Shloka 33

कपिल–स्यूमरश्मि संवादः

Kapila and Syūmaraśmi on Renunciation, Householder Support, and Epistemic Authority

Devanagari script

दानं भूताभयस्याहु: सर्वदाने भ्य उत्तमम्‌ । ब्रवीमि ते सत्यमिदं श्रद्दधधस्व च जाजले,प्राणियोंको अभयदान देना सब दानोंसे उत्तम बताया गया है। जाजले! मैं तुमसे यह सच्ची बात कहता हूँ, तुम इसपर विश्वास करो

Transliteration

dānaṃ bhūtābhayasyāhuḥ sarvadānebhya uttamam | bravīmi te satyam idaṃ śraddadhasva ca jājale ||

Translation

تولادھار نے کہا—جانداروں کو بےخوفی کا دان سب دانوں میں سب سے اعلیٰ قرار دیا گیا ہے۔ اے جاجلی! میں تم سے یہ بات سچ کہتا ہوں؛ اس پر یقین رکھو۔

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'dānam', 'definition': 'gift

• charitable giving'}, {'term': 'bhūta', 'definition': 'living being

• creature (all beings)'}, {'term': 'abhaya', 'definition': 'fearlessness

• safety'}, {'term': 'bhūtābhayasya', 'definition': 'of (the gift of) fearlessness to living beings'}, {'term': 'āhuḥ', 'definition': 'they say

• it is declared (by tradition/authorities)'}, {'term': 'sarva-dānebhyaḥ', 'definition': 'than all gifts (ablative plural: ‘from/than all gifts’)'}, {'term': 'uttamam', 'definition': 'highest

• supreme'}, {'term': 'bravīmi', 'definition': 'I say

• I declare'}, {'term': 'te', 'definition': 'to you'}, {'term': 'satyam', 'definition': 'truth'}, {'term': 'idam', 'definition': 'this'}, {'term': 'śraddadhasva', 'definition': 'have faith

• believe (imperative)'}, {'term': 'ca', 'definition': 'and'}, {'term': 'jājale', 'definition': 'O Jājali (vocative)'}]

Speaker

तुलाधार उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Tulādhāra
• Jājali

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The highest form of charity is not merely giving material goods, but ensuring living beings are free from fear—through non-violence, protection, and conduct that grants safety. This ‘abhaya-dāna’ is presented as ethically superior to all other gifts.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Tulādhāra addresses the ascetic Jājali and emphasizes a key moral principle: the supreme merit lies in giving fearlessness to creatures. He urges Jājali to accept this as a truthful, authoritative teaching.