Shloka 8
Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ
Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers
बलान्विता: शीलवयोपपन्ना: सर्वे प्रशंसन्ति सुगन्धवत्य: । यथा हि गंगा सरितां वरिष्ठा तथार्जुनीनां कपिला वरिष्ठा
balānvitāḥ śīlavayopapannāḥ sarve praśaṃsanti sugandhavatyaḥ | yathā hi gaṅgā saritāṃ variṣṭhā tathārjunīnāṃ kapilā variṣṭhā ||
Bhishma said: “Endowed with strength, and possessed of good conduct and youthful vigor, all people praise the fragrant ones. Just as the Ganga is the foremost among rivers, so Kapilā is the foremost among Arjunī cows.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma highlights a dharmic valuation of excellence and auspicious qualities: beings or gifts that are strong, well-conducted, and auspicious (here, fragrant and exemplary cows) are universally praised; Kapilā is presented as preeminent among Arjunī cows, like the Ganga among rivers—supporting the ethical ideal of offering the best in acts of charity.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (especially gifts and their merits), he uses a well-known comparison: as the Ganga is foremost among rivers, so Kapilā is foremost among a celebrated class of cows (Arjunī), underscoring which offerings are considered most praiseworthy.