Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
पवित्राणां पवित्र हि कनकं द्विजसत्तमा: । अग्नीषोमात्मकं चैव जातरूपमुदाह्ृतम्
pavitrāṇāṃ pavitra hi kanakaṃ dvijasattamāḥ | agnīṣomātmakaṃ caiva jātarūpam udāhṛtam ||
ビーシュマは言った。「おお、二度生まれし者(ドヴィジャ)のうち最勝の者よ。黄金は、清めるものの中でもまことに最も清浄である。これは『ジャータルーパ』(jātarūpa)と宣言され、アグニとソーマの本性をその身に具える物質である。」
भीष्म उवाच
The verse elevates gold as a supremely purifying substance within dharma discourse, grounding its sanctity in Vedic symbolism by describing it as embodying the Agni–Soma principle—thus legitimizing its ritual and ethical value, especially in contexts like offerings and gifting.
Bhīṣma, instructing the ‘best of the twice-born’ in Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma teachings, explains the special purity-status of gold and gives a traditional doctrinal reason for it: gold (jātarūpa) is said to be of the nature of Agni and Soma.