Shloka 231
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
कामानू् सर्वान् पार्थिवानेकसंस्थान् यो वै दद्यात् कामदुघांच धेनुम् । सम्यक्ता: स्युर्हव्यकव्यौघवत्य- स्तासामुक्ष्णां ज्यायसां सम्प्रदानम्
kāmānū sarvān pārthivānekasaṃsthān yo vai dadyāt kāmadughāṃ ca dhenum | samyaktāḥ syur havyakavyaughavatyaḥ tāsām ukṣṇāṃ jyāyasāṃ sampradānam
Bhishma said: Whoever gives all royal pleasures in their many forms, and also donates a wish-fulfilling cow, makes his sacrificial and ancestral offerings fully effective and abundant. Yet, even greater than those gifts is the proper giving of strong, superior bulls (for breeding and sustaining cattle), for such a donation supports lasting prosperity and the continuity of righteous household life.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that gifts should be evaluated by their dharmic impact: beyond luxurious or symbolic gifts, the highest giving is that which sustains life and righteous livelihood—here, donating superior bulls that ensure ongoing cattle prosperity, thereby supporting household duties, sacrifice, and ancestral rites.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dāna within the Anushasana Parva, he compares different donations. He states that giving royal pleasures and a wish-fulfilling cow brings abundance to offerings for gods and ancestors, but he then elevates the donation of excellent bulls as an even greater, more enduring gift.