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Shloka 28

Adhyāya 60: Dāna vs. Yajña—Royal Giving, Protection, and Karmic Share

प्रयच्छते य: कपिलां सवत्सां कांस्योपदोहां कनकाग्रशृंगीम्‌ । तैस्तैर्गुणै: कामदुहास्य भूत्वा नरं प्रदातारमुपैति सा गौ:

prayacchate yaḥ kapilāṃ savatsāṃ kāṃsyopadohāṃ kanakāgraśṛṅgīm | taistair guṇaiḥ kāmaduhāsyabhūtvā naraṃ pradātāramupaiti sā gauḥ ||

قال فايشامبايانا: من يتصدّق ببقرةٍ شقراء مع عجلها، ومع إناءٍ لحلب اللبن من معدن الجرس، وتكون أطراف قرونها مطلية بالذهب—فإن تلك البقرة، بما فيها من تلك الفضائل عينها، تأتي إلى المُعطي كأنها كَامَذِينُو، بقرةُ قضاءِ الرغبات، حاملةً له ثمرَ عطائه.

प्रयच्छतेgives, bestows
प्रयच्छते:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-यम् (यच्छति)
FormLat (Present), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
यःwho
यः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद् (यः)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कपिलाम्a tawny/brown cow
कपिलाम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकपिला
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
सवत्साम्with a calf
सवत्साम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसवत्सा
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
कांस्योपदोहाम्having a milking-vessel of bell-metal (bronze)
कांस्योपदोहाम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootकांस्य-उपदोहा
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
कनकाग्रशृङ्गीम्whose horn-tips are of gold
कनकाग्रशृङ्गीम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootकनक-अग्र-शृङ्गिन् (स्त्री. शृङ्गी)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
तैःby those
तैः:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
तैःby those (same)
तैः:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
गुणैःqualities, attributes
गुणैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootगुण
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
कामदुहाwish-fulfilling cow (Kamadhenu)
कामदुहा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकामदुघ् (स्त्री. कामदुहा)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
अस्यto/for him; of him
अस्य:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootइदम् (अयम्/अस्य)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
भूत्वाhaving become
भूत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
Formक्त्वा (Absolutive/Gerund), Active
नरम्the man
नरम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
प्रदातारम्the giver, donor
प्रदातारम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootप्रदातृ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
उपैतिapproaches, comes to
उपैति:
TypeVerb
Rootउप-इ (एति)
FormLat (Present), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
साthat (she)
सा:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद् (सा)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
गौःcow
गौः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगो
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
K
kapilā gauḥ (tawny cow)
V
vatsa (calf)
K
kāṃsya upadoha (bell-metal milking vessel)
K
kanaka (gold) on horn-tips
K
kāmaduhā (wish-fulfilling cow concept)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches dāna-dharma: a gift offered with completeness and auspicious attributes (cow with calf, proper vessel, honored adornment) yields corresponding merit, returning to the donor as sustained welfare—symbolized by the cow becoming a kāmaduhā (wish-fulfiller).

Vaiśampāyana describes the fruit of donating a specially qualified cow. The act of giving is portrayed as generating a tangible, beneficent result: the donated cow ‘comes’ to the giver in effect, as a source of desired benefits, i.e., the karmic and ethical reward of the charity.