Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 26
Sourceनारद उवाच- गुणाधिकेभ्यो विप्रेभ्यो दातुकामोऽपि मानवः । कानिकानि च लोकेऽस्मिन्दद्यात्सर्वं तथा वद १। महादेव उवाच- लोके तत्वं हि संज्ञाय शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम । अन्नमेवं प्रशंसंति सर्वमन्ने प्रतिष्ठितम् २। तस्मादन्नं विशेषेण दातुमिच्छंति मानवाः । अन्नेन सदृशं दानं न भूतं न भविष्यति ३। अन्नेन धार्यते विश्वं जगत्स्थावरजंगमम् । अन्नमूर्जस्करं लोके प्राणाह्यन्ने प्रतिष्ठिताः ४। दातव्यं भक्ष्यमेवान्नं ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने । कुटुंबं पीडयित्वापि आत्मनो भूतिमिच्छता ५। नारदासौ विदांश्रेष्ठो यो दद्यादन्नमर्थिने । ब्राह्मणायार्तरूपाय पारलौकिकमात्मनः ६। आत्मीयभूतिमन्विच्छेत्काले द्विजमुपस्थितम् । श्रांतमध्वनि वर्त्तंतं गृहस्थं गृहमागतम् ७। अन्नदः प्राप्नुते विद्वान्सुशीलो वीतमत्सरः । क्रोधमुत्पतितं हित्वा दिवि चेह च यत्सुखम् ८। नाभिनिंदेच्च अतिथिं न द्रुह्याच्च कथंचन । ब्रह्मविदेऽर्पयेदन्नं तच्च दानं विशिष्यते ९। श्रांतायादृष्टपूर्वाय अन्नमध्वनि वर्तिने । यो दद्याच्च परिक्लिष्टं सर्वधर्ममवाप्नुयात् १०। पितृदेवांस्तथा विप्रातिथींश्च महामुने । यो नरः प्रीणयेतान्नैस्तस्य पुण्यमनंतकम् ११। कृत्वापि सुमहत्पापं यो दद्यादन्नमर्थिने । ब्राह्मणाय विशेषेण स तु पापैः प्रमुच्यते १२। ब्राह्मणेष्वक्षयं दानमन्नं शूद्रे महत्फलम् । अन्नदानं च शूद्रे च ब्राह्मणे चावशिष्यते १३। न पृच्छेद्गोत्रचरणं न च स्वाध्यायमेव च । भिक्षुको ब्राह्मणो ह्यत्र दद्यादन्नं प्रयाति च १४। अन्नदस्य शुभा वृक्षाः सर्वकामफलान्विताः । संभवंतीह लोके च हर्षयुक्तास्त्रिविष्टपे १५। अन्नदानेन ये लोकास्तान्शृणुष्वमहामुने । विमानानि प्रकाशंते दिवि तेषां महात्मनाम् १६। नानासंस्थानरूपाणि नानाकामान्वितानि च । सर्वकामफलाश्चापि वृक्षा भुवनसंस्थिताः १७। हेमवाप्यः शुभाः सर्वा दीर्घिकाश्चैव सर्वशः । घोषवंति च यानानि मुक्तान्यथ सहस्रशः १८। भक्ष्यभोज्यमयाः शैला वासांस्याभरणानि च । क्षीरं स्रवंत्यः सरितस्तथैवाज्यस्य पर्वताः १९। प्रासादाः शुभ्रवर्णाभाः शय्याश्च कनकोज्वलाः । तदन्नं दातुमिच्छंति तस्मादन्नप्रदो भवेत् २०। एते लोकाः पुण्यकृतामन्नदानं महत्फलम् । तस्मादन्नं विशेषेण दातव्यं मानवैर्भुवि २१। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायां उत्तरखण्डे उमापतिनारदसंवादे अन्नदानप्रशंसानाम षड्विंशोऽध्यायः २६।
nārada uvāca- guṇādhikebhyo viprebhyo dātukāmo'pi mānavaḥ | kānikāni ca loke'smindadyātsarvaṃ tathā vada 1| mahādeva uvāca- loke tatvaṃ hi saṃjñāya śṛṇu devarṣisattama | annamevaṃ praśaṃsaṃti sarvamanne pratiṣṭhitam 2| tasmādannaṃ viśeṣeṇa dātumicchaṃti mānavāḥ | annena sadṛśaṃ dānaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati 3| annena dhāryate viśvaṃ jagatsthāvarajaṃgamam | annamūrjaskaraṃ loke prāṇāhyanne pratiṣṭhitāḥ 4| dātavyaṃ bhakṣyamevānnaṃ brāhmaṇāya mahātmane | kuṭuṃbaṃ pīḍayitvāpi ātmano bhūtimicchatā 5| nāradāsau vidāṃśreṣṭho yo dadyādannamarthine | brāhmaṇāyārtarūpāya pāralaukikamātmanaḥ 6| ātmīyabhūtimanvicchetkāle dvijamupasthitam | śrāṃtamadhvani varttaṃtaṃ gṛhasthaṃ gṛhamāgatam 7| annadaḥ prāpnute vidvānsuśīlo vītamatsaraḥ | krodhamutpatitaṃ hitvā divi ceha ca yatsukham 8| nābhiniṃdecca atithiṃ na druhyācca kathaṃcana | brahmavide'rpayedannaṃ tacca dānaṃ viśiṣyate 9| śrāṃtāyādṛṣṭapūrvāya annamadhvani vartine | yo dadyācca parikliṣṭaṃ sarvadharmamavāpnuyāt 10| pitṛdevāṃstathā viprātithīṃśca mahāmune | yo naraḥ prīṇayetānnaistasya puṇyamanaṃtakam 11| kṛtvāpi sumahatpāpaṃ yo dadyādannamarthine | brāhmaṇāya viśeṣeṇa sa tu pāpaiḥ pramucyate 12| brāhmaṇeṣvakṣayaṃ dānamannaṃ śūdre mahatphalam | annadānaṃ ca śūdre ca brāhmaṇe cāvaśiṣyate 13| na pṛcchedgotracaraṇaṃ na ca svādhyāyameva ca | bhikṣuko brāhmaṇo hyatra dadyādannaṃ prayāti ca 14| annadasya śubhā vṛkṣāḥ sarvakāmaphalānvitāḥ | saṃbhavaṃtīha loke ca harṣayuktāstriviṣṭape 15| annadānena ye lokāstānśṛṇuṣvamahāmune | vimānāni prakāśaṃte divi teṣāṃ mahātmanām 16| nānāsaṃsthānarūpāṇi nānākāmānvitāni ca | sarvakāmaphalāścāpi vṛkṣā bhuvanasaṃsthitāḥ 17| hemavāpyaḥ śubhāḥ sarvā dīrghikāścaiva sarvaśaḥ | ghoṣavaṃti ca yānāni muktānyatha sahasraśaḥ 18| bhakṣyabhojyamayāḥ śailā vāsāṃsyābharaṇāni ca | kṣīraṃ sravaṃtyaḥ saritastathaivājyasya parvatāḥ 19| prāsādāḥ śubhravarṇābhāḥ śayyāśca kanakojvalāḥ | tadannaṃ dātumicchaṃti tasmādannaprado bhavet 20| ete lokāḥ puṇyakṛtāmannadānaṃ mahatphalam | tasmādannaṃ viśeṣeṇa dātavyaṃ mānavairbhuvi 21| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsahasrasaṃhitāyāṃ uttarakhaṇḍe umāpatināradasaṃvāde annadānapraśaṃsānāma ṣaḍviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 26|
