Shloka 12
Nārāyaṇopadeśa to Mārkaṇḍeya (Cosmic Self-Identification and Yuga Doctrine) | नारायणोपदेशः
यावन्ति रोमाणि भवन्ति धेन्वा- स्तावत् फलं भवति गोप्रदाने । पुत्रांश्व पौत्रांश्॒ कुलं च सर्व- मासप्तमं तारयते परत्र,उस धेनुके शरीरमें जितने रोएँ होते हैं, उतने वर्षोतक दाता गोदानके पुण्य-फलका उपभोग करता है। साथ ही वह गौ परलोकमें दाताके पुत्रों, पौत्रों एवं सात पीढ़ीतकके समूचे कुलका उद्धार करती है
Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | yāvanti romāṇi bhavanti dhenvāḥ tāvat phalaṃ bhavati gopradāne | putrāṃś ca pautrāṃś ca kulaṃ ca sarvam ā-saptamaṃ tārayate paratra ||
Mārkaṇḍeya bersabda: Sebanyak bulu pada tubuh sapi, sebanyak itu pula tahun sang pemberi menikmati buah kebajikan dari hadiah sapi. Dan sapi itu pula, di alam seberang, menjadi sarana pelepasan—menyelamatkan putra-putra, cucu-cucu, serta seluruh garis keturunan hingga tujuh generasi.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the dharmic value of dāna, specifically go-pradāna (gifting a cow), presenting it as a powerful act of merit whose fruit is vast in duration and whose benefit extends beyond the donor to the lineage—up to seven generations—in the afterlife.
Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing his listeners by praising the spiritual efficacy of cow-gifting. He quantifies the merit through a traditional hyperbolic measure (as many years as hairs on the cow) and frames the act as salvific for the donor’s descendants in the next world.