्य → माहात्म्यम् अन्नस्य; यत्फलम् → यत् फलम्; स्वर्गश्चाक्षयतां → स्वर्गः च अक्षयताम्
FAQs
It teaches that anna-dāna (donating food) yields a powerful karmic result: its benefit is enjoyed after death, leading to an enduring, “inexhaustible” heavenly attainment.
Because food sustains life directly; the verse frames it as a uniquely potent form of charity whose results mature in the hereafter as lasting enjoyment and heavenly reward.
It encourages generosity and practical compassion—supporting others through nourishment—while reminding that actions in this life shape one’s posthumous experience.