Brahma Purana · Chapter 218

adharmasya gatir brahman kathitā nas tvayānagha
dharmasya ca gatiṃ śrotum icchāmo vadatāṃ vara //

kṛtvā pāpāni karmāṇi kathaṃ yānty aśubhāṃ gatim
karmaṇā ca kṛteneha kena yānti śubhāṃ gatim //

kṛtvā pāpāni karmāṇi tv adharmavaśam āgataḥ
manasā viparītena nirayaṃ pratipadyate //

mohād adharmaṃ yaḥ kṛtvā punaḥ samanutapyate
manaḥsamādhisaṃyukto na sa seveta duṣkṛtam //

yadi viprāḥ kathayate viprāṇāṃ dharmavādinām
tato 'dharmakṛtāt kṣipram aparādhāt pramucyate //

yathā yathā naraḥ samyag adharmam anubhāṣate
samāhitena manasā vimuñcati tathā tathā //

yathā yathā manas tasya duṣkṛtaṃ karma garhate
tathā tathā śarīraṃ tu tenādharmeṇa mucyate //

bhujaṃga iva nirmokān pūrvabhuktāñ jahāti tān
dattvā viprasya dānāni vividhāni samāhitaḥ //

manaḥsamādhisaṃyuktaḥ svargatiṃ pratipadyate
dānāni tu pravakṣyāmi yāni dattvā dvijottamāḥ //

naraḥ kṛtvāpy akāryāṇi tato dharmeṇa yujyate
sarveṣām eva dānānām annaṃ śreṣṭham udāhṛtam //

sarvam annaṃ pradātavyam ṛjunā dharmam icchatā
prāṇā hy annaṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ tasmāj jantuḥ prajāyate //

anne pratiṣṭhitā lokās tasmād annaṃ praśasyate
annam eva praśaṃsanti devarṣipitṛmānavāḥ //

annasya hi pradānena svargam āpnoti mānavaḥ
nyāyalabdhaṃ pradātavyaṃ dvijātibhyo 'nnam uttamam //

svādhyāyasamupetebhyaḥ prahṛṣṭenāntarātmanā
yasya tv annam upāśnanti brāhmaṇāś ca sakṛd daśa //

hṛṣṭena manasā dattaṃ na sa tiryaggatir bhavet
brāhmaṇānāṃ sahasrāṇi daśābhojya dvijottamāḥ //

naro 'dharmāt pramucyeta pāpeṣv abhirataḥ sadā
bhaikṣeṇānnaṃ samāhṛtya vipro vedapuraskṛtaḥ //

svādhyāyanirate vipre dattveha sukham edhate
ahiṃsan brāhmaṇasvāni nyāyena paripālya ca //

kṣatriyas tarasā prāptam annaṃ yo vai prayacchati
dvijebhyo vedamukhyebhyaḥ prayataḥ susamāhitaḥ //

tenāpohati dharmātmā duṣkṛtaṃ karma bho dvijāḥ
ṣaḍbhāgapariśuddhaṃ ca kṛṣer bhāgam upārjitam //

vaiśyo dadad dvijātibhyaḥ pāpebhyaḥ parimucyate
avāpya prāṇasaṃdehaṃ kārkaśyena samārjitam //

annaṃ dattvā dvijātibhyaḥ śūdraḥ pāpāt pramucyate
aurasena balenānnam arjayitvā vihiṃsakaḥ //

yaḥ prayacchati viprebhyo na sa durgāṇi sevate
nyāyenāvāptam annaṃ tu naro harṣasamanvitaḥ //

dvijebhyo vedavṛddhebhyo dattvā pāpāt pramucyate
annam ūrjaskaraṃ loke dattvorjasvī bhaven naraḥ //

satāṃ panthānam āvṛtya sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate
dānavidbhiḥ kṛtaḥ panthā yena yānti manīṣiṇaḥ //

teṣv apy annasya dātāras tebhyo dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ
sarvāvasthaṃ manuṣyeṇa nyāyenānnam upārjitam //

kāryān nyāyāgataṃ nityam annaṃ hi paramā gatiḥ
annasya hi pradānena naro yāti parāṃ gatim //

sarvakāmasamāyuktaḥ pretya cāpy aśnute sukham
evaṃ puṇyasamāyukto naraḥ pāpaiḥ pramucyate //

tasmād annaṃ pradātavyam anyāyaparivarjitam
yas tu prāṇāhutīpūrvam annaṃ bhuṅkte gṛhī sadā //

avandhyaṃ divasaṃ kuryād annadānena mānavaḥ
bhojayitvā śataṃ nityaṃ naro vedavidāṃ varam //

nyāyaviddharmaviduṣām itihāsavidāṃ tathā
na yāti narakaṃ ghoraṃ saṃsāraṃ na ca sevate //

sarvakāmasamāyuktaḥ pretya cāpy aśnute sukham
evaṃ karmasamāyukto ramate vigatajvaraḥ //

rūpavān kīrtimāṃś caiva dhanavāṃś copajāyate
etad vaḥ sarvam ākhyātam annadānaphalaṃ mahat
mūlam etat tu dharmāṇāṃ pradānānāṃ ca bho dvijāḥ //