Shloka 13

Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

नावमन्येदभिगतं न प्रणुद्यात्‌ कदाचन । अपि श्वपाके शुनि वा न दानं विप्रणश्यति

Transliteration

nāvamanyed abhigataṁ na praṇudyāt kadācana | api śvapāke śuni vā na dānaṁ vipraṇaśyati ||

Translation

Nārada nói: Chớ bao giờ sỉ nhục người đã đến nhà mình, cũng chớ bao giờ xua đuổi họ. Dẫu người nhận là một caṇḍāla (kẻ ngoài giai cấp) hay thậm chí là một con chó, thì bố thí thức ăn cũng không hề mất đi—của cho trong tinh thần ấy chẳng bao giờ uổng phí.

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अवमन्येत: should disrespect/insult
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√मन् (मन्यते)
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), 3rd, singular, Atmanepada

• अभिगतं: one who has come/arrived (a visitor)
• अभिगतं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-√गम् (गत)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• न: nor/not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• प्रणुद्यात्: should drive away/repel
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√नुद्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• श्वपाके: in/for a caṇḍāla (dog-cooker; outcaste)
• श्वपाके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपाक
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• शुनि: in/for a dog
• शुनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन्
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• दानं: gift/charity (alms)
• दानं: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• विप्रणश्यति: perishes/is wasted
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-प्र-√नश्
• Form: Lat (present indicative), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• guest/visitor (abhigata)
• śvapāka (caṇḍāla/outcaste)
• dog (śvan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not insult or expel anyone who comes seeking shelter or food; hospitality and charity retain their merit regardless of the recipient’s social status—even giving to the most marginalised or to an animal is not futile.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Nārada states a rule of conduct: a householder should receive visitors without contempt and should not turn them away, emphasizing the enduring value of dāna (especially food-giving).