Shloka 33
नक्षत्रेषु श्राद्धफलविधानम् (Śrāddha Outcomes According to Nakṣatras)
तस्मात् सुवर्ण मंगल्यं रत्नमक्षय्यमुत्तमम् सहमजं कार्तिकेयस्य वल्लेस्तेज: परं मतम्
bhīṣma uvāca | tasmāt suvarṇa-maṅgalyaṁ ratnam akṣayyam uttamam saha-majaṁ kārtikeyasya valler tejaḥ paraṁ matam |
Bhīṣma dit : C’est pourquoi l’or est tenu pour un joyau de bon augure et d’excellence, impérissable dans sa valeur. On dit qu’il naquit avec Kartikeya et qu’il est une manifestation suprême de l’éclat d’Agni ; ainsi le compte-t-on parmi les trésors sacrés, durables et éminents.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames gold not merely as wealth but as a dharmic, auspicious substance: it is praised as enduring (akṣayya) and spiritually significant due to its association with divine radiance (Agni’s tejas) and Kartikeya, supporting ethical use in rites, gifts, and sacred contexts.
In Bhishma’s instruction within Anushasana Parva, he explains the sanctity and auspicious status of gold, grounding its value in mythic-divine origin and in its identification with fiery splendor, thereby justifying its esteemed place in ritual and moral life.