Shloka 1

Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa

Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation

Devanagari script

/ अपन क्रात बछ। सं: षट्सप्ततितमो< ध्याय: गोदानकी विधि

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | vidhiṁ gavāṁ paraṁ śrotum icchāmi nṛpa tattvataḥ | yena tān śāśvatāl lokān arthināṁ prāptuyād iha ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: Wahai raja, aku ingin mendengar dengan tepat dan sebenar-benarnya tata cara tertinggi mengenai sapi—yakni upacara pemberian sapi. Dengan menempuhnya, para pencari kebajikan dapat meraih, bahkan dari dunia ini, alam-alam kekal yang didambakan.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• विधिम्: procedure, rule
• विधिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• परम्: supreme, excellent
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Tumun (infinitive), Parasmaipada (sense)

• इच्छामि: I desire
• इच्छामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, 1, Singular

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तत्त्वतः: truly, in reality
• तत्त्वतः: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: ablative adverb (tas)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शाश्वतान्: eternal
• शाश्वतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• लोकान्: worlds, realms
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अर्थिनाम्: of seekers, of those who desire (it)
• अर्थिनाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्राप्तुयात्: may obtain, might attain
• प्राप्तुयात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्
• Form: Optative, 3, Singular

• इह: here (in this world/now)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह
• Form: adverb

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• nṛpa (king, addressed interlocutor)
• go (cow)
• śāśvata-loka (eternal realms)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames go-dāna (the gifting of cows) as a high form of dāna-dharma whose efficacy depends on correct procedure (vidhi). It emphasizes that ethical giving, performed according to dharma and with proper understanding, is believed to lead to enduring spiritual reward (śāśvata-loka).

What is happening in the narrative?

At the opening of this chapter, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a kingly authority (in context, Bhīṣma as the instructing elder) and requests a precise explanation of the best method for gifting cows, motivated by the desire to know how seekers can attain eternal realms through this charitable act.