Shloka 25

यममार्गे सुखदायकधर्माः

Dharmas that Grant Ease on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

अन्नदः प्राणदः प्रोक्तः प्राणदश्चापि सर्वदः । तस्मादन्नप्रदानेन सर्वदानफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

annadaḥ prāṇadaḥ proktaḥ prāṇadaścāpi sarvadaḥ | tasmādannapradānena sarvadānaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

Declara-se que quem dá alimento dá a vida; e quem dá a vida, de fato, dá tudo. Portanto, ao oferecer alimento, alcança-se o fruto de todas as dádivas.

Word by Word

• anna-daḥ: giver of food
• anna-daḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (अन्न प्रातिपदिक) + da (दा धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘द’/‘द’ as giver)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: अन्नं ददाति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prāṇa-daḥ: giver of life
• prāṇa-daḥ: Karta (कर्ता/predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्राण प्रातिपदिक) + da (दा धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: प्राणान् ददाति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• proktaḥ: is said, is declared
• proktaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prāṇa-daḥ: giver of life
• prāṇa-daḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्राण प्रातिपदिक) + da (दा धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अपि अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थक/समुच्चयार्थक (also/even)

• sarva-daḥ: giver of everything
• sarva-daḥ: Karta (कर्ता/predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक) + da (दा धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: सर्वं ददाति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपं, अव्ययीभाववत् हेत्वर्थे (ablatival indeclinable: therefore/from that)

• anna-pradānena: by giving food
• anna-pradānena: Karaṇa (करण/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (अन्न प्रातिपदिक) + pradāna (प्रदान प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अन्नस्य प्रदानम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• sarva-dāna-phalam: the fruit of all gifts
• sarva-dāna-phalam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व) + dāna (दान) + phala (फल)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: सर्वदानस्य फलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (लभ् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the teaching of Uma-saṃhitā to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga origin; it states a Siddhānta-compatible hierarchy of gifts: annadāna sustains prāṇa, hence equals ‘giving all’. This mirrors the Lord’s sustaining grace reflected in human action.

Significance: Encourages institutional annadāna at Śiva temples and during pilgrimages; feeding is treated as the most comprehensive dāna, supporting both worldly welfare and spiritual readiness.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

The verse teaches that sustaining life through food is the highest practical compassion; in Shaiva dharma, such life-supporting service is a direct expression of devotion and earns comprehensive merit.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Linga worship is not only ritual but also lived reverence; feeding others is treated as honoring Shiva present as the indwelling Lord (Pati) in all beings, complementing Saguna worship with compassionate action.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform annadāna as a Shiva-sevā—offer food after simple Shiva worship (e.g., Panchakshara japa) and distribute it as prasāda, keeping the mind in devotion and non-possessiveness.