Shloka 13

Suvarṇa-janma and Dakṣiṇā-Māhātmya

Origin and Supremacy of Gold as Ritual Fee

Devanagari script

नात: पुण्यतरं दानं॑ नात: पुण्यतरं फलम्‌ | नातो विशिष्ट लोकेषु भूतं॑ भवितुमरहति

Transliteration

nātaḥ puṇyataraṁ dānaṁ nātaḥ puṇyataraṁ phalam | nāto viśiṣṭaṁ lokeṣu bhūtaṁ bhavitum arhati |

Translation

瓦西什塔说道：“没有任何布施比施牛更具功德；没有任何果报比由施牛所生之果更具功德。在诸世界之中，没有任何众生应被视为比牛更为卓越。”

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अतः: than this; from this
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

• पुण्यतरम्: more meritorious
• पुण्यतरम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्यतर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• दानम्: gift; charity
• दानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अतः: than this; from this
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

• पुण्यतरम्: more meritorious
• पुण्यतरम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्यतर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अतः: than this; from this
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

• विशिष्टः: more excellent; superior
• विशिष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशिष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोकेषु: in the worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• भूतम्: being; creature
• भूतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• भवितुम्: to become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun)

• अर्हति: is worthy; deserves
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• go (cow)
• loka (the worlds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates go-dāna (the gifting of a cow) as the highest form of charity, asserting that its spiritual merit and resulting reward surpass other gifts, and that the cow is uniquely excellent among beings across the worlds.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, the sage Vasiṣṭha delivers a dharma-teaching that ranks forms of dāna, praising go-dāna as supremely meritorious and ethically exemplary.