Shloka 16

गोप्रदानगुणाः तथा कपिलागोविधानम्

Merits of Cow-Gift and the Origin-Account of Kapilā Cows

Devanagari script

एतत्‌ ते सर्वमाख्यातं निपुणेन सुरेश्वर । गोप्रदानरतानां तु फलं शृणु शतक्रतो

Transliteration

etat te sarvam ākhyātaṁ nipuṇena sureśvara | gopradānaratānāṁ tu phalaṁ śṛṇu śatakrato ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「神々の主よ、私はこれらすべてを詳らかに、しかも正確に汝に説き明かした。いま、シャタクラトゥ（百祭の主）よ、牛を施すことを喜ぶ者に帰する果報を聞け。」

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (all this)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• आख्यातम्: told/declared
• आख्यातम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु) / आख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• निपुणेन: by (me) skilled/competent
• निपुणेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निपुण
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सुरेश्वर: O lord of the gods
• सुरेश्वर: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गोप्रदानरतानाम्: of those devoted to giving cows (cow-gifts)
• गोप्रदानरतानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: गो-प्रदान-रत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शृणु: hear/listen
• शृणु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