Shloka 12
गवां लोकवर्णनं तथा गोप्रदानफलश्रुतिः
Description of the ‘World of Cows’ and the Stated Fruits of Cow-Gift
घासमुष्टिं परगवे दद्यात् संवत्सरं तु यः । अकृत्वा स्वयमाहारं व्रतं तत् सार्वकामिकम्
ghāsamuṣṭiṁ paragave dadyāt saṁvatsaraṁ tu yaḥ | akṛtvā svayam āhāraṁ vrataṁ tat sārvakāmikam ||
Bhishma dijo: «Quien, durante un año entero, cada día da un puñado de hierba a la vaca de otro —y lo hace antes de tomar alimento él mismo— observa un voto del que se dice que cumple todos los deseos legítimos.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Prioritize compassionate giving and self-discipline: before satisfying one’s own hunger, one should first serve and sustain a dependent being (here, a cow), even with a small daily gift. Consistency over time turns a modest act into a powerful ethical vow.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he recommends a specific year-long observance: each day, before eating, one should feed a handful of grass to someone else’s cow. He declares this vow to be sārvakāmika—capable of fulfilling all (proper) aims.