Shloka 122

Viśokā Dvādaśī Vow, Guḍa-Dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift, and Śaila-Dāna (Mountain-Charity) Rites

Devanagari script

अन्नमेव यतो लक्ष्मीरन्नमेव जनार्दनः । धान्यपर्वतरूपेण पाहि तस्मान्नगोत्तम

Transliteration

annameva yato lakṣmīrannameva janārdanaḥ | dhānyaparvatarūpeṇa pāhi tasmānnagottama

Translation

अन्नमेव यतो लक्ष्मीरन्नमेव जनार्दनः । धान्यपर्वतरूपेण पाहि तस्मान्नगोत्तम ॥

Word by Word

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• एव: indeed; alone
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (Emphatic particle)

• यतः: since; because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतुवाचक (Causal indeclinable)

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakṣmī; fortune
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• एव: indeed; alone
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (Emphatic particle)

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• धान्य-पर्वत-रूपेण: in the form of a grain-mountain
• धान्य-पर्वत-रूपेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular); रूपेण = 'in the form of'

• पाहि: protect
• पाहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperative, 2nd person, Singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative, Singular)

• नग-उत्तम: O best of mountains
• नग-उत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (contextual speaker not stated)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: mountain

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: लक्ष्मीरन्नमेव = लक्ष्मीः + अन्नम् + एव; तस्मान्नगोत्तम = तस्मात् + नग-उत्तम.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the central teaching of this verse?

It equates food (anna) with divine sustenance: prosperity (Lakṣmī) arises from food, and Viṣṇu as Janārdana is identified with food itself, highlighting food as sacred and life-supporting.

Why is a “mountain of grain” invoked?

The phrase “dhānya-parvata-rūpeṇa” poetically asks for abundance and protection through plentiful grain, implying communal welfare, stability, and freedom from famine.

How does this relate to Bhakti or devotional theology?

By identifying Janārdana with anna, the verse sacralizes daily nourishment and frames gratitude and protection as directed toward Viṣṇu, encouraging devotion expressed through reverence for sustenance and generosity.