Shloka 27
Gavāṃ Māhātmya — Go-dāna, Yajña-ādhāra, and Goloka
Brahmā–Indra–Surabhi Itihāsa
यावन्ति रोमाणि भवन्ति धेन्वा- स्तावन्ति वर्षाणि महीयते सः । स्वर्गच्युतश्नापि ततो नूलोके प्रसूयते वै विपुले गृहे स:
yāvanti romāṇi bhavanti dhenvāḥ tāvanti varṣāṇi mahīyate saḥ | svargacyutaḥ śnāpi tato nūloke prasūyate vai vipule gṛhe saḥ ||
Vasiṣṭha berkata: “Sebanyak jumlah bulu pada tubuh seekor sapi, sebanyak itu pula tahun sang pemberi dihormati di surga. Ketika pahala itu habis dan ia jatuh dari surga, ia lahir kembali di dunia manusia dalam keluarga yang makmur.”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the karmic fruit of dāna, specifically go-dāna: a measurable heavenly reward (honor in Svarga) followed by an auspicious human rebirth (in a prosperous family) once the accumulated merit is spent.
Vasiṣṭha is describing the posthumous outcome for a person associated with the meritorious act being discussed (contextually, gifting a cow): first enjoying honor in heaven for a long duration, then returning to human birth in favorable circumstances after the heavenly merit is exhausted.