Shloka 20

अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā

Devanagari script

एष ते विततो यज्ञ: श्रद्धापूत: सदक्षिण: । विशिष्ट: सर्वयज्ञेभ्यो ददतस्तात वर्तताम्‌

Transliteration

eṣa te vitato yajñaḥ śraddhāpūtaḥ sadakṣiṇaḥ | viśiṣṭaḥ sarvayajñebhyo dadatastāta vartatām ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—తాతా! నీ ఈ విస్తారమైన దానయజ్ఞము శ్రద్ధచేత పవిత్రమై, యథోచిత దక్షిణతో కూడినది. ఇది సమస్త యజ్ఞములకన్నా విశిష్టమైనది. ప్రియమా! నీవు దానము చేయుచుండగా నీ యజ్ఞము నిత్యము ప్రవహించుగాక.

Word by Word

• एषः: this (he/it)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: of you / your
• ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• विततः: expanded, extensive
• विततः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वितत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यज्ञः: sacrifice; (here) sacrificial act of giving
• यज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रद्धा: by faith
• श्रद्धा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• पूतः: purified
• पूतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स: with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स

• दक्षिणः: with sacrificial fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• विशिष्टः: distinguished, superior
• विशिष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशिष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वयज्ञेभ्यः: than all sacrifices
• सर्वयज्ञेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वयज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Plural

• ददतः: of (you) who are giving
• ददतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Present (Shatru-participle), —, Singular, Genitive singular masculine/neuter participle

• तात: dear one; son (vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वर्तताम्: let it continue / may it proceed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Imperative, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the addressed recipient (tāta; likely Yudhisthira in context)
• yajña (sacrifice)
• dakṣiṇā (sacrificial gift/fee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that generous giving, when performed with śraddhā (sincere faith) and accompanied by proper dakṣiṇā (appropriate gifts to the deserving), becomes a superior form of yajña—an ongoing ethical sacrifice that can surpass ritual offerings.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma praises the listener’s practice of charitable giving as a vast, faith-purified sacrifice and blesses it to continue unceasingly.