Shloka 2
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
भीष्म उवाच न गोदानात् परं किंचिद् विद्यते वसुधाधिप । गौहि न््यायागता दत्ता सद्यस्तारयते कुलम्
bhīṣma uvāca | na godānāt paraṃ kiñcid vidyate vasudhādhipa | gauḥ hi nyāyāgatā dattā sadyaḥ tārayate kulam ||
Bhīṣma dijo: Oh señor de la tierra, nada supera el don de una vaca. Pues cuando se entrega en caridad una vaca obtenida por medios justos, se convierte de inmediato en causa de liberación para todo el linaje.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that cow-donation (godāna) is considered supremely meritorious, but its ethical validity depends on rightful acquisition: only a cow obtained by just means should be given, and such a gift is said to bring immediate spiritual benefit to one’s lineage.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira) and extols a specific form of charity—donating a cow—emphasizing both its exceptional merit and the requirement that the donated cow be lawfully obtained.