Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

सुवर्णमेव सर्वासु दक्षिणासु विधीयते । सुवर्ण ये प्रयच्छन्ति सर्वदास्ते भवन्त्युत

Transliteration

suvarṇam eva sarvāsu dakṣiṇāsu vidhīyate | suvarṇaṃ ye prayacchanti sarvadāste bhavanty uta ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“在一切祭祀之酬礼（dakṣiṇā）中，尤以黄金为所特许。施金之人，确成恒常之施主——长住于功德与布施之心。”

Word by Word

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सर्वासु: in all
• सर्वासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• दक्षिणासु: in (all) gifts/fees (dakṣiṇās)
• दक्षिणासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• विधीयते: is prescribed/ordained
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (वि + धा)
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• सुवर्णे: in/with regard to gold
• सुवर्णे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रयच्छन्ति: give/bestow
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (प्र + यम्/यच्छ् as present-stem of दा)
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• सर्वदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भवन्ति: become/are
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• उत: and/also (emphatic)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• suvarṇa (gold)
• dakṣiṇā (ritual gift)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Gold is presented as a foremost and widely sanctioned form of dakṣiṇā; giving it cultivates a lasting identity as a giver, implying enduring merit and a stable ethical habit of generosity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising on dāna and proper gifts; here he highlights suvarṇa (gold) as a particularly prescribed dakṣiṇā and praises those who give it as constant benefactors.