Shloka 55
तया गवा किं क्रियते या न दोग्ध्री न गर्भिणी / कोर्ऽथ पुत्रेण जातेन यो न विद्वान्न धार्मिकः
tayā gavā kiṃ kriyate yā na dogdhrī na garbhiṇī / kor'tha putreṇa jātena yo na vidvānna dhārmikaḥ
What use is a cow that neither yields milk nor conceives? Likewise, what use is a son who is born, yet is neither learned nor righteous in dharma?
Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)
Concept: Worth is measured by dharmic fruit: a cow by milk/progeny, a son by learning and righteousness.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma as the sustaining order (ṛta/dharma) in social life; guṇa and conduct outweigh mere biological continuity.
Application: Prioritize education, character, and ethical living in raising children; evaluate success by virtue and contribution, not status alone.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.114.56–58 continue the theme: one virtuous son uplifts the lineage; quality over quantity.
FAQs
This verse states that mere birth or social identity is not the measure of worth; usefulness and honor come from vidyā (true understanding) and dharma (righteous conduct).
Indirectly, it points to the Garuda Purana’s broader principle that one’s fate is shaped by qualities and actions—wisdom and dharma—rather than by lineage alone.
Cultivate learning, character, and ethical living; measure success by integrity and responsibility, not merely by status, birth, or outward labels.