Shloka 43
Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)
अतश्चर्मण्वती राजन् गोचर्मभ्य: प्रवर्तिता । पशुत्वाच्च विनिर्मुक्ता: प्रदानायोपकल्पिता:
Bhīṣma uvāca: ataś carmaṇvatī rājan gocarmabhyaḥ pravartitā | paśutvāc ca vinirmuktāḥ pradānāyopakalpitāḥ ||
ભીષ્મે કહ્યું— “અતએવ, રાજન, ગાયોના ચર્મોથી ચર્મણ્વતી નામની નદી વહેવા લાગી. તે ગાયો પશુત્વથી મુક્ત હતી; તે દાન માટે જ નિર્ધારિત હતી.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma underscores the dharmic gravity of dāna: what is designated for gifting—especially cows in royal rites—should be treated as sacred and ethically protected, not reduced to mere consumable property.
Bhishma explains an etiological tradition: the river Carmaṇvatī is said to have arisen from cow-hides connected with King Rantideva’s great sacrificial-gifting context, emphasizing that the cows involved were specifically set apart for donation and thus 'freed' from ordinary sacrificial-animal status.