Shloka 11
Chapter 85: Suvarṇasya Janma ca Pradāna-Phalam
The Origin of Gold and the Merit of Gifting
गाव ऊचु: अध्रुवा चपला च त्वं सामान्या बहुभि: सह । न त्वामिच्छाम भद्ठरं ते गम्यतां यत्र रंस्यसे
gāva ūcuḥ—adhruvā capalā ca tvaṃ sāmānyā bahubhiḥ saha | na tvām icchāma bhadraṃ te gamyatāṃ yatra raṃsyase ||
গাইবোৰে ক’লে—দেৱী! তুমি অধ্ৰুৱা আৰু চঞ্চলা; ক’তো স্থিৰ হৈ নাথাকা। তদুপৰি বহুজনৰ সৈতে তোমাৰ একে ধৰণৰ সম্পৰ্ক; সেয়ে আমি তোমাক নুচাওঁ। তোমাৰ মঙ্গল হওক—য’ত তুমি সন্তোষে থাকিব পাৰা, তাতেই যোৱা।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse criticizes instability and indiscriminate association: what is fickle and ‘common to many’ is rejected by a community seeking steadiness, exclusivity, and propriety; it also models a firm boundary set without malice (“bhadraṃ te”).
Within Bhīṣma’s discourse, the cows speak directly to a feminine addressee (addressed as ‘devi’ in the Hindi gloss), dismissing her for being restless and shared among many, and telling her to go where she can find enjoyment elsewhere.