Shloka 19

Śāṇḍilī–Sumanā-saṃvāda: Sat-strī-samudācāra and Pati-dharma

Conduct of the Virtuous Wife

Devanagari script

यथा वेदा: स्वधीताश्ष यथा चेन्द्रियसंयम: । सर्वत्यागो यथा चेह तथा दानमनुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

yathā vedāḥ svadhītāś ca yathendriya-saṃyamaḥ | sarva-tyāgo yathā ceha tathā dānam anuttamam ||

Translation

Dijo Vyāsa: Así como el estudio diligente de los Vedas, el dominio de los sentidos y la renuncia a todas las posesiones se tienen por excelentes, así también en este mundo la caridad (dāna) es tenida por supremamente excelente.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वधीताः: well-studied (by oneself)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व-अधीत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• इन्द्रियसंयमः: restraint of the senses
• इन्द्रियसंयमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय-संयम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वत्यागः: renunciation of everything
• सर्वत्यागः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-त्याग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• इह: here, in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• तथा: so, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• दानम्: giving, charity
• दानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Vedas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse ranks dāna (charitable giving) among the highest virtues, placing it alongside Vedic study, sense-control, and total renunciation—implying that generosity is a central, practical expression of dharma in worldly life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is instructing on dharma in the Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic context, emphasizing the excellence of charity by comparing it to other revered disciplines such as Vedic learning, self-restraint, and complete renunciation.