Shloka 1
गोप्रदानविधिः (Gopradāna-vidhi) — Procedure and Praise of Cow-Gifting
द्विसप्ततितमो< ध्याय: गौओंके लोक और गोदानविषयक युधिषछिर और इन्द्रके प्रश्न युधिछिर उवाच उक्त ते गोप्रदानं वै नाचिकेतमृषिं प्रति । माहात्म्यमपि चैवोक्तमुद्देशेन गवां प्रभो
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: uktaṃ te gopradānaṃ vai nāciketam ṛṣiṃ prati | māhātmyam api caivoktam uddeśena gavāṃ prabho ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Ô Seigneur, tu as parlé du don des vaches tel qu’il fut prescrit en rapport avec le sage Nāciketa, et tu as aussi décrit brièvement la grandeur des vaches.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames go-dāna (the gifting of cows) as a significant dharmic act and signals that the ‘greatness of cows’ has ethical and religious weight; Yudhiṣṭhira acknowledges the teaching and prepares to inquire further into its implications.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses his instructor respectfully, summarizing what has just been taught: instructions about donating cows in connection with the sage Nāciketa and a brief account of the cows’ sacred merit, setting up the next question or elaboration.