Shloka 26
Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)
प्राणवांश्वापि भवति रूपवांश्व तथा नृप । अन्नद: प्राणदो लोके सर्वद: प्रोच्यते तु सः
prāṇavāṁś cāpi bhavati rūpavāṁś ca tathā nṛpa | annadaḥ prāṇado loke sarvadaḥ procyate tu saḥ ||
Nārada berkata: “Wahai raja, pemberi makanan menjadi dikurniai daya hidup dan juga kecantikan. Di dunia ini, orang yang memberi makanan disebut pemberi nyawa, dan sesungguhnya diperkatakan sebagai orang yang memberi segala-galanya.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Food-giving (anna-dāna) is portrayed as the highest practical charity because it sustains life itself; therefore the donor is praised as a ‘giver of life’ and even ‘giver of all,’ and is said to gain vitality and beauty as fruits of that merit.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on gifts and dharma, Nārada addresses a king and extols the ethical and spiritual significance of giving food, framing it as life-sustaining generosity worthy of the highest praise.