Shloka 1

गवां लोकवर्णनं तथा गोप्रदानफलश्रुतिः

Description of the ‘World of Cows’ and the Stated Fruits of Cow-Gift

Devanagari script

अप्--रू+ एकोनसप्ततितमो<ध्याय: गोदानकी महिमा तथा गौओं और ब्राह्मणोंकी रक्षासे पुण्यकी प्राप्ति युधिछिर उवाच भूय एव कुरुश्रेष्ठ दानानां विधिमुत्तमम्‌ । कथयस्व महाप्राज्ञ भूमिदानं विशेषत:

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |

Bhūya eva kuruśreṣṭha dānānāṁ vidhim uttamam |

Kathayasva mahāprājña bhūmidānaṁ viśeṣataḥ ||

Translation

Chapter sixty-ninth: on the greatness of gifting cows, and on the merit gained by protecting cows and Brāhmaṇas. Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O best of the Kurus, once again describe the highest rule and proper method of giving. O great sage, explain in particular the significance of gifting land.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'भूयः (bhūyaḥ)', 'definition': 'again

• once more'}, {'term': 'एव (eva)', 'definition': 'indeed

• emphatically'}, {'term': 'कुरुश्रेष्ठ (kuruśreṣṭha)', 'definition': 'best among the Kurus

• an honorific address'}, {'term': 'दानानाम् (dānānām)', 'definition': 'of gifts

• of acts of charity'}, {'term': 'विधिम् (vidhim)', 'definition': 'rule

• proper method'}, {'term': 'उत्तमम् (uttamam)', 'definition': 'highest

• best'}, {'term': 'कथयस्व (kathayasva)', 'definition': 'tell

• explain (imperative)'}, {'term': 'महाप्राज्ञ (mahāprājña)', 'definition': 'greatly wise

• very learned (vocative)'}, {'term': 'भूमिदानम् (bhūmidānam)', 'definition': 'gift of land'}, {'term': 'विशेषतः (viśeṣataḥ)', 'definition': 'especially

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuru (dynasty)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dāna (charitable giving) as a dharmic practice that requires proper method (vidhi), and it highlights bhūmidāna (gifting land) as a particularly weighty form of charity deserving special explanation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking guidance on righteous conduct, respectfully asks the elder teacher he is addressing as ‘best of the Kurus’ and ‘greatly wise’ to restate the best procedures of giving and to focus specifically on the merits and significance of donating land.