Shloka 17

यानीमान्युत्तमानीह वेदोक्तानि प्रशंससि । तेषां श्रेष्ठतरं दानमिति मे नात्र संशय:,तुम जिन-जिन वेदोक्त उत्तम कर्मोंकी यहाँ प्रशंसा करते हो, उन सबयमें दान ही श्रेष्ठतर है, इस विषयमें मुझे संशय नहीं है

vyāsa uvāca | yānīmāny uttamānīha vedoktāni praśaṃsasi | teṣāṃ śreṣṭhataraṃ dānam iti me nātra saṃśayaḥ |

Vyāsa berkata: “Antara amalan-amalan unggul yang disahkan oleh Veda yang engkau puji di sini, aku tidak ragu bahawa pemberian (dāna) adalah yang paling utama.”

यानिwhich (things)
यानि:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
इमानिthese
इमानि:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
उत्तमानिexcellent/best
उत्तमानि:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootउत्तम
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
इहhere
इह:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह
वेदोक्तानिenjoined/said in the Veda
वेदोक्तानि:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootवेदोक्त
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
प्रशंससिyou praise
प्रशंससि:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-शंस्
FormPresent, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada, Active
तेषाम्of those
तेषाम्:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
श्रेष्ठतरम्better/superior
श्रेष्ठतरम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रेष्ठतर
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
दानम्gift/charity
दानम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदान
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
इतिthus
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
मेto me / my
मे:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अत्रhere/in this matter
अत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअत्र
संशयःdoubt
संशयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसंशय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

व्यास उवाच

V
Vyāsa
V
Veda
D
dāna (charitable giving)

Educational Q&A

That among Veda-approved righteous acts, dāna (generous giving) is regarded as the श्रेष्ठतर—most superior—because it directly supports others and embodies compassion and social responsibility within dharma.

Vyāsa addresses a listener who has been praising various Vedicly enjoined ‘excellent’ deeds, and he clarifies the hierarchy: he asserts confidently that charity surpasses the others in excellence.