What is Shayana Daan and what is its spiritual significance?

Shayana Daan is the donation of a bed or bedding set (typically including a mattress, pillow, bedsheet, and blanket) and is mentioned in the Puranas as particularly auspicious for granting comfort in the afterlife and peaceful transition of ancestors. The Padma Purana explicitly connects Shayana Daan to providing rest and comfort for departed souls in Pitrulok. The scriptural rationale is that just as the departed person used a bed during their lifetime, offering a bed to a deserving Brahmin or the needy symbolically provides the soul with comfortable rest during its journey through the afterlife realms. Shayana Daan is especially recommended for families whose loved ones died after prolonged illness or suffering, because the comfort offered through this daan is believed to ease the soul”s painful memories. At Magh Mela, Shayana Daan gains special merit because the Kalpavasis — the thousands of devotees who live in tents on the Sangam sand for the entire Magh month practicing austerities — urgently need bedding for the cold winter nights. Distributing Shayana Daan to Kalpavasis combines the scriptural directive (benefit for ancestors) with the practical service of supporting those undertaking spiritual austerities.