In Praise of the Gift of Food

Verse 1 (padma.6.26.1)

नारद उवाच ।गुणाधिकेभ्यो विप्रेभ्यो दातुकामोऽपि मानवः । कानिकानि च लोकेऽस्मिन्दद्यात्सर्वं तथा वद

nārada uvāca guṇādhikebhyo viprebhyo dātukāmo'pi mānavaḥ kānikāni ca loke'smindadyātsarvaṁ tathā vada

Narada said: A man wishing to give to brahmins endowed with virtues — what precisely should he give in this world? Tell me all of that.

Verse 2 (padma.6.26.2)

महादेव उवाच ।लोके तत्वं हि संज्ञाय शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम । अन्नमेवं प्रशंसंति सर्वमन्ने प्रतिष्ठितम्

mahādeva uvāca loke tatvaṁ hi saṁjñāya śṛṇu devarṣisattama annamevaṁ praśaṁsaṁti sarvamanne pratiṣṭhitam

Mahadeva said: Having understood the true nature of the world, listen, O best of divine sages. Food is thus praised — everything is established upon food.

Verse 3 (padma.6.26.3)

तस्मादन्नं विशेषेण दातुमिच्छंति मानवाः । अन्नेन सदृशं दानं न भूतं न भविष्यति

tasmādannaṁ viśeṣeṇa dātumicchaṁti mānavāḥ annena sadṛśaṁ dānaṁ na bhūtaṁ na bhaviṣyati

Therefore men especially wish to give food; there has never been, nor shall ever be, a gift equal to food.

Verse 4 (padma.6.26.4)

अन्नेन धार्यते विश्वं जगत्स्थावरजंगमम् । अन्नमूर्जस्करं लोके प्राणाह्यन्ने प्रतिष्ठिताः

annena dhāryate viśvaṁ jagatsthāvarajaṁgamam annamūrjaskaraṁ loke prāṇāhyanne pratiṣṭhitāḥ

By food the whole universe of moving and unmoving beings is sustained; food is the very energizer of this world — lives are established upon food.

Verse 5 (padma.6.26.5)

दातव्यं भक्ष्यमेवान्नं ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने । कुटुंबं पीडयित्वापि आत्मनो भूतिमिच्छता

dātavyaṁ bhakṣyamevānnaṁ brāhmaṇāya mahātmane kuṭuṁbaṁ pīḍayitvāpi ātmano bhūtimicchatā

Edible food should be given to a great-souled brahmin, even by one troubling his own family, if he desires his own welfare.

Verse 6 (padma.6.26.6)

नारदासौ विदांश्रेष्ठो यो दद्यादन्नमर्थिने । ब्राह्मणायार्तरूपाय पारलौकिकमात्मनः

nāradāsau vidāṁśreṣṭho yo dadyādannamarthine brāhmaṇāyārtarūpāya pāralaukikamātmanaḥ

O Narada, that best of the wise is one who, for his own welfare in the world beyond, gives food to a needy, afflicted-looking brahmin.

Verse 7 (padma.6.26.7)

आत्मीयभूतिमन्विच्छेत्काले द्विजमुपस्थितम् । श्रांतमध्वनि वर्त्तंतं गृहस्थं गृहमागतम्

ātmīyabhūtimanvicchetkāle dvijamupasthitam śrāṁtamadhvani varttaṁtaṁ gṛhasthaṁ gṛhamāgatam

One who desires his own welfare should, at the proper time, serve a twice-born who has arrived — one weary from the road, or a householder come to the house.

Verse 8 (padma.6.26.8)

अन्नदः प्राप्नुते विद्वान्सुशीलो वीतमत्सरः । क्रोधमुत्पतितं हित्वा दिवि चेह च यत्सुखम्

annadaḥ prāpnute vidvānsuśīlo vītamatsaraḥ krodhamutpatitaṁ hitvā divi ceha ca yatsukham

The learned, well-conducted, envy-free giver of food, casting off any anger that arises, attains whatever happiness exists, both here and in heaven.

Verse 9 (padma.6.26.9)

नाभिनिंदेच्च अतिथिं न द्रुह्याच्च कथंचन । ब्रह्मविदेऽर्पयेदन्नं तच्च दानं विशिष्यते

nābhiniṁdecca atithiṁ na druhyācca kathaṁcana brahmavide'rpayedannaṁ tacca dānaṁ viśiṣyate

One should never disparage a guest, nor cause him any harm; offering food to a knower of Brahman is regarded as a distinguished gift.

Verse 10 (padma.6.26.10)

श्रांतायादृष्टपूर्वाय अन्नमध्वनि वर्तिने । यो दद्याच्च परिक्लिष्टं सर्वधर्ममवाप्नुयात्

śrāṁtāyādṛṣṭapūrvāya annamadhvani vartine yo dadyācca parikliṣṭaṁ sarvadharmamavāpnuyāt

Whoever gives food, even if hard to obtain, to one weary, previously unknown, traveling on the road, obtains the fruit of every dharma.

