Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सुवर्णमेव सर्वासु दक्षिणासु विधीयते । सुवर्ण ये प्रयच्छन्ति सर्वदास्ते भवन्त्युत

Transliteration

suvarṇam eva sarvāsu dakṣiṇāsu vidhīyate | suvarṇaṃ ye prayacchanti sarvadāste bhavanty uta ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Unter allen Formen der dakṣiṇā (Opfergaben) ist Gold besonders vorgeschrieben. Wer Gold schenkt, wird wahrlich zu einem beständigen Geber—immer gegründet in Verdienst und in der Gesinnung des Gebens.“

Word by Word

सुवर्णम्gold

एवindeed/only

सर्वासुin all

दक्षिणासुin (all) gifts/fees (dakṣiṇās)

विधीयतेis prescribed/ordained

सुवर्णेin/with regard to gold

येwho (those who)

प्रयच्छन्तिgive/bestow

सर्वदाalways

तेthey

भवन्तिbecome/are

उतand/also (emphatic)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

suvarṇa (gold)

dakṣiṇā (ritual gift)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Gold is presented as a foremost and widely sanctioned form of dakṣiṇā; giving it cultivates a lasting identity as a giver, implying enduring merit and a stable ethical habit of generosity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising on dāna and proper gifts; here he highlights suvarṇa (gold) as a particularly prescribed dakṣiṇā and praises those who give it as constant benefactors.