Shloka 16
Śāṇḍilī–Sumanā-saṃvāda: Sat-strī-samudācāra and Pati-dharma
Conduct of the Virtuous Wife
शुभं सर्वपवित्रेभ्यो दानमेव परं द्विज । नो चेत् सर्वपवित्रेभ्यो दानमेव परं भवेत्
śubhaṃ sarvapavitrebhyo dānam eva paraṃ dvija | no cet sarvapavitrebhyo dānam eva paraṃ bhavet |
ವ್ಯಾಸನು ಹೇಳಿದರು— “ಓ ದ್ವಿಜ, ಎಲ್ಲ ಪವಿತ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ಶುಭಕರ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ದಾನವೇ ಪರಮ. ದಾನವು ಎಲ್ಲ ಪವಿತ್ರಕರ್ಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠವಾಗಿರದಿದ್ದರೆ, ವೇದ-ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಇಷ್ಟು ಪ್ರಶಂಸೆ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that dāna (charitable giving) is the highest among purifying and auspicious practices; its exceptional praise in Vedic and śāstric tradition is presented as evidence of its supreme ethical and spiritual value.
Vyāsa addresses a ‘dvija’ (a Brahmin interlocutor) and asserts a hierarchy of virtues: among all acts considered pure, giving stands foremost, and the scriptural tradition’s repeated commendation is cited to reinforce this claim.