The Gift of Water

Verse 1 (13.102.1)

श्रुतं दानफलं तात यत्त्वया परिकीर्तितम् । अन्नदानं विशेषेण प्रशस्तमिह भारत ॥

śrutaṃ dānaphalaṃ tāta yattvayā parikīrtitam | annadānaṃ viśeṣeṇa praśastamiha bhārata

I have heard, father, the reward of the gifts as you have told it; the gift of food above all is praised here, O Bharata.

Verse 2 (13.102.2)

पानीयदानमेवैतत्कथं चेह महाफलम् । इत्येतच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि विस्तरेण पितामह ॥

pānīyadānamevaitatkathaṃ ceha mahāphalam | ityetacchrotumicchāmi vistareṇa pitāmaha

How is the gift of water also one of great reward? This I wish to hear in full, Grandsire.

Note on the text: Variant of CE 13.66.2 (CE: pānīyadānaṃ paramaṃ kathaṃ ceha mahāphalam).

Verse 3 (13.102.3)

हन्त ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथावद्भरतर्षभ । गदतस्तन्ममाद्येह शृणु सत्यपराक्रम । पानीयदानात्प्रभृति सर्वं वक्ष्यामि तेऽनघ ॥

hanta te vartayiṣyāmi yathāvadbharatarṣabha | gadatastanmamādyeha śṛṇu satyaparākrama | pānīyadānātprabhṛti sarvaṃ vakṣyāmi te'nagha

Gladly will I tell you, in due order, best of the Bharatas. Listen to what I say today, O man of true prowess; beginning with the gift of water I shall tell you everything, sinless one.

Note on the text: Three lines = CE 13.66.3a, 3c, 3e.

Verse 4 (13.102.4)

यदन्नं यच्च पानीयं सम्प्रदायाश्नुते फलम् । न ताभ्यां परमं दानं किञ्चिदस्तीति मे मनः ॥

yadannaṃ yacca pānīyaṃ sampradāyāśnute phalam | na tābhyāṃ paramaṃ dānaṃ kiñcidastīti me manaḥ

Whatever reward a man gains by giving food and water, I hold that there is no gift greater than these two.

Note on the text: Variant of CE 13.66.4 (CE: yad annaṃ yac ca pānīyaṃ saṃpradāyāśnute naraḥ / na tasmāt paramaṃ dānaṃ kiṃ cid astīti me matiḥ).

Verse 5 (13.102.5)

अन्नात्प्राणभृतस्तात प्रवर्तन्ते हि सर्वशः । तस्मादन्नं परं लोके सर्वदानेषु कथ्यते ॥

annātprāṇabhṛtastāta pravartante hi sarvaśaḥ | tasmādannaṃ paraṃ loke sarvadāneṣu kathyate

From food, my son, living beings come into being everywhere; therefore food is called the highest of all gifts in the world.

Verse 6 (13.102.6)

अन्नाद्बलं च तेजश्च प्राणिनां वर्धते सदा । अन्नदानमतस्तस्माच्छ्रेष्ठमाह प्रजापतिः ॥

annādbalaṃ ca tejaśca prāṇināṃ vardhate sadā | annadānamatastasmācchreṣṭhamāha prajāpatiḥ

From food the strength and brilliance of living beings always grow; therefore Prajapati declared the gift of food to be the best.

Note on the text: Corrected अन्नादानमतस्तस्माच् → अन्नदानमतस्तस्माच् (misprint in Wikisource; "annādānam" would mean "taking of food", the opposite of the sense; the gift of food is annadānam, CE annadānam).

Verse 7 (13.102.7)

सावित्र्या ह्यपि कौन्तेय श्रूयते वचनं शुभम् । यच्चेदं नान्यथा चैतद्देव सत्रे महामखे ॥

sāvitryā hyapi kaunteya śrūyate vacanaṃ śubham | yaccedaṃ nānyathā caitaddeva satre mahāmakhe

O son of Kunti, the auspicious word of Savitri is also heard, and it is no different from this, at the great sacrifice, the sacrificial session of the gods.

Note on the text: Recension variant of CE 13.66.7 (CE: śrutaṃ te vacanaṃ śubham / yataś caitad yathā caitad devasatre mahāmate). Wikisource's reading kept.

Verse 8 (13.102.8)

अन्ने दत्ते नरेणेह प्राणा दत्ता भवन्त्युत । प्राणदानाद्धि परमं न दानमिह विद्यते ॥

anne datte nareṇeha prāṇā dattā bhavantyuta | prāṇadānāddhi paramaṃ na dānamiha vidyate

When food is given by a man here, life is given; and there is no gift here higher than the gift of life.

Verse 9 (13.102.9)

श्रुतं हि ते महाबाहो लोमशस्यापि तद्वचः । प्राणान्दत्त्वा कपोताय यत्प्राप्तं शिबिना पुरा ॥

śrutaṃ hi te mahābāho lomaśasyāpi tadvacaḥ | prāṇāndattvā kapotāya yatprāptaṃ śibinā purā

O mighty-armed one, you have heard Lomasha's words too, of what Shibi gained long ago by giving up his life for the dove.

