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Annadana (Samskrit : अन्नदानम्) is proclaimed as the best of danas by many traditional texts starting from the vedic times. The following story describes the greatness of Annadana vrata observed by a brahmana residing in Kurukshetra as mentioned in the Mahabharata.<ref name=":0">Bajaj, Jitendra and Mandayam, Srinivas. (1996) ''Annam Bahu Kurvita.'' Madras: Centre for Policy Studies Madras</ref> Adhyaya 90 of the Anugita parva of Asvamedhika parva describes the anecdote of a strange mongoose which comes in search of places where danas are performed in grandeur.  

Annadana (Samskrit : अन्नदानम्) is proclaimed as the best of danas by many traditional texts starting from the vedic times. The following story describes the greatness of Annadana vrata observed by a brahmana residing in Kurukshetra as mentioned in the Mahabharata.<ref name=":0">Bajaj, Jitendra and Mandayam, Srinivas. (1996) ''Annam Bahu Kurvita.'' Madras: Centre for Policy Studies Madras</ref> Adhyaya 90 of the Anugita parva of Asvamedhika parva describes the anecdote of a half gold strange mongoose which arrives in places where danas are performed in grandeur after mahayajnas. After the Asvamedha yajna the mongoose arrives in the sabha of Yudhisthira and says the following:<ref>Shastri, Ramnarayanadatta Pandey. ''[https://archive.org/stream/Mahabharata04SanskritHindiPanditRamnarayanGitaPress/Mahabharata06_Sanskrit-hindi_panditRamnarayan_gitaPress#page/n963/mode/2up Mahabharata Volume 6 (With Hindi Translation)]'' Gorakhpur : Gita Press</ref> 

Once upon a time in Kuruksetra, the land of dharma, the land that is always inhabited by those who know dharma, there lived a brahmana. He obtained his livelihood by unchavrtti - by gathering the left-over grains from harvested fields and marketplaces. Like a pigeon, he would painstakingly collect his food grain by grain. And on such food did he nurture his whole family, comprising his wife, son and daughter-in-law.

Once upon a time in Kuruksetra, the land of dharma, the land that is always inhabited by those who know dharma, there lived a brahmana. He obtained his livelihood by unchavrtti - by gathering the left-over grains from harvested fields and marketplaces. Like a pigeon, he would painstakingly collect his food grain by grain. And on such food did he nurture his whole family, comprising his wife, son and daughter-in-law.