Verse 11 (padma.6.26.11)

पितृदेवांस्तथा विप्रातिथींश्च महामुने । यो नरः प्रीणयेतान्नैस्तस्य पुण्यमनंतकम्

pitṛdevāṁstathā viprātithīṁśca mahāmune yo naraḥ prīṇayetānnaistasya puṇyamanaṁtakam

O great sage, whatever man gratifies the ancestors, the gods, and brahmin guests with food — his merit is endless.

Verse 12 (padma.6.26.12)

कृत्वापि सुमहत्पापं यो दद्यादन्नमर्थिने । ब्राह्मणाय विशेषेण स तु पापैः प्रमुच्यते

kṛtvāpi sumahatpāpaṁ yo dadyādannamarthine brāhmaṇāya viśeṣeṇa sa tu pāpaiḥ pramucyate

Even having committed a very great sin, whoever gives food to a needy person, especially a brahmin, is freed from those sins.

Verse 13 (padma.6.26.13)

ब्राह्मणेष्वक्षयं दानमन्नं शूद्रे महत्फलम् । अन्नदानं च शूद्रे च ब्राह्मणे चावशिष्यते

brāhmaṇeṣvakṣayaṁ dānamannaṁ śūdre mahatphalam annadānaṁ ca śūdre ca brāhmaṇe cāvaśiṣyate

Food given to brahmins is imperishable merit; food given to a shudra brings great fruit; food-giving remains meritorious both for a shudra and for a brahmin.

Verse 14 (padma.6.26.14)

न पृच्छेद्गोत्रचरणं न च स्वाध्यायमेव च । भिक्षुको ब्राह्मणो ह्यत्र दद्यादन्नं प्रयाति च

na pṛcchedgotracaraṇaṁ na ca svādhyāyameva ca bhikṣuko brāhmaṇo hyatra dadyādannaṁ prayāti ca

One should not ask a beggar-brahmin about his lineage, conduct, or Vedic study; he should be given food here, and he then departs.

Verse 15 (padma.6.26.15)

अन्नदस्य शुभा वृक्षाः सर्वकामफलान्विताः । संभवंतीह लोके च हर्षयुक्तास्त्रिविष्टपे

annadasya śubhā vṛkṣāḥ sarvakāmaphalānvitāḥ saṁbhavaṁtīha loke ca harṣayuktāstriviṣṭape

For the food-giver, auspicious trees bearing the fruit of every desire spring up, joyfully, both in this world and in heaven.

Verse 16 (padma.6.26.16)

अन्नदानेन ये लोकास्तान्शृणुष्वमहामुने । विमानानि प्रकाशंते दिवि तेषां महात्मनाम्

annadānena ye lokāstānśṛṇuṣvamahāmune vimānāni prakāśaṁte divi teṣāṁ mahātmanām

O great sage, listen to the worlds that come from food-giving; the celestial cars of those great souls shine in heaven.

Verse 17 (padma.6.26.17)

नानासंस्थानरूपाणि नानाकामान्वितानि च । सर्वकामफलाश्चापि वृक्षा भुवनसंस्थिताः

nānāsaṁsthānarūpāṇi nānākāmānvitāni ca sarvakāmaphalāścāpi vṛkṣā bhuvanasaṁsthitāḥ

Trees of many shapes and forms, endowed with many desires, bearing the fruit of every wish, stand established in that world.

Verse 18 (padma.6.26.18)

हेमवाप्यः शुभाः सर्वा दीर्घिकाश्चैव सर्वशः । घोषवंति च यानानि मुक्तान्यथ सहस्रशः

hemavāpyaḥ śubhāḥ sarvā dīrghikāścaiva sarvaśaḥ ghoṣavaṁti ca yānāni muktānyatha sahasraśaḥ

All golden auspicious pools, and lakes everywhere, and chariots resounding with bells, freely available by the thousands —

Verse 19 (padma.6.26.19)

भक्ष्यभोज्यमयाः शैला वासांस्याभरणानि च । क्षीरं स्रवंत्यः सरितस्तथैवाज्यस्य पर्वताः

bhakṣyabhojyamayāḥ śailā vāsāṁsyābharaṇāni ca kṣīraṁ sravaṁtyaḥ saritastathaivājyasya parvatāḥ

mountains made of food and delicacies, garments and ornaments, rivers flowing with milk, and mountains of ghee as well,

Verse 20 (padma.6.26.20)

प्रासादाः शुभ्रवर्णाभाः शय्याश्च कनकोज्वलाः । तदन्नं दातुमिच्छंति तस्मादन्नप्रदो भवेत्

prāsādāḥ śubhravarṇābhāḥ śayyāśca kanakojvalāḥ tadannaṁ dātumicchaṁti tasmādannaprado bhavet

palaces of shining white hue, and beds gleaming with gold — all these await the food-giver; therefore one should become a giver of food.

Verse 21 (padma.6.26.21)

एते लोकाः पुण्यकृतामन्नदानं महत्फलम् । तस्मादन्नं विशेषेण दातव्यं मानवैर्भुवि

ete lokāḥ puṇyakṛtāmannadānaṁ mahatphalam tasmādannaṁ viśeṣeṇa dātavyaṁ mānavairbhuvi

These are the worlds of those who perform meritorious deeds; food-giving is of great fruit — therefore men on this earth should especially give food.