Shloka 13
Go-apahāra (Cattle Theft), Go-dāna (Cow-Gift), and Suvarṇa-dakṣiṇā (Gold Fee): Karmic Consequence and Purificatory Merit
तावुभौ समनुप्राप्ती विवदन्तौ भृशज्वरौ । भवान् दाता भवान् हर्तेत्यथ तो मामवोचताम्,'फिर तो वे दोनों आपसमें लड़ पड़े और अत्यन्त क्रोधमें भरे हुए मेरे पास आये। उनमेंसे एकने कहा--“महाराज! यह गौ आपने मुझे दानमें दी है (और यह ब्राह्मण इसे अपनी बता रहा है।)” दूसरेने कहा--“महाराज! वास्तवमें यह मेरी गाय है। आपने उसे चुरा लिया है”
tāv ubhau samanupprāptī vivadantau bhṛśajvarau | bhavān dātā bhavān hartety atha to mām avocātām ||
Entonces ambos vinieron juntos ante mí, muy alterados y disputando con fiereza. Uno dijo: «Majestad, tú eres el dador, pues me concediste esta vaca como don.» El otro dijo: «Majestad, tú eres el que toma, pues en verdad esta vaca es mía; me ha sido arrebatada.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical-legal dilemma: a king’s act can be praised as rightful giving when the gift is legitimate, or condemned as wrongful taking if the object was not truly the donor’s to give. It highlights the dharmic need to verify ownership and justice before validating gifts and transfers.
Two men arrive before Bhishma in a heated dispute over a cow. One asserts the cow was given to him by royal grant, calling the king a ‘giver’; the other claims the cow is actually his and has been taken, calling the king a ‘taker.’