Shloka 53

Devanagari script

पृथिवीं गाश्च दत्त्वेह यच्चान्यदपि किंचन । विशिष्यते सुवर्णस्य दानं परमकं॑ विभो

Transliteration

pṛthivīṃ gāś ca dattvā iha yac cānyad api kiṃcana | viśiṣyate suvarṇasya dānaṃ paramakaṃ vibho ||

Translation

Bhīṣma disse: “Mesmo depois de doar aqui a terra e as vacas, e tudo o mais que se possua, a dádiva de ouro sobressai como a mais elevada, ó poderoso.”

Word by Word

पृथिवीम्the earth

गाःcows

चand

दत्त्वाhaving given

इहhere (in this world)

यत्whatever

चand

अन्यत्other (anything else)

अपिalso/even

किंचनanything (at all)

विशिष्यतेis distinguished/excels

सुवर्णस्यof gold

दानम्the gift/giving

परमकम्supreme/most excellent

विभोO mighty one / O lord

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

pṛthivī (earth/land)

gāḥ (cows)

suvarṇa (gold)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Among many forms of generosity—even immense gifts like land and cows—the donation of gold is singled out as especially eminent, implying its broad usefulness and capacity to uphold dharma by supporting recipients in varied needs.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, particularly the ethics and hierarchy of gifts (dāna). Here he emphasizes the exceptional status of suvarṇa-dāna (gift of gold) compared to other major donations.