Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 75
Dharmānukathana
Narration of Dharma
शरीरमन्नजं प्राहुः प्राणानप्यन्नजान्विदुः । तस्मादन्नप्रदो ज्ञेयः प्राणदः पृथिवीपते ॥ ७५ ॥
śarīramannajaṃ prāhuḥ prāṇānapyannajānviduḥ | tasmādannaprado jñeyaḥ prāṇadaḥ pṛthivīpate || 75 ||
शरीर अन्नापासून उत्पन्न होते असे म्हणतात, आणि प्राणही अन्नजन्यच मानतात। म्हणून, हे पृथिवीपते, अन्न देणारा हा प्राण देणारा आहे असे जाणावे।
Sanatkumara (addressing Narada / instructing a kingly listener as 'pṛthivīpati')
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It elevates anna-dāna as a life-sustaining sacred act: since body and prāṇa depend on food, feeding others is equated with preserving life and accruing high puṇya.
It frames compassionate service—especially feeding beings—as a dharmic expression of devotion, where care for life becomes an offering aligned with sattvic conduct praised in Purāṇic bhakti culture.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught; the practical takeaway is ritual-ethics (dāna-dharma): prioritize anna-dāna as a foundational, universally beneficial charity.