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,भीष्मजीने कहा--पृथ्वीनाथ! गोदानसे बढ़कर कुछ भी नहीं है। यदि न्यायपूर्वक प्राप्त हुई गौका दान किया जाय तो वह समस्त कुलका तत्काल उद्धार कर देती है
bhīṣma uvāca | na godānāt paraṃ kiñcid vidyate vasudhādhipa | gauḥ hi nyāyāgatā dattā sadyaḥ tārayate kulam ||
Bhīṣma dit : Ô seigneur de la terre, rien ne surpasse le don d’une vache. Car lorsqu’une vache acquise par des moyens justes est offerte en aumône, elle devient aussitôt cause de délivrance pour toute la lignée.
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.