Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 71

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

Devanagari script

अन्नदः प्राणदः प्रोक्तः प्राणदश्चापि सर्वदः । सर्वदानफलं यस्मादन्नदस्य नृपोत्तम ॥ ७१ ॥

Transliteration

annadaḥ prāṇadaḥ proktaḥ prāṇadaścāpi sarvadaḥ | sarvadānaphalaṃ yasmādannadasya nṛpottama || 71 ||

Translation

अन्नदः प्राणदः प्रोक्तः प्राणदश्चापि सर्वदः। सर्वदानफलं यस्मादन्नदस्य नृपोत्तम॥

Word by Word

• अन्न-दः: giver of food
• अन्न-दः: कर्ता (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + √दा (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त (क/ण्वुलादि-प्रयोगे ‘दः’ = giver), उपपद-तत्पुरुष

• प्राण-दः: giver of life/breath
• प्राण-दः: विधेय (predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + √दा (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त ‘giver’

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: क्रिया-सम्बद्ध-विधेय (predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) (प्र + उपसर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘said/declared’

• प्राण-दः: giver of life
• प्राण-दः: कर्ता/विधेय (contextual predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + √दा (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-बलात् विशेष-प्रतिपादनम्

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्धक (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अवधारण (also/indeed)

• सर्व-दः: giver of everything
• सर्व-दः: विधेय (predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + √दा (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त ‘giver’

• सर्व-दान-फलम्: the fruit of all gifts
• सर्व-दान-फलम्: विधेय/कर्म (contextual: ‘(is) the fruit...’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां दानानां फलम्)

• यस्मात्: because (of which)
• यस्मात्: हेतु (cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverbial form) = ‘because/since’; रूपतः पञ्चमी-एकवचन (ablative singular)

• अन्न-दस्य: of the giver of food
• अन्न-दस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + √दा (धातु) → अन्नद (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• नृप-उत्तम: O best of kings
• नृप-उत्तम: सम्बोधन (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठो नृपः)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressed to a king within the discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• King (nṛpottama)

FAQs

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

It elevates anna-dāna (gift of food) as the most comprehensive charity because sustaining food sustains prāṇa (life), and sustaining life supports every other human pursuit of dharma.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By valuing compassionate service—feeding others—as a dharmic act that supports living beings; such selfless giving becomes an offering aligned with devotional ethics, even when explicit Vishnu-bhakti is not named in the verse.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A practical ritual principle of dāna-dharma: the hierarchy of gifts (dāna-tāratamya), where anna-dāna is treated as foundational because it directly preserves prāṇa, the basis for all rites and duties.