The Gift Greater Than Food — Traditional Sanskrit subhashita

The gift of food is a great gift; the gift of knowledge is greater still. Food satisfies for a moment; knowledge satisfies for a whole life.

अन्नदानं परं दानं विद्यादानमतः परम् । अन्नेन क्षणिका तृप्तिर्यावज्जीवं च विद्यया ॥

annadanam param danam vidyadanam atah param | annena kshanika triptir yavajjivam ca vidyaya ||
How to say it: an-na-DAA-nam pa-ram DAA-nam, vid-yaa-DAA-nam a-tah pa-ram. an-NE-na kshan-i-KAA trip-tir, yaa-vaj-JEE-vam cha vid-YA-yaa.

The gift of food is a great gift; the gift of knowledge is greater still. Food satisfies for a moment; knowledge satisfies for a whole life.

This is the verse most people mean when they say vidya-danam mahapunyam , “the gift of knowledge is a great merit.” It does not compare food with knowledge to belittle hunger; it says that a meal ends and an understanding stays. Families teach it to children before they can read.