Changes

'''अन्नदान महात्म्या||Annadanamahtmya: the greatness of the giving of food'''  

'''अन्नदान महात्म्या||Annadanamahtmya: the greatness of the giving of food'''  

   

   

'''vipramadhvaparisrantam balarh vrddhamathapi vd  

'''vipramadhvaparisrantam balarh vrddhamathapi vd  

arcayed guruvat prito grhastho grhamdgatam '''

arcayed guruvat prito grhastho grhamdgatam'''

Finding an old person, a child, a tired traveler or a venerable one at the door, a householder should offer him worshipful  hospitality, with gladness in his heart, as he would to his own teacher.  

Finding an old person, a child, a tired traveler or a venerable one at the door, a householder should offer him worshipful  hospitality, with gladness in his heart, as he would to his own teacher.  

'''annarh hyamrtamityahurannam prajananam smrtam  

'''annarh hyamrtamityahurannam prajananam smrtam  

annapranase sidanti safirepanca dhatavah  

annapranase sidanti safirepanca dhatavah'''

'''

 

Food is indeed the preserver of life and food is the source of procreation. When there is no food, the five elements constituting the body cease to be.  

Food is indeed the preserver of life and food is the source of procreation. When there is no food, the five elements constituting the body cease to be.  

'''balam balavato nasyedannahinasya dehinah  

'''balam balavato nasyedannahinasya dehinah  

tasmadannam visesena sraddhayasraddhayapi va  

tasmadannam visesena sraddhayasraddhayapi va'''

'''

 

Without food even a strong man loses all his strength. Therefore food, whether taken in reverence or otherwise, has a special place in life.  

Without food even a strong man loses all his strength. Therefore food, whether taken in reverence or otherwise, has a special place in life.  

vdyustasmdt samddaya rasam meghesu dharayet  

vdyustasmdt samddaya rasam meghesu dharayet  

tat tu meghagatam bhumau sakro varsati tadrsam  

tat tu meghagatam bhumau sakro varsati tadrsam  

tena digdhd bhaved devi mahiprita ca bharata  

tena digdhd bhaved devi mahiprita ca bharata '''

'''

 

The sun, through his rays, draws out the vital essences, and vayu, the wind god, gathers these and places them in the clouds. The vital essences thus collected in the clouds are  

The sun, through his rays, draws out the vital essences, and vayu, the wind god, gathers these and places them in the clouds. The vital essences thus collected in the clouds are  

showered back on the earth by indra. Suffused with the showers, e goddess earth, O Bharata, is verily in contentment.  

showered back on the earth by indra. Suffused with the showers, e goddess earth, O Bharata, is verily in contentment.  

mamsamedo 'sthimajjdndm sambhavastebhya eva hi'''  

mamsamedo 'sthimajjdndm sambhavastebhya eva hi'''  

The next five verses define the pre-eminence of food in the creation;and sustenance of all life. Srikrsna says:5

The next verses define the pre-eminence of food in the creation;and sustenance of all life.Out of the contented earth grow the food-crops, which sustain all life. Flesh, fat, bone and marrow are formed of these alone. Thus in these fifteen verses Srikrsna says all that needs to be said the importance of food and the giving of food. He defines the major precepts associated with annadana: the great and incomparable virtue associated with the giving of food, the imperative of offering food to others before eating for oneself, the imperative of giving food in worshipful humility towards the receiver, the imperative of giving to all those who come without ever enquiring into their antecedents, and the great sin that results from eating one's fill without first having fed others who may be waiting at the door. And Srikrsna goes on to teach about the central place that anna occupies in the Indian understanding of the plan of the universe. These precepts appear again and again in the Indian classical literature in different forms and different contexts.

 

Out of the contented earth grow the food-crops, which sustain all life. Flesh, fat, bone and marrow are formed of these alone. Thus in these fifteen verses Srikrsna says all that needs to be said t the importance of food and the giving of food. He defines the major precepts associated with annadana: the great and incomparable virtue associated with the giving of food, the imperative of offering food to others before eating for oneself, the imperative of giving food in worshipful humility towards the receiver, the imperative of giving to all those who come without ever enquiring into their antecedents, and the great sin that results from eating one's fill without first having fed others who may be waiting at the door. And Srikrsna goes on to teach about the central place that anna occupies in the Indian understanding of the plan of the universe. These precepts appear again and again in the Indian classical literature in different forms and different contexts.