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Shloka 56

Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)

सब दक्षिणाओंमें सुवर्णका ही विधान है; अतः जो सुवर्ण दान करते हैं, वे सब कुछ दान करनेवाले होते हैं ।।

bhīṣma uvāca | sarva-dakṣiṇāsu suvarṇasyaiva vidhānaḥ; ataḥ ye suvarṇaṃ dadati te sarvaṃ dadati || devatās te prayacchanti ye suvarṇaṃ dadaty atha | agnir hi devatāḥ sarvāḥ suvarṇaṃ ca tad-ātmakam ||

Бхишма сказал: Среди всех жертвенных вознаграждений и даров особо предписано золото; потому дающий золото считается давшим всё. Воистину, о дающем золото говорят, что он приносит дар самим богам, ибо Агни, Священный Огонь, вмещает в себе всех божеств, а золото по природе и облику тождественно Огню.

devatāḥthe deities
devatāḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootdevatā
Formfeminine, nominative, plural
tethey
te:
Karta
TypePronoun
Roottad
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
prayacchantigrant, bestow
prayacchanti:
TypeVerb
Rootpra-√yam
Formpresent, indicative, 3rd, plural, parasmaipada
yewho
ye:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootyad
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
suvarṇamgold
suvarṇam:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootsuvarṇa
Formneuter, accusative, singular
dadatigive
dadati:
TypeVerb
Root√dā
Formpresent, indicative, 3rd, plural, parasmaipada
athathen/indeed
atha:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatha
agniḥAgni (fire)
agniḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootagni
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
hifor/indeed
hi:
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi
devatāḥthe deities
devatāḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootdevatā
Formfeminine, nominative, plural
sarvāḥall
sarvāḥ:
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva
Formfeminine, nominative, plural
suvarṇamgold
suvarṇam:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootsuvarṇa
Formneuter, nominative, singular
caand
ca:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca
tad-ātmakamof that nature/consisting of that (i.e., of Agni)
tad-ātmakam:
TypeAdjective
Roottad-ātmaka
Formneuter, nominative, singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
A
Agni (Fire)
D
Devas (the gods)
S
Suvarṇa (gold)
D
Dakṣiṇā (sacrificial fee)

Educational Q&A

Gold-giving is praised as a supreme form of dāna and dakṣiṇā: because gold is identified with Agni, and Agni is said to contain all deities, donating gold is symbolically equivalent to honoring all gods and thus counts as an all-encompassing gift.

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising on the ethics and fruits of giving. Here he elevates suvarṇa-dāna by linking it to yajña symbolism: gold is treated as the essence/form of sacrificial Fire, so its donation carries broad religious and moral merit.