Shloka 60
Karmic Causality, Fate, and the Supremacy of Food-Charity
within Guru-tīrtha Glorification
प्राणास्तेन प्रदत्ता हि येन चान्नं समर्पितम् । अन्नदानं महाराज देहि त्वं तु प्रयत्नतः
prāṇāstena pradattā hi yena cānnaṃ samarpitam | annadānaṃ mahārāja dehi tvaṃ tu prayatnataḥ
جس نے اَنّ پیش کیا، اسی نے گویا پران، یعنی جان بخشی—یہ بات یقینی ہے۔ اس لیے اے مہاراج! تم کوشش کے ساتھ اَنّ دان کرو۔
Unspecified (a narrator/sage addressing a king within the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue frame)
Concept: To give food is to give prāṇa itself; therefore anna-dāna should be pursued with deliberate effort, especially by rulers and householders with capacity.
Application: Institutionalize feeding: community kitchens, daily guest-meals, support for the hungry; treat it as a primary duty, not leftover charity.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A compassionate king stands before granaries opened wide, directing attendants to distribute cooked rice, bread, and water to the hungry, pilgrims, and brāhmaṇas. Above the scene, a subtle overlay shows prāṇa as golden breath entering recipients, visually equating food-giving with life-giving.","primary_figures":["a dharmic king (mahārāja)","attendants distributing food","hungry villagers/pilgrims","brāhmaṇas receiving respectfully"],"setting":"palace granary courtyard with banners, large cauldrons, and orderly lines; a small Viṣṇu shrine at the edge","lighting_mood":"golden dawn (duty awakening)","color_palette":["royal blue","antique gold","earth brown","white jasmine","scarlet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a king in royal blue and gold ornaments commands anna-dāna distribution; massive gold-leaf granary doors, embossed halos around recipients, ornate vessels and cauldrons, temple-arch border, rich reds/greens, devotional Viṣṇu emblem subtly present.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: compassionate rājadhrama scene with orderly lines, delicate faces showing relief; palace courtyard with trees and distant hills; soft morning light, fine brushwork, understated symbolism of prāṇa as a pale-gold mist.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic king figure with bold outlines, attendants with pots, rhythmic composition of recipients; warm pigments, temple-wall symmetry, prāṇa depicted as stylized golden swirls entering chests.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central panel of anna-dāna as loka-sevā; ornate floral borders, lotus motifs, deep blue ground with gold; side vignettes show prāṇa as luminous breath, implying Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu’s pleasure in feeding beings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","drum pulse (mridangam)","crowd murmur","temple bells"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्राणास्तेन = प्राणाः + तेन; चान्नं = च + अन्नम्; महाराज = महा + राजन् (सम्बोधन); प्रयत्नतः = प्रयत्न + तसिल् (अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणरूप).
FAQs
It teaches that giving food (annadāna) is equivalent to giving life, so it should be practiced diligently as a high form of dharma.
Because food sustains the body and vitality; without food, life cannot be maintained. Thus, feeding another is viewed as sustaining their very life-force.
A king’s duty includes welfare and protection of subjects; supporting food-giving and preventing hunger is presented as a direct, practical expression of righteous governance.