Shloka 43
Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)
ब्रह्मर्ष! एक दूसरी वस्तुका दान भी सुनो। वह वस्तु सबसे बढ़कर पावन है। उसका आकार अत्यन्त अद्भुत और दिव्य है तथा वह अग्निसे उत्पन्न हुई है ।।
Bhīṣma uvāca: Brahmarṣe! eka dvitīyā vastukā dānaṃ api śṛṇu. sā vastu sarvataḥ bṛhatī pāvanā. tasyā ākāraḥ atyanta-adbhutaḥ divyaś ca, sā ca agneḥ utpannā. dagdhvā lokān purā vīryāt sambhūtam iha śuśruma. suvarṇam iti vikhyātaṃ tad dadat siddhim eṣyasi.
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “O brahmarshi, pakinggan mo rin ang isa pang handog. Ang bagay na iyon ang pinakadalisay sa lahat. Ang anyo nito’y kamangha-mangha at maka-diyos, at isinilang mula sa apoy. Ang pangalan nito ay suvarṇa—ginto. Narinig namin na noong unang panahon, matapos sunugin ang mga daigdig, ang apoy—sa sarili nitong kapangyarihan—ay nagpakita ng ginto. Sa pag-aalay niyon, makakamtan mo ang siddhi, ang ganap na pagtatamo.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that giving gold (suvarṇa-dāna) is exceptionally purifying and leads to siddhi—successful spiritual and moral fruition—because it is regarded as a divine substance born from Agni’s potency.
In his discourse on gifts and dharma, Bhishma addresses a brahmarshi and introduces another supreme form of charity: the donation of gold, supported by a mythic etiology that gold was manifested by Agni after burning the worlds.