Shloka 3

Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ

Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्तो धर्मराजेन तदा शान्तनवो नृप: । सम्यगाह गुणांस्तस्मै गोप्रदानस्य केवलान्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन! धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरके ऐसा कहनेपर उस समय शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्म केवल गोदान-सम्बन्धी गुणोंका भलीभाँति (विधिवत) वर्णन करने लगे

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: ity ukto dharmarājena tadā śāntanavo nṛpaḥ | samyag āha guṇāṁs tasmai gopradānasya kevalān ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Thus addressed by Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), the king Śāntanava (Bhīṣma) then proceeded to describe, in a proper and orderly manner, the virtues and merits that pertain specifically to the gift of cows—setting forth its ethical value as a dharmic act of generosity.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid

इतिthus

उक्तःhaving been addressed / spoken to

धर्मराजेनby Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)

तदाthen

शान्तनवःthe son/descendant of Shantanu (Bhishma)

नृपःking

सम्यक्properly, correctly

आहsaid, spoke

गुणान्merits, virtues

तस्मैto him

गोप्रदानस्यof cow-gifting (gift of cows)

केवलान्only, exclusively

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Śāntanava (Bhīṣma)

go-pradāna (gift of cows)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes