Shloka 5
Suvarṇa-dāna: Kārttikeya’s Origin and the Defeat of Tāraka (सुवर्णदान-प्रसङ्गे कार्त्तिकेय-उत्पत्ति तथा तारकवधः)
गावस्तेज: परं प्रोक्तमिह लोके परत्र च । न गोभ्य: परमं किंचित् पवित्र भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ! गौएँ इहलोक और परलोकमें भी महान् तेजोरूप मानी गयी हैं। गौओंसे बढ़कर पवित्र कोई वस्तु नहीं है
bhīṣma uvāca | gāvas tejaḥ paraṃ proktam iha loke paratra ca | na gobhyaḥ paramaṃ kiñcit pavitraṃ bharatarṣabha |
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik di antara keturunan Bharata, sapi-sapi dinyatakan sebagai cahaya tertinggi—di dunia ini maupun di alam seberang. Tiada sesuatu pun yang lebih menyucikan daripada sapi.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that cows embody the highest sacred potency and are considered the foremost means of purification, with merit extending to both worldly life and the hereafter—supporting ideals of protection, reverence, and charitable giving connected with go-dharma.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he emphasizes the exceptional sanctity of cows, framing them as supremely purifying and spiritually radiant in both this world and the next.