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* अन्नमयँहि सोम्य मन आपोमयः प्राणस्तेजोमयी वागिति... । The mind is essentially formed of food, the prana is essentially formed of water and speech is essentially formed of fire. Chandogya Upanishad (6.5.4)<ref>Swami Gambhirananda (1983) ''[https://archive.org/stream/ChandogyaUpanishadSwamiGambhiranandaR.K.Mutt/Chandogya%20Upanishad%20%20Swami%20Gambhirananda%20R.K.%20Mutt#page/n479/mode/2up Chandogya Upanisad With The Commentary of Sri. Sankaracarya (English Translation).]'' Calcutta : Advaita Ashrama</ref>

* अन्नमयँहि सोम्य मन आपोमयः प्राणस्तेजोमयी वागिति... । The mind is essentially formed of food, the prana is essentially formed of water and speech is essentially formed of fire. Chandogya Upanishad (6.5.4)<ref>Swami Gambhirananda (1983) ''[https://archive.org/stream/ChandogyaUpanishadSwamiGambhiranandaR.K.Mutt/Chandogya%20Upanishad%20%20Swami%20Gambhirananda%20R.K.%20Mutt#page/n479/mode/2up Chandogya Upanisad With The Commentary of Sri. Sankaracarya (English Translation).]'' Calcutta : Advaita Ashrama</ref>

* अन्नं ब्रह्म यतः प्रोक्तमन्ने प्राणाः प्रतिष्ठिताः। Annam brahma, because upon the said anna rests the prana or life : Matsya Purana (83.42) <ref>Matsya Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AE%E0%A5%A9 Adhyaya 83])</ref>

* अन्नं ब्रह्म यतः प्रोक्तमन्ने प्राणाः प्रतिष्ठिताः। Annam brahma, because upon the said anna rests the prana or life : Matsya Purana (83.42) <ref>Matsya Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AE%E0%A5%A9 Adhyaya 83])</ref>

It is said knowledge is also food.  The brahaman who understand the essence of the vedas and teaches others is better than those who are simply born in brahamana family.   if by some chance the charitable person is the relative of miser, by the association of charitable person the miser might become charitable.  The difference between magnanimous and miser can be explained by this example: one who walks with one leg cannot walk like the person who has both the legs, he will take longer time to reach the destination.   but those who are having three legs can walk or reach the destination faster.  but the person who has four legs he is the best person.  here leg represents the power of wealth.  

Mahabharata, in Anushasana Parva gives the different things that constitute anna for different beings.<blockquote>नीरजातश्च भगवान्सोमो ग्रहगणेश्वरः। अमृतं च सुधा चैव स्वाहा चैव स्वधा तथा॥ 13-67-12 </blockquote><blockquote>अन्नौषध्यो महाराज वीरुधश्च जलोद्भवाः। यतः प्राणभृतां प्राणाः सम्भवन्ति विशाम्पते॥ 13-67-13</blockquote><blockquote>देवानाममृतं ह्यन्नं नागानां च सुधा तथा। पितॄणां च स्वधा प्रोक्ता पशूनां चापि वीरुधः॥ 13-67-14</blockquote>Soma, the devata for grahas, celestial bodies, is born of water and so are Amrta, Sudha, Svaha, Svadha. Oh Maharaja! so are anna (food grains), oshadhis (medicinal plants), and virudhas (grasses). All living beings are born of and live on these various annas that are born of water. Of these, amrta is said to be the anna of devatas, sudha of the nagas, svadha of the pitrus, and virudhas of the animals.

This is the foundation of the Bharitya Sanatana culture. This is the difference between western culture and our eternal Sanatan culture.  The reason for poverty and hunger caused by scarcity can be traced to neglecting our civilizational principles.  Culture cannot sustain on a hungry stomach. Basic necessities of life and wisdom that shape our life in family life and those who are instrumental in building and sustaining our family, like women, food, and beauty should never be on sale. Anna|अन्न, Veda and beauty when commodified have dangerous consequences that destroy life and wellbeing. The principles enshrined in our shastras clearly reveal the degradation of ‘modern’ lifestyles due to the disconnect with our traditional systems and  kind of life.  

 

 

This is the foundation of the Bharitya Sanatana culture. This is the difference between western culture and our eternal Sanatan culture.  The reason for poverty and hunger caused by scarcity can be traced to neglecting our civilizational principles.  Culture cannot sustain on a hungry stomach. Basic necessities of life and wisdom that shape our life in family life and those who are instrumental in building and sustaining our family, like women, food, and beauty should never be on sale. Anna|अन्न, Veda and beauty when commodified have dangerous consequences that destroy life and wellbeing. The principles enshrined in our shastras clearly reveal the degradation of ‘modern’ lifestyles due to the disconnect with our traditional systems and  kind of life.  

