Shloka 13
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
या वै यूयं सो5हमद्यैव भावो युष्मान् दत्त्वा चाहमात्मप्रदाता । मनश्च्युता मन एवोपपन्ना: संधुक्षध्वं सौम्यरूपोग्ररूपा:
bhīṣma uvāca |
yā vai yūyaṃ so ’ham adyaiva bhāvo yuṣmān dattvā cāham ātma-pradātā |
manaś-cyutā mana evopapannāḥ sandhukṣadhvaṃ saumya-rūpogra-rūpāḥ ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: “Wahai sapi-sapi, hakikat diri kalian itulah hakikat diriku; tiada perbedaan sejati antara kalian dan aku. Maka, dengan menghadiahkan kalian hari ini, sesungguhnya aku telah menghadiahkan diriku sendiri. Setelah berpindah dari batin sang pemberi dan tegak dalam batin sang penerima, wahai kalian yang dapat tampil lembut maupun dahsyat, anugerahkanlah kenikmatan yang diharapkan dan tumbuhkanlah kemakmuran—mendatangkan kepuasan bagi pemberi dan penerima.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dāna as a moral and inner act: the donor relinquishes possessiveness (mamatva) so completely that the gift becomes a ‘self-offering.’ The recipient’s recitation confirms the ethical transfer—ownership and mental claim move from donor to recipient—so the act is complete in both deed and intention.
Bhishma is instructing on the proper procedure of go-dāna (gift of cows). The donor recites the first half to declare identity with the cows and the sincerity of giving; the qualified Brahmin recipient recites the second half to acknowledge the transfer and to invoke the cows’ auspicious power—gentle and formidable—to bring welfare to both parties.