Shloka 56
Karmic Causality, Fate, and the Supremacy of Food-Charity
within Guru-tīrtha Glorification
एकस्यापिप्रधानस्यअन्नस्यापिप्रजेश्वर । जन्मांतरं सुसंप्राप्य नित्यं चान्नं प्रभुंजति
ekasyāpipradhānasyaannasyāpiprajeśvara | janmāṃtaraṃ susaṃprāpya nityaṃ cānnaṃ prabhuṃjati
اے مخلوقات کے پروردگار! کھانے کی ایک ہی بہترین نذر کے ثواب سے بھی انسان دوسرا مبارک جنم پاتا ہے اور ہمیشہ فراواں رزق سے بہرہ مند رہتا ہے۔
Unspecified (verse is in direct address to 'Prajeśvara')
Concept: Even a single sincere offering of food generates enduring puṇya that ripens as fortunate rebirth and sustained nourishment.
Application: Practice anna-dāna regularly (feeding guests, the needy, pilgrims, temple kitchens), and cultivate the intention of service rather than display.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble donor places a single, beautifully prepared bowl of rice and ghee before a serene, worthy recipient, while unseen karmic radiance threads forward into a future birth. In the background, a subtle double-exposure shows the same soul reborn into a prosperous household where granaries overflow and meals are shared daily.","primary_figures":["a pious householder (dātā)","a worthy recipient (brāhmaṇa/atithi)","subtle presence of Viṣṇu as protective aura"],"setting":"village courtyard with tulasī planter and a small shrine; symbolic overlay of a future-life dining hall with abundance","lighting_mood":"golden dawn with soft divine radiance","color_palette":["saffron gold","lotus pink","sandalwood beige","emerald green","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a devotional courtyard scene where a householder offers a single bowl of anna-dāna to a seated brāhmaṇa; Viṣṇu’s protective halo subtly behind them, gold leaf radiating from the offering vessel, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, ornate jewelry, temple-arch framing, embossed gold highlights on the food and vessels.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate anna-dāna moment in a quiet courtyard with tulasī and flowering vines; refined faces, gentle gestures, cool pastel sky, distant hills; a lyrical ‘future birth’ vignette in the corner showing abundance, rendered with fine brushwork and soft gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures of donor and brāhmaṇa, stylized vessels of rice and ghee, auspicious motifs (conch, lotus) around; warm red-yellow-green palette, temple-wall aesthetic, Viṣṇu aura as a circular mandala behind the act of giving.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central motif of anna-dāna as seva to Śrī Kṛṣṇa implied—lotus borders, peacocks and cows at the edges, ornate food vessels, deep blue background with gold detailing, floral vines framing the merit flowing into future prosperity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","distant birds","gentle household ambience"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ekasyāpi = ekasya + api; pradhānasyaannasya = pradhānasya + annasya; annasyāpi = annasya + api; janmāṃtaraṃ = janma + antaraṃ; susaṃprāpya = su + saṃprāpya; cānnaṃ = ca + annam.
FAQs
It teaches that even a single, excellent act of giving food (anna-dāna) yields strong merit, leading to a favorable rebirth and sustained access to food and nourishment.
Because food sustains life; therefore, donating it is treated as a high form of charity whose karmic result is continued nourishment and well-being across lives.
It promotes generosity and care for others’ basic needs, presenting charity—especially feeding others—as a practical dharmic act with lasting consequences.