Shloka 18
The Teaching on Śiva-Dharma and the Supremacy of Food-Giving
within the Pitṛtīrtha–Yayāti Episode
तस्मादन्नप्रदानेन सर्वदानफलं लभेत् । त्रैलोक्ये यानि रत्नानि भोगस्त्रीवाहनानि च
tasmādannapradānena sarvadānaphalaṃ labhet | trailokye yāni ratnāni bhogastrīvāhanāni ca
پس کھانا دان کرنے سے تمام دانوں کا پھل ملتا ہے—تینوں لوکوں کے جو بھی رتن ہیں، اور بھوگ، عورتیں اور سواریوں کے پھل بھی۔
Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Anna-dāna (gift of food) is the most comprehensive charity, yielding the fruit of all gifts.
Application: Feed someone daily (guest, poor, animal) before personal indulgence; support community kitchens/annadāna at temples; offer food to Viṣṇu first (naivedya) and then share as prasāda.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A temple courtyard becomes a living altar: devotees distribute steaming rice, dal, and sweet payasa to pilgrims and the poor, while a subtle divine aura suggests that the act itself is worship. In the background, the ‘three worlds’ are hinted—celestial beings above, humans in the middle, and nāgas below—each receiving the blessing of nourishment.","primary_figures":["Viṣṇu (subtle presence as aura/antaryāmin)","temple priests","pilgrims","hungry children","elderly mendicants"],"setting":"South Indian-style temple annadāna hall with brass vessels, banana leaves, and a small shrine where naivedya is first offered","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["gold leaf","vermilion red","banana-leaf green","saffron yellow","smoke-gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a richly ornamented temple annadāna scene—priests and devotees serving prasāda on banana leaves, a small Viṣṇu shrine with gold-leaf halo in the background, thick gesso relief for jewelry and vessels, deep reds and emerald greens, gem-studded borders, sacred conch and discus motifs subtly embossed.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene courtyard with delicate linework—women and men offering bowls of rice to travelers, distant hills and a riverbank suggested softly, cool blues and greens with warm saffron accents, refined faces and gentle gestures, lyrical naturalism emphasizing compassion and abundance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments—an annadāna hall with rhythmic rows of banana leaves, stylized lamps, a central Viṣṇu emblematic presence (śaṅkha-cakra) above, dominant reds/yellows/greens, large expressive eyes, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Krishna-centered annadāna—Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the unseen giver symbolized by a central lotus-throne motif, attendants distributing prasāda, cows and peacocks at the borders, intricate floral vines and lotus patterns, deep indigo background with gold detailing, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","clinking brass vessels","murmured mantras","soft footsteps","conch shell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्मादन्नप्रदानेन = तस्मात् + अन्नप्रदानेन; सर्वदानफलं = सर्वदानफलम्; त्रैलोक्ये = त्रि + लोक्ये (त्रैलोक्य-शब्द); भोगस्त्रीवाहनानि = भोग + स्त्री + वाहनानि (द्वन्द्व-समास)
FAQs
It elevates anna-dāna (the donation of food) as a supreme form of charity, stating that it yields the merit of all other gifts.
These represent comprehensive worldly rewards and prosperity; the verse uses them as a rhetorical totality to convey the vast fruit attributed to food-giving.
Sustaining others through food—especially the hungry and guests—is portrayed as a high dharmic priority, encouraging practical compassion and generosity.