Shloka 52
Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)
'भृगुश्रेष्ठ! वे सोनेके बने हुए मुकुट, बाजूबंद तथा अन्य नाना प्रकारके अलंकारोंसे सुशोभित होते हैं ।।
bhṛguśreṣṭha! te soneke bane hue mukuṭa, bājūbanda tathā anya nānā prakārake alaṅkāroṃ se suśobhita hote haiṃ. tasmāt sarvapavitrebhyaḥ pavitraṃ paramaṃ smṛtam; bhūme gobhyo 'tha ratnebhyaḥ tad viddhi manujarṣabha.
Bhishma said: “O best of the Bhṛgus! They are adorned with crowns, armlets, and many other ornaments made of gold. Therefore, among all things regarded as pure, gold is remembered as the supreme purifier. Know this well, O bull among men: even compared with the earth, cows, and gems—objects esteemed as holy—gold is held to be the most purifying.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a traditional hierarchy of purity: gold (suvarṇa) is regarded as the supreme purifier, even when compared with highly revered purifying entities like earth, cows, and precious gems. In the ethical context of Anuśāsana Parva, this supports teachings on dāna (charitable gifting) and ritual propriety—gold is praised as especially auspicious and purifying when used rightly.
Bhishma, instructing as an authoritative elder, addresses a revered interlocutor (styled “best of the Bhṛgus”) and a “best of men,” describing beings adorned with gold ornaments and then drawing a doctrinal conclusion: gold is remembered in tradition as the highest purifier among sacred/pure things.