The Sanskrit word Annadanam literally means the offering or sharing (danam) of food (annam).In sanskrit the word “Annam” means food and “Daanam” means to donate. Thus “Annadanam” means feeding the hungry and needy. Taittiriya Upanishad declares, All life force comes from food. (annam vai pranah) and Let food be produced in plenty (annam bahu kurveet). In Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna declares, From food all beings are evolved (annad bhavanti bhutani).Even in Vedas, Upanishad, Ramayana, or Mahabharata during all these periods feeding a hungry person was treated as a greatest service to man kind. ANNA DAANAM MAHAA DAANAM [offering food is the best gift in the world.]is a very popular Sanskrit verse which has motivated millions of Indians to perform this divine act and in ancient India in most of the temple premises there were annadana centers
Annam Para Brahma Swarupam. Food only can support the body to attain Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. The person, who participate in this sacred Annadanam, will be blessed by divine Gods. Creatures cannot live without food, hence the donors of Annadanam are also considered as donors of pranadanam. Pranadanam means to offer all things as donation, accordingly they are blessed. Annadanam is a sacred activity. It is said that the sacred works done by the people with the energy acquired by food bestows half of its effect to the donor of food and the rest is to that person. Many positive results like this can acquire from the Annadanam.
Manu Dharma Sastra declares, regard the guest as a deity (atdhithi devo bhava) plainly expresses this worldwide tradition among ancient societies that deities may move upon the earth in human guise, and that one should therefore regard them with the utmost courtesy and respect and hospitalityincluding the offering of food items. Annadanams are conducted with this very principle in mind, for among the hungry crowd there may also be the anonymous genuine devotee, saint or even a deva or deity. Indeed, each and every poor person is regarded in this way, as expressed in the Sanskrit saying Daridra Narayana (God dwells in the poor person).
Service to human is service to God. Serving food to the hungry is equal to effect of performing ritual yagna. Human beings can only be satisfied with food but not with gold, dress and other things, as they desire to have them more and more. But in case of food a man wholeheartedly says that the food is enough for him. It is said that glory, strength and fame will be acquired in Trilokas by Annadanam.
Gaja turaga Sahasram | Gokulam koti danam |
Kanaka Rajatha patram | Methini sagarantham |
Upaya kula vishuttam | Koti kanya pradanam |
Nahi nahi bahu danam| Annadanam samanam ||
Meaning: Even if one gifts 1000 elephants, horses or gifts 10 million cows or any number of vessels of silver and gold , gifts the entire land till sea, offering the entire services of the clan , helps in the marriage of 10 million women, all this is never never equal to Annadanam (Feeding the poor)
Adi Sankaracharya in his stotram praising Annapurna, the personification of plentiful food, says:
Annapurne sadapurne SankaraPranavallabhe gyanavairagya siddhyartham bhiksham dehi ca Parvati
Annapurna Devi, Goddess of Plenty, you are Lord Shiva’s eternal Consort, give us alms together with wisdom.’
"Give food, Give food. Give food", this is what Lord Krishna advises Yudhishtira in the Bhavishya Purana in his discourse on 'daanam' or the discipline of sharing, Yudhishtira asks Lord Krishna to enlighten him about the essence of Bhishma Pitamaha's erudite discourse on dharma in the 'santi parva' of the Mahabharata. Lord Krishna says: "The World, both animate and inanimate, is sustained by food. The giver of food is the giver of life and indeed of everything else. Therefore, one who is desirous of well-being in this world and beyond, should make special endeavours to give food. Also Food should be offered with venerable hospitality to the old, the child, and the tired traveller".
Bible says (Matthew 25:37-40 ) “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
And Quran says "They give food, out of love for Him (Allah), to the poor, the orphan, and the slave, saying: We feed you only for Allah's pleasure - we desire from you neither reward nor thanks." [Quran 76:8-9]
