Shloka 16

Suvarṇa-dāna: Kārttikeya’s Origin and the Defeat of Tāraka (सुवर्णदान-प्रसङ्गे कार्त्तिकेय-उत्पत्ति तथा तारकवधः)

Devanagari script

तेन त्वमासां माहात्म्यं वेत्सि शृणु यत्‌ प्रभो । गवां प्रभाव परमं माहात्म्यं च सुरर्षभ

Transliteration

tena tvam āsāṁ māhātmyaṁ vetsi śṛṇu yat prabho | gavāṁ prabhāva paramaṁ māhātmyaṁ ca surarṣabha ||

Translation

«C’est pourquoi, ô seigneur, tu ne connais pas véritablement la grandeur de ces (vaches). Écoute, ô maître. Ô le meilleur parmi les dieux, je te dirai la puissance suprême et la majesté sacrée des vaches.»

Word by Word

• {'tena': 'therefore

• for that reason', 'tvam': 'you', 'āsām': 'of these (feminine plural genitive)

• here: of these cows', 'māhātmyam': 'greatness

• exalted glory', 'vetsi': 'you know (2nd person singular, present)', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)', 'yat': 'which

• that (introducing what is to be heard/said)', 'prabho': 'O lord

• O master', 'gavām': 'of cows (genitive plural of go)', 'prabhāvaḥ': 'power

• wondrous potency', 'paramam': 'supreme

• highest', 'ca': 'and', 'surarṣabha': 'O bull among the gods

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• cows (go/gavām)
• surarṣabha (best among the gods; addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames reverence toward cows as a matter of dharma: their spiritual greatness and beneficial potency are to be understood through attentive listening and respectful acknowledgment, not neglect.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins an instructive discourse, telling the addressed ‘best of the gods’ that he does not know the cows’ true majesty and then inviting him to listen as Bhishma explains their supreme power and sacred status.