Shloka 12

गोप्रदानविधिः (Gopradāna-vidhi) — Procedure and Praise of Cow-Gifting

Devanagari script

कीदृशी दक्षिणा चैव गोप्रदाने विशिष्यते । एतत्‌ तथ्येन भगवन्‌ मम शंसितुमहसि

Transliteration

śakra uvāca |

kīdṛśī dakṣiṇā caiva gopradāne viśiṣyate |

etat tathyenā bhagavan mama śaṃsitum arhasi ||

Translation

Śakra sprach: „Welche Art von dakṣiṇā — Ehrengabe oder begleitendes Geschenk — gilt als besonders angemessen, wenn man Kühe verschenkt? O Ehrwürdiger, du sollst mir dies wahrheitsgemäß darlegen.“

Word by Word

कीदृशीwhat kind (of)

दक्षिणाgift; sacrificial fee/donation

चand

एवindeed; just

गो-प्रदानेin the giving of cows (cow-donation)

विशिष्यतेis distinguished; excels

एतत्this

तथ्येनtruthfully; with the truth

भगवन्O venerable one; O Lord

ममof me; my

शंसितुम्to tell; to declare

अर्हसिyou ought; you are fit (to)

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śakra (Indra)

dakṣiṇā

gopradāna (gift of cows)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dāna as not merely an act of giving but one guided by dharma: the donor should know what accompanying dakṣiṇā is ethically and ritually fitting, and seek truthful instruction rather than acting from guesswork or display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) asks a revered authority to explain, truthfully, what kind of dakṣiṇā is especially appropriate when performing gopradāna (the donation of cows), indicating a discussion on proper norms of charitable giving.