Shloka 8

Gopradāna-phalasaṃprāpti: Nāciketa’s Vision of Vaivasvata’s Realms (गोप्रदानफलसम्प्राप्तिः — नाचिकेतोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

अन्ने दत्ते नरेणेह प्राणा दत्ता भवन्त्युत

Transliteration

anne datte nareṇeha prāṇā dattā bhavanty uta |

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—اس دنیا میں جب کوئی انسان کھانا دیتا ہے تو گویا وہ جان ہی بخش دیتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• अन्ने: in/with respect to food
• अन्ने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दत्ते: when (it is) given
• दत्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Neuter, Locative, Singular

• नरेण: by a man
• नरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• इह: here (in this world)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• प्राणाः: life-breaths; lives
• प्राणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दत्ताः: given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भवन्ति: become; are (considered)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• उत: indeed; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Lomasha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Giving food is equated with giving life, because food sustains the prāṇas (vital forces). Therefore, anna-dāna is presented as among the highest forms of charity and a central expression of dharma and compassion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is instructing (Yudhishthira) on dharma related to gifts and merit. He emphasizes the supreme value of feeding others and supports the point by referring to an earlier authoritative saying associated with the sage Lomasha.