Shloka 13
Go-apahāra (Cattle Theft), Go-dāna (Cow-Gift), and Suvarṇa-dakṣiṇā (Gold Fee): Karmic Consequence and Purificatory Merit
तावुभौ समनुप्राप्ती विवदन्तौ भृशज्वरौ । भवान् दाता भवान् हर्तेत्यथ तो मामवोचताम्
tāv ubhau samanupprāptī vivadantau bhṛśajvarau | bhavān dātā bhavān hartety atha to mām avocātām ||
Lalu keduanya datang kepadaku, sangat gelisah dan menyala oleh amarah, sambil bertengkar. Yang satu berkata, “Paduka adalah pemberi, sebab sapi ini Paduka anugerahkan kepadaku.” Yang lain berkata, “Paduka adalah pengambil, sebab sesungguhnya sapi ini milikku; ia telah diambil dariku.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical-legal dilemma: a king’s act can be praised as rightful giving when the gift is legitimate, or condemned as wrongful taking if the object was not truly the donor’s to give. It highlights the dharmic need to verify ownership and justice before validating gifts and transfers.
Two men arrive before Bhishma in a heated dispute over a cow. One asserts the cow was given to him by royal grant, calling the king a ‘giver’; the other claims the cow is actually his and has been taken, calling the king a ‘taker.’