Shloka 10
गोप्रदानविधिः (Gopradāna-vidhi) — Procedure and Praise of Cow-Gifting
बद्दीनां कीदृशं दानमल्पानां वापि कीदृशम् । अदत्त्वा गोप्रदा: सन्ति केन वा तच्च शंस मे
śakra uvāca |
bahūnāṃ kīdṛśaṃ dānam alpānāṃ vāpi kīdṛśam |
adattvā gopradāḥ santi kena vā tac chaṃsa me ||
«Quelle est la nature du don lorsqu’on offre beaucoup de vaches, et quelle est-elle lorsqu’on n’en offre que peu ? Et par quel moyen, même sans donner réellement des vaches, certains en viennent-ils à être tenus pour égaux à ceux qui en font don ? Dis-le-moi.»
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry into dāna: the value of giving depends not only on quantity (many vs. few cows) but also on the principle by which merit may be attained—raising the question of intention, capacity, and alternative forms of equivalent righteousness.
Indra (Śakra), as the speaker, asks for clarification about the merit and proper character of cow-gifts—both large and small—and seeks to know what practice can make someone comparable to a cow-donor even if they cannot perform an actual go-dāna.