Shloka 883
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
तस्माद देवाश्न दानेन प्रीता ब्राह्मणसत्तम । “उत्तम व्रतका पालन करनेवाले ब्राह्मणशिरोमणे! तुम उत्तम श्रद्धाके साथ तपस्या करते हो; इसलिये देवता तुम्हारे दानसे अत्यन्त संतुष्ट हैं
tasmād devāś ca dānena prītā brāhmaṇasattama | uttamavratakā pālana-karaṇe brāhmaṇaśiromaṇe tvam uttamaśraddhayā tapasyaṃ karoṣi tasmāt te devā dānenātyantaṃ santuṣṭāḥ ||
Maka, wahai yang terbaik antara para brāhmaṇa, para dewa berkenan dengan pemberianmu. Wahai permata mahkota para brāhmaṇa, yang teguh memelihara ikrar-ikrar yang utama, engkau menunaikan tapa dengan śraddhā yang tertinggi; sebab itu para dewa amatlah puas dengan kemurahan hatimu.
श्षशुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that charity (dāna), when grounded in faith (śraddhā) and supported by disciplined observance of vows (vrata) and austerity (tapas), becomes spiritually efficacious—so much so that it wins the satisfaction of the gods. Ethical excellence is presented as a harmony of inner intention and outward action.
The speaker (identified here as the father-in-law) praises a brāhmaṇa addressed as ‘best’ and ‘crest-jewel,’ affirming that the deities are delighted by his acts of giving. The statement functions as commendation and validation of the recipient’s religious conduct—vow-keeping, faithful austerity, and generosity.