English translation
Nārada said :
1. Tell me all that: Which things a man desirous of giving (gifts) to brāhmaṇas excellent in merit, should give in this world?
Mahādeva said :
2-6. Having known the truth in the world, listen, O you best among the divine sages. They praise food like this. Everything is settled in food. Therefore, men particularly desire to give food. There was no gift nor there will be a gift like food. The whole world consisting of the immobile and the mobile, is sustained by means of food. In the world food causes vigour. Life depends upon food only. A man desiring his own welfare, should even by troubling his family give eatable food to a magnanimous brāhmaṇa . O Nārada , he who would give food to a brāhmaṇa who asks for it and who is afflicted, is the best among the wise. He should look for his own well-being.
7-15. A wise man who is of a good character, who is free from jealousy, who, after abandoning his anger, gives food to a householder—a brāhmaṇa—who is tired, who is on the road (i.e. who is travelling), who has come at the time (of eating food), obtains happiness that is there in heaven and on the earth. He should not censure the guest. He should never hate him. He should offer food to a brāhmaṇa knowing the Vedas . That gift is superior. He who would give food to a brāhmaṇa who is tired, who is not seen before, and who is travelling, so also to him who is afflicted, would obtain full (merit of) righteousness. The religious merit of that man who would please the manes, gods, brāhmaṇas and guests with foods, is unlimited, O great sage. He who, even after having committed a very great sin, gives food to a suppliant, especially to a brāhmaṇa, is freed from sins. Gift given to brāhmaṇas is inexhaustible (in merit); (gift of) food to a śūdra gives a great fruit. Offering food to a śūdra and to a brāhmaṇa is superior (to any other gift). He should not ask (the brāhmaṇa about his) family, the school of the Vedas to which he belongs, or about his study (of the Vedas). He should give food (thinking that) here is a brāhmaṇa that seeks (food), so also to a beggarly brāhmaṇa. For a man who gives food, auspicious trees full of the fruits of all desires, are (fruitful) in this world and in heaven he is full of joy.
16-21. O great sage, know those worlds which are (reached by him) by means of giving food. For the magnanimous ones (who give food) aeroplanes of many shapes and forms and endowed with (the fulfilment of) various desires, shine in heaven. (They enjoy) auspicious, golden wells and lakes everywhere. (They rejoice with) sounding vehicles and thousands of pearls. They see mountains full of food. There are (for them) garments and ornaments. There are (for them) rivers flowing with milk and mountains of ghee . There are (for them) palaces shining with white colour, beds bright like gold. They desire, therefore, to give food. So a man should give food. Those worlds are (reached) by the meritorious. Offering food gives great fruit. Therefore, in this world men should especially give food.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44610, revision 336292 (2022-04-21T04:52:14Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365457.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.