Shloka 27
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
तथा राजा पृथुकर्मा दिलीपो दिवं प्राप्तो गोप्रदानैरविधिज्ञ: । यज्जैदनिस्तपसा राजधर्म- मॉन्धाताभूद् गोप्रदानैश्व युक्ता:
bhīṣma uvāca | tathā rājā pṛthukarmā dilīpo divaṃ prāpto gopradānair avidhijñaḥ | yajjaiś ca dānais tapasā rājadharmair māndhātābhūd gopradānaiś ca yuktaḥ | uśīnaraḥ viśvagas ca nṛgaḥ bhagīrathaḥ suvikhyātaḥ yuvanāśvakumāraḥ mahārājo māndhātā rājā mucukundaḥ bhūridyumnaḥ niṣadhanareśo nalaḥ somakaḥ purūravāḥ cakravartī bharataḥ | yeṣāṃ vaṃśe bhavantaḥ sarve rājānaḥ bhāratāḥ ity ucyante | daśarathanandano vīraḥ śrīrāmaḥ anye ca vikhyātakīrtayo nareśāḥ tathā mahākarmā rājā dilīpaḥ | ete sarve vidhijñā nṛpā gōdānena svargalokaṃ prāptāḥ | rājā māndhātā tu yajña-dāna-tapasā rājadharma-gopradānādibhiḥ sarvaiḥ śreṣṭhaguṇaiḥ sampannaḥ āsīt ||
Bhishma dit : «De même, le roi Dilīpa—célèbre par l’ampleur de ses œuvres—atteignit le ciel par des dons de vaches. De même encore, Māndhātṛ était pourvu de sacrifices, de charité, d’austérité, des devoirs de la royauté et, surtout, du don de vaches. Ainsi Uśīnara, Viśvaga, Nṛga, Bhāgīratha, le fils illustre de Yuvanāśva, le grand roi Māndhātṛ, le roi Mucukunda, Bhūridyumna, Nala seigneur de Naiṣadha, Somaka, Purūravas et Bharata le monarque universel—de la lignée duquel naquirent les rois appelés “Bhārata”—ainsi que le héros Śrī Rāma, fils de Daśaratha, avec d’autres souverains fameux et le grand Dilīpa : tous ces rois, connaissant la règle juste, parvinrent au monde céleste grâce au mérite des dons de vaches. Māndhātṛ, en particulier, était accompli dans les plus hautes vertus : sacrifice, don, austérité, devoir royal et pratique du don de vaches.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma presents cow-gifting (go-dāna) as a premier royal charity that, when performed in accordance with proper norms and alongside yajña, dāna, tapas, and rājadharma, leads to great merit and the attainment of heaven; exemplary kings are cited to model this ethical ideal.
In his instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma lists renowned kings—Dilīpa, Māndhātṛ and others—who are said to have reached svarga through righteous giving, especially go-dāna, thereby reinforcing to the listener that ideal kingship is measured by disciplined duty and generous support of society.