Śāṇḍilī–Sumanā-saṃvāda: Sat-strī-samudācāra and Pati-dharma
Conduct of the Virtuous Wife
दानकृद्धि: कृत: पन्था येन यान्ति मनीषिण: । ते हि प्राणस्य दातारस्तेषु धर्म: प्रतिष्ठित:
dānakṛddhiḥ kṛtaḥ panthā yena yānti manīṣiṇaḥ | te hi prāṇasya dātāras teṣu dharmaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ ||
Dijo Vyāsa: El sendero ha sido trazado por quienes practican el dar; por ese mismo sendero avanzan los sabios. Pues a los dadores se les tiene por otorgadores de la vida misma, y en ellos el dharma halla su firme fundamento.
व्यास उवाच
The verse teaches that dāna (generous giving) establishes a reliable moral path for society; the wise follow this model, and dharma is said to rest upon those who sustain others through giving—so much so that they are called ‘givers of life’.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused discourse, Vyāsa emphasizes the ethical primacy of charity: he frames donors as foundational to dharma and presents their conduct as the exemplary route that thoughtful people adopt.