Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 75
Dharmānukathana
Narration of Dharma
शरीरमन्नजं प्राहुः प्राणानप्यन्नजान्विदुः । तस्मादन्नप्रदो ज्ञेयः प्राणदः पृथिवीपते ॥ ७५ ॥
śarīramannajaṃ prāhuḥ prāṇānapyannajānviduḥ | tasmādannaprado jñeyaḥ prāṇadaḥ pṛthivīpate || 75 ||
کہا گیا ہے کہ جسم اَنّ سے پیدا ہوتا ہے، اور پران (سانسِ حیات) بھی اَنّ ہی سے جنم لیتے ہیں۔ اس لیے، اے زمین کے پالک، اَنّ دینے والا درحقیقت پران دینے والا ہے۔
Sanatkumara (addressing Narada / instructing a kingly listener as 'pṛthivīpati')
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It elevates anna-dāna as a life-sustaining sacred act: since body and prāṇa depend on food, feeding others is equated with preserving life and accruing high puṇya.
It frames compassionate service—especially feeding beings—as a dharmic expression of devotion, where care for life becomes an offering aligned with sattvic conduct praised in Purāṇic bhakti culture.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught; the practical takeaway is ritual-ethics (dāna-dharma): prioritize anna-dāna as a foundational, universally beneficial charity.