Shloka 6
The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts
शतं गावो वृषश्चैको यत्र तिष्ठंत्ययंत्रिताः । गोचर्ममात्रां तां भूमिं प्रवदंति महर्षयः
śataṃ gāvo vṛṣaścaiko yatra tiṣṭhaṃtyayaṃtritāḥ | gocarmamātrāṃ tāṃ bhūmiṃ pravadaṃti maharṣayaḥ
Wo hundert Kühe und ein einziger Stier ungehindert stehen können, erklären die großen Weisen, dass dieser Landstrich nur dem Maß einer Kuhhaut entspricht.
Unspecified (narratorial/quoted statement within the chapter context)
Concept: Defines ‘go-carma-mātra’ land by a pragmatic standard: space sufficient for 100 cows and 1 bull to stand unrestrained.
Application: When giving, be clear and fair about boundaries and definitions; avoid ambiguity in charity and endowments so the gift truly benefits the recipient.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A wide, carefully marked rectangle of earth is shown as a living diagram: one hundred cows stand calmly within it, with a single bull at the center, all unrestrained. At the edge, sages gesture toward the boundary stones and a laid-out cowhide, teaching the definition of the measure with quiet authority.","primary_figures":["mahārṣis (sages)","herd of cows","single bull","attendant disciple (optional)"],"setting":"Open pasture near an āśrama with boundary stones, measuring rope, cowhide spread flat, and a palm-leaf text on a low wooden stand.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["pasture green","clay brown","cream white","charcoal black","sunlit amber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: didactic tableau with sages pointing to a gold-outlined land plot; inside, stylized 100 cows and one bull arranged harmoniously; cowhide and measuring rope in foreground; ornate borders with gold leaf, rich reds/greens, traditional iconographic sages with halos.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: pastoral scene with delicate cows, a single bull, and sages explaining boundaries; soft greens and browns, fine linework, gentle shadows, lyrical trees and a small āśrama hut in the background.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined cows in rhythmic pattern, central bull, sages in teaching mudrā; saturated pigments, temple mural symmetry, decorative vegetal motifs framing the ‘measurement’ lesson.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: cow-centered composition with ornate floral borders; the measured plot rendered like a sacred mandala; peacocks on corners, deep blue-green ground, gold highlights, intricate textile patterning emphasizing abundance and order."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["cowbells","birds","rustling leaves","soft hand cymbals (manjira)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वृषश्चैको = वृषः + च + एकः; तिष्ठंत्ययंत्रिताः = तिष्ठन्ति + अयन्त्रिताः; प्रवदंति = प्रवदन्ति (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेदः)
FAQs
It denotes a traditional unit/idiom of area—“as much land as a cowhide (gocarma) would cover”—used to communicate a small, defined extent of ground.
It uses a vivid spatial test: if even a large herd (100 cows) with a bull can stand without being packed or constrained, sages still classify that land as only “cowhide-measure,” emphasizing how limited that plot is by their standard.
Cows function as a dharmic symbol of sustenance and social order; the sages’ “declaration” frames the measurement as a normative, tradition-backed standard rather than a casual estimate.