Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)
नावमन्येदभिगतं न प्रणुद्यात् कदाचन । अपि श्वपाके शुनि वा न दानं विप्रणश्यति
nāvamanyed abhigataṁ na praṇudyāt kadācana | api śvapāke śuni vā na dānaṁ vipraṇaśyati ||
那罗陀说道:凡至你家者,切莫羞辱,亦切莫驱逐。纵使受者为旃陀罗(贱民、被逐者)乃至一犬,施食之德亦不败坏——以此心而施,终不徒然。
नारद उवाच
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.
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).