Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 51

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

Devanagari script

प्रासादा: पाण्डुराभ्राभा: शय्याश्व॒ काज्चनोज्ज्वला: । तान्यन्नदा: प्रपद्यन्ते तस्मादन्नप्रदो भव

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | prāsādāḥ pāṇḍurābhrābhāḥ śayyāś ca kāñcanojjvalāḥ | tāny annadāḥ prapadyante tasmād annaprado bhava ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“有如白云般皎洁辉耀的宫殿，金光灿然的床榻——如此华美的居处，唯施食之人方能得至。故而，你当成为施食者。”

Word by Word

• प्रासादाः: palaces, mansions
• प्रासादाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पाण्डुराभ्राभाः: having the appearance of pale/white clouds
• पाण्डुराभ्राभाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाण्डुराभ्राभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शय्याः: beds, couches
• शय्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय्या
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• काञ्चनोज्ज्वलाः: shining with gold / golden-bright
• काञ्चनोज्ज्वलाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चनोज्ज्वल
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• तानि: those (things/abodes)
• तानि: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• अन्नदाः: givers of food
• अन्नदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्नद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रपद्यन्ते: attain, reach, obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पद्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that (reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्

• अन्नप्रदः: a giver of food
• अन्नप्रदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्नप्रद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भव: be (become)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• palaces (prāsāda)
• white clouds (abhra)
• golden beds (kāñcanojjvalāḥ śayyāḥ)
• food donation (annadāna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Food-giving (annadāna) is presented as a high dharmic act whose merit yields prosperity and splendid enjoyments; therefore one should practice giving food.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma and gifts, he praises the fruit of feeding others, stating that magnificent palaces and golden beds are attained by those who donate food, and he urges the listener to become an annadātā.