Shloka 2
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
भीष्म उवाच न गोदानात् परं किंचिद् विद्यते वसुधाधिप । गौहि न््यायागता दत्ता सद्यस्तारयते कुलम्
bhīṣma uvāca | na godānāt paraṃ kiñcid vidyate vasudhādhipa | gauḥ hi nyāyāgatā dattā sadyaḥ tārayate kulam ||
ভীষ্ম বললেন—হে বসুধাধিপ! গোধানের চেয়ে শ্রেষ্ঠ আর কিছু নেই। ন্যায়সঙ্গতভাবে প্রাপ্ত গাভী দান করলে তা তৎক্ষণাৎ সমগ্র কুলকে উদ্ধার করে।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that cow-donation (godāna) is considered supremely meritorious, but its ethical validity depends on rightful acquisition: only a cow obtained by just means should be given, and such a gift is said to bring immediate spiritual benefit to one’s lineage.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira) and extols a specific form of charity—donating a cow—emphasizing both its exceptional merit and the requirement that the donated cow be lawfully obtained.