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Shloka 86

Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa

Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results

पवित्राणां पवित्र हि कनकं द्विजसत्तमा: । अग्नीषोमात्मकं चैव जातरूपमुदाह्ृतम्‌

pavitrāṇāṃ pavitra hi kanakaṃ dvijasattamāḥ | agnīṣomātmakaṃ caiva jātarūpam udāhṛtam ||

毗湿摩说道:“噢,诸二生者中最殊胜者,黄金确是诸净化之物中最为清净者。它被宣称为‘阇多卢波’(jātarūpa)——其自性本就具足阿耆尼(Agni)与苏摩(Soma)之体。”

पवित्राणाम्of the purifiers / of the sacred things
पवित्राणाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपवित्र
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
पवित्रम्the purifier / the most sacred
पवित्रम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपवित्र
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
हिindeed
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
कनकम्gold
कनकम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकनक
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
द्विजसत्तमाःO best of the twice-born (Brahmanas)
द्विजसत्तमाः:
TypeNoun
Rootद्विजसत्तम
FormMasculine, Vocative, Plural
अग्नीषोमात्मकम्having the nature of Agni and Soma
अग्नीषोमात्मकम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअग्नीषोमात्मक
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवcertainly / just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
जातरूपम्gold (lit. 'having arisen form')
जातरूपम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootजातरूप
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
उदाहृतम्is declared / is said
उदाहृतम्:
TypeVerb
Rootउद्-आ-हृ (उदाहरति)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
D
dvija (brāhmaṇas)
K
kanaka (gold)
A
Agni
S
Soma
J
jātarūpa

Educational Q&A

The verse elevates gold as a supremely purifying substance within dharma discourse, grounding its sanctity in Vedic symbolism by describing it as embodying the Agni–Soma principle—thus legitimizing its ritual and ethical value, especially in contexts like offerings and gifting.

Bhīṣma, instructing the ‘best of the twice-born’ in Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma teachings, explains the special purity-status of gold and gives a traditional doctrinal reason for it: gold (jātarūpa) is said to be of the nature of Agni and Soma.