Shloka 11
Suvarṇa-janma and Dakṣiṇā-Māhātmya
Origin and Supremacy of Gold as Ritual Fee
धेनुं सवत्सां कपिलां भूरिश्गीं कांस्योपदोहां वसनोत्तरीयाम् । प्रदाय तां गाहति दुर्विगाह्ां याम्यां सभां वीतभयो मनुष्य:
dhenuṁ savatsāṁ kapilāṁ bhūriśṛṅgīṁ kāṁsyopadohāṁ vasanottarīyām | pradāya tāṁ gāhati durvigāhāṁ yāmyāṁ sabhāṁ vītabhayo manuṣyaḥ ||
Vasiṣṭha berkata: Seseorang yang mendermakan kepada seorang brāhmaṇa seekor sapi kapilā (kecokelatan) beserta anaknya—bertanduk besar, disertai bejana perah dari perunggu, dan diselubungi kain—memasuki sidang Yama yang sukar dimasuki tanpa rasa takut.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that properly performed dāna—here, gifting an auspicious cow with calf and necessary accessories to a brāhmaṇa—has strong dharmic merit that removes fear at Yama’s judgment, symbolizing moral confidence rooted in generosity.
Vasiṣṭha describes the fruit (phala) of a specific charitable act: after donating a kapilā cow (with calf, cloth covering, and a bronze milking vessel), the donor is said to enter Yama’s difficult court without fear, implying favorable reception in the afterlife due to dharma.