Sri Veda Vyasa in his kuta () Sloka instructs the above principle.

Sri Veda Vyasa in his kuta () Sloka instructs the above principle.

Marakandeya Rishi in a discussion with Yudhisthira gives the above understanding. The scarcity that prevails during drought is because food has become the object of buying and selling. Brahmanas started selling Vedas, teaching it to students who were not ready to recieve the divine knowledge. Chastity will not be a a trait of the married women  

Marakandeya Rishi in a discussion with Yudhisthira gives the above understanding. The scarcity that prevails during drought is because food has become the object of buying and selling. Brahmanas started selling Vedas, teaching it to students who were not ready to recieve the divine knowledge. Chastity will not be a a trait of the married women  

The Taitreya Upanishad () also says that atithi (guest) should be considered God. Till recently, India has been treated as an ordinary country, yet a huge base of literature (Veda Sandesh) has underscored our cultural values of abundance and sharing. There are verses which glorify the act of charity of food in the vedas.   The  Brahmaand Valli Upanishad mentions that all living entities in this world are not only born of अन्न||Anna but are also sustained by it and finally disintegrate into it. Therefore, the shastras state that Anna is the highest  amongst all food and औशधि||medicines. There is a saying that one who knows the art of eating never become ill. The Vedic worldview therefore symbolises अन्न||Anna with Brahma. One who is aware of this equation is blessed with अन्न||Anna. The word  अन्न||Anna comes from Aadha dhaatu, which means things that can be eaten and is being eaten. Therefore it becomes anna.

The Taitreya Upanishad () also says that atithi (guest) should be considered God. Till recently, India has been treated as an ordinary country, yet a huge base of literature (Veda Sandesh) has underscored our cultural values of abundance and sharing. There are verses which glorify the act of charity of food in the vedas.   The  Brahmaand Valli Upanishad mentions that all living entities in this world are not only born of अन्न||Anna but are also sustained by it and finally disintegrate into it. Therefore, the shastras state that Anna is the highest  amongst all food and औशधि||medicines. There is a saying that one who knows the art of eating never become ill. The Vedic worldview therefore symbolises अन्न||Anna with Brahma. One who is aware of this equation is blessed with अन्न||Anna. The word  अन्न||Anna comes from Aadha dhaatu, which means things that can be eaten and is being eaten. Therefore it becomes anna.

Sanatana dharma explains that one could achieve perfection by understanding that अन्न||Anna is synonymous to sanatana dharma. It therefore becomes mandatory for our people to realise that it is only through sanatana dharma that this be accomplished. As अन्न||Anna is brahmamaya(full of brahman), buying or selling अन्न||Anna is akin to selling the Gods||Devatas, its like rejecting the Divine. The right path is the Veda Marga that leads one to happiness, pleasure and prosperity, the basis for a stable and healthy society, this is Veda dharma. It thus becomes every individual’s duty to work hard re-establish Vedic concepts that will facilitate us to walk on the path of Dharma.

Sanatana dharma explains that one could achieve perfection by understanding that अन्न||Anna is synonymous to sanatana dharma. It therefore becomes mandatory for our people to realise that it is only through sanatana dharma that this be accomplished. As अन्न||Anna is brahmamaya(full of brahman), buying or selling अन्न||Anna is akin to selling the Gods||Devatas, its like rejecting the Divine. The right path is the Veda Marga that leads one to happiness, pleasure and prosperity, the basis for a stable and healthy society, this is Veda dharma. It thus becomes every individual’s duty to work hard re-establish Vedic concepts that will facilitate us to walk on the path of Dharma.

Srikrsna's exposition of the essence of Bhisma's teachings is presented in just 15 verses. The first ten of these lay down the centrality of annadana, the giving of food, in the life of a householder; and the next 5 celebrate the greatness of food, its emergence out of the vital essences of earth and its intimate connection with all life. Most of the vast classical Indian literature on annadana, some of which we shall have occasion to recall in the following, seems to be in the nature of an elaboration of these 15 verses. Teaching the greatness of annadana to Yudhisthira, SriKrsna  says:

Srikrsna's exposition of the essence of Bhisma's teachings is presented in just 15 verses. The first ten of these lay down the centrality of annadana, the giving of food, in the life of a householder; and the next 5 celebrate the greatness of food, its emergence out of the vital essences of earth and its intimate connection with all life. Most of the vast classical Indian literature on annadana, some of which we shall have occasion to recall in the following, seems to be in the nature of an elaboration of these 15 verses. Teaching the greatness of annadana to Yudhisthira, SriKrsna  says:

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.

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.