Shloka 5
Brāhmaṇa-māhātmya: Tārkṣya’s instruction on tapas, satya, and svadharma
Chapter 182
कस्माच्चिद् दानयोगाद्धि सत्यमेव विशिष्यते । सत्यवाक्याच्च राजेन्द्र किंचिद् दानं विशिष्यते,राजेन्द्र! किसी दानसे सत्यका ही महत्त्व बढ़ जाता है और कोई-कोई दान ही सत्यभाषणसे अधिक महत्त्व रखता है
kasmāccid dānayogād dhi satyam eva viśiṣyate | satyavākyāc ca rājendra kiṃcid dānaṃ viśiṣyate ||
Con rắn nói: “Trong một vài trường hợp, giữa các con đường bố thí, chỉ có chân thật là tối thượng. Nhưng, hỡi bậc vua tối thượng, cũng có những món thí tặng mà công đức còn vượt cả việc nói lời chân thật.”
सर्प उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a nuanced ethical hierarchy: truthfulness is generally exalted, yet the tradition also recognizes that certain acts of giving—especially those that protect life, relieve extreme suffering, or uphold dharma—can be considered even more meritorious than merely speaking truth.
A serpent addresses a king respectfully as “rājendra” and introduces a moral comparison between satya (truth) and dāna (charitable giving), preparing the ground for a broader instruction on dharma where context determines which virtue takes precedence.