Verse 10 (13.102.10)

यां गतिं लभते दत्त्वा द्विजस्यान्नं विशाम्पते । ततो विशिष्टां गच्छन्ति प्राणदा इति नः श्रुतं ॥

yāṃ gatiṃ labhate dattvā dvijasyānnaṃ viśāmpate | tato viśiṣṭāṃ gacchanti prāṇadā iti naḥ śrutaṃ

The goal one reaches by giving food to a Brahmin, O lord of the people, those who give life attain a still higher one; so we have heard.

Note on the text: Corrected द्विजस्यान्न → द्विजस्यान्नं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara; "to a Brahmin, food (annam)" is wanted, CE dvijasyānnaṃ).

Verse 11 (13.102.11)

अन्नं चापि प्रभवति पानीयात्कुरुसत्तम । नीरजातेन हि विना न किञ्चित्सम्प्रवर्तते ॥

annaṃ cāpi prabhavati pānīyātkurusattama | nīrajātena hi vinā na kiñcitsampravartate

Food also comes from water, best of the Kurus; without what is born of water, nothing comes into being at all.

Verse 12 (13.102.12)

नीरजातश्च भगवान्सोमो ग्रहगणेश्वरः । अमृतं च सुधा चैव सुधा चैवामृतं तथा ॥

nīrajātaśca bhagavānsomo grahagaṇeśvaraḥ | amṛtaṃ ca sudhā caiva sudhā caivāmṛtaṃ tathā

The divine Soma, lord of the host of planets, is born of water too; and so are ambrosia and nectar, nectar and ambrosia.

Note on the text: Wikisource's second line (अमृतं च सुधा चैव सुधा चैवामृतं तथा) repeats the same two words; CE 13.66.12 reads amṛtaṃ ca sudhā caiva svāhā caiva vaṣaṭ tathā, and the page's gloss records "स्वधा चैव सुरा तथा" as a variant. Wikisource's reading kept.

Verse 13 (13.102.13)

अन्नौषध्यो महाराज वीरुधश्च जलोद्भवाः । यतः प्राणभृतां प्राणाः सम्भवन्ति विशाम्पते ॥

annauṣadhyo mahārāja vīrudhaśca jalodbhavāḥ | yataḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ prāṇāḥ sambhavanti viśāmpate

Grain, herbs and creepers, great king, are born of water; and from them the life-breaths of living beings arise, O lord of the people.

Verse 14 (13.102.14)

देवानाममृतं ह्यन्नं नागानां च सुधा तथा । पितॄणां च स्वधा प्रोक्ता पशूनां चापि वीरुधः ॥

devānāmamṛtaṃ hyannaṃ nāgānāṃ ca sudhā tathā | pitṝṇāṃ ca svadhā proktā paśūnāṃ cāpi vīrudhaḥ

For the gods food is ambrosia, for the nagas it is nectar, for the ancestors it is called svadha, and for the animals it is herbage.

Verse 15 (13.102.15)

अन्नमेव मनुष्याणां प्राणानाहुर्मनीषिणः । तच्च सर्वं नरव्याघ्र पानीयात्सम्प्रवर्तते ॥

annameva manuṣyāṇāṃ prāṇānāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ | tacca sarvaṃ naravyāghra pānīyātsampravartate

The wise say that food itself is the life of men; and all that, O tiger among men, comes forth from water.

Verse 16 (13.102.16)

तस्मात्पानीयदानाद्वै न परं विद्यते क्वचित् । तच्च दद्यान्नरो नित्यं यदीच्छेद्भूतिमात्मनः ॥

tasmātpānīyadānādvai na paraṃ vidyate kvacit | tacca dadyānnaro nityaṃ yadīcchedbhūtimātmanaḥ

Therefore nothing anywhere is greater than the gift of water; a man who wishes his own prosperity should give it always.

Verse 17 (13.102.17)

धन्यं यशस्यमायुष्यं जलदानमिहोच्यते । शत्रूंश्चाप्यधि कौन्तेय सदा तिष्ठति तोयदः ॥

dhanyaṃ yaśasyamāyuṣyaṃ jaladānamihocyate | śatrūṃścāpyadhi kaunteya sadā tiṣṭhati toyadaḥ

The gift of water is called a source of wealth, fame and long life; and the giver of water, O son of Kunti, always stands above his enemies.

Verse 18 (13.102.18)

सर्वकामानवाप्नोति कीर्तिं चैव हि शाश्वतीम् । प्रेत्य चानन्त्यमश्नाति पापेभ्यश्च प्रमुच्यते ॥

sarvakāmānavāpnoti kīrtiṃ caiva hi śāśvatīm | pretya cānantyamaśnāti pāpebhyaśca pramucyate

He obtains all desires and lasting fame; after death he attains endlessness and is freed from his sins.

Note on the text: Variant of CE 13.66.18 (CE: sarvakāmān avāpnoti … pretya cānantyam āpnoti).

Verse 19 (13.102.19)

तोयदो मनुजव्याघ्र स्वर्गं गत्वा महाद्युते । अक्षयान्समवाप्नोति लोकानित्यब्रवीन्मनुः ॥

toyado manujavyāghra svargaṃ gatvā mahādyute | akṣayānsamavāpnoti lokānityabravīnmanuḥ

O tiger among men, great in splendour, the giver of water goes to heaven and wins imperishable worlds; so said Manu.