Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 453

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

Devanagari script

तन्निबोध महाबाहो सर्व निगदतो मम । 'सुवर्णका दान तुम्हें उत्तम फल देगा; क्योंकि वह दानके लिये सर्वोत्तम बताया जाता है। महाबाहो! सुवर्णका जो स्वरूप है

Transliteration

tan nibodha mahābāho sarvaṃ nigadato mama | suvarṇakā dānaṃ tubhyaṃ uttamaṃ phalaṃ dāsyati; yasmād dānārthe śreṣṭhatamaṃ prakīrtitam | mahābāho! suvarṇakā yad rūpaṃ, yasmāt sambhūtaṃ, yathā ca viśeṣa-guṇakārī, tat sarvaṃ te bravīmi—śṛṇu me |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大臂者啊，当听我尽言。布施黄金将赐你最上之果，因为它被宣称为诸施之最胜。大臂者啊，我将详说黄金之形相、其所从生，以及它如何具足殊胜功效——听我说。”

Word by Word

• {'tan': 'that

• this (what follows)', 'nibodha': 'understand

• grasp (imperative)', 'mahābāho': 'O mighty-armed one (epithet, typically addressing Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'sarvam': 'everything

• the whole matter', 'nigadataḥ': 'while speaking

• as I declare/explain', 'mama': 'of me

• by me', 'suvarṇakā': 'gold (as a substance

• also ‘golden object/coin’ depending on context)', 'dānam': 'gift

• act of giving (charity)', 'tubhyam': 'to you

• for you', 'uttamam': 'highest

• best', 'phalam': 'fruit

• result (spiritual/ethical merit)', 'dāsyati': 'will give

• will bestow', 'yasmāt': 'because

• since', 'dānārthe': 'for the purpose of giving

• in the context of charity', 'śreṣṭhatamam': 'the very best

• most excellent', 'prakīrtitam': 'is proclaimed

• is celebrated', 'rūpam': 'form

• characteristics', 'yasmāt (sambhūtam)': 'from which (it is) produced

• origin', 'sambhūtam': 'arisen

• produced', 'yathā': 'how

• in what manner', 'viśeṣa-guṇakārī': 'producing special qualities/benefits

• exceptionally efficacious', 'tat sarvam': 'all that', 'bravīmi': 'I tell

• I explain', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)', 'me': 'to me

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Mahabaho (addressee, traditionally Yudhishthira)
• Suvarṇa (gold)
• Dāna (charitable gift)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that giving gold (suvarṇa-dāna) is regarded as among the सर्वोत्तम (best) forms of charity, yielding ‘uttama phala’—a superior ethical and spiritual result—when done with the proper intention and understanding of its significance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma addresses the listener (commonly Yudhiṣṭhira) and introduces a focused teaching: he will explain the nature, origin, and special efficacy of gold, to justify why gold-gifting is praised as an excellent dāna.