Shloka 20
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
देवव्रती स्याद् वृषभप्रदाने वेदावाप्तिगोयुगस्य प्रदाने । तथा गवां विधिमासाद्य यज्वा लोकानग्रयान् विन्दते नाविधिज्ञ:
bhīṣma uvāca | devavratī syād vṛṣabhapradāne vedāvāptigoyugasya pradāne | tathā gavāṁ vidhim āsādya yajvā lokān agrayān vindate nāvidhijñaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «En offrant un taureau, l’homme devient un devavrata, ferme dans la discipline sacrée. En offrant une paire de bêtes (une vache avec un taureau), il accède aux Veda, au vrai savoir sacré. Et celui qui accomplit le rite du don de vaches selon la procédure correcte atteint les mondes les plus élevés. Mais celui qui ignore la règle prescrite n’obtient pas le fruit supérieur.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity yields graded spiritual results, but only when performed with knowledge of dharma and proper ritual procedure (vidhi). The verse stresses that intention alone is not enough; correct method and understanding are integral to the fruit of dāna.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anuśāsana Parva), he explains the merits of specific gifts—bull-gift, cow-and-bull gift, and properly conducted cow-gift rites—while warning that ignorance of prescribed rules diminishes or negates the highest results.