Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

यथान्निहोत्रं सुहुतं सायंप्रातर्द्धिजातिना । तथा दत्तं द्विजातिभ्यो भवत्यथ यतात्मसु

Transliteration

yathānnihotraṃ suhutaṃ sāyaṃ prātar dvijātinā | tathā dattaṃ dvijātibhyo bhavaty atha yatātmasu ||

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—جس طرح شام اور سحر کے وقت دوبار جنمے ہوئے (دویج) کے ہاتھوں ودھی کے مطابق ادا کیا گیا اگنی ہوترا اپنا واجب پھل دیتا ہے، اسی طرح خود ضبط رکھنے والے دویجوں کو دیا گیا دان بھی وہی پُنّیہ پھل پیدا کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अग्निहोत्रम्: Agnihotra rite
• अग्निहोत्रम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सुहुतम्: well-offered (properly performed)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुहुत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम्

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः

• द्विजातिना: by a twice-born (Brahmin etc.)
• द्विजातिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तथा: so, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• दत्तम्: a gift given
• दत्तम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजातिभ्यः: to the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातिभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• भवति: becomes, results (in)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अथ: then/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• यतात्मसु: among the self-controlled (persons)
• यतात्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यतात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Agnihotra
• dvija (twice-born)
• dāna (gift/charity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Proper charity (dāna) given to worthy, self-controlled twice-born recipients can yield merit comparable to the merit of correctly performed daily Agnihotra sacrifices; ethical giving is presented as a powerful dharmic act.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he explains to his listener that the spiritual fruit of ritual sacrifice is matched by the fruit of giving—provided the recipients are disciplined and the act aligns with dharmic standards.