Shloka 57

Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ सुवर्ण ददता दत्ता: सर्वाः सम देवता: । भवन्ति पुरुषव्याप्र न हतः परमं विदुः

Transliteration

tasmāt suvarṇaṃ dadatā dattāḥ sarvāḥ sama-devatāḥ | bhavanti puruṣavyāghra na hi tataḥ paramaṃ viduḥ ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「ゆえに、人中の虎よ、黄金を施すとき、それはあらゆる神々に等しく施したものと見なされる。だから賢者は、黄金の施与に勝る施しを認めない。」

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ददता: by (one) giving
• ददता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (ददाति)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दत्ताः: given
• दत्ताः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (दत्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• समदेवताः: all the deities together / the entire host of gods
• समदेवताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: समदेवता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• भवन्ति: become/are
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (भवति)
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural

• पुरुषव्याघ्र: O tiger among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषव्याघ्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हतः: surpassed/defeated (lit. struck down)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (हत)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परम्: higher/superior
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विदुः: know/consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (वेद/विद्)
• Form: Perfect (Vedic/epic usage), Indicative, Third, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• deities (devatāḥ)
• gold (suvarṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the exalted merit of giving gold: it is treated as an offering that reaches all deities equally, and thus is praised as among the highest forms of dāna.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising (addressing his listener as ‘puruṣavyāghra’) about the relative excellence of gifts, asserting the preeminence of suvarṇa-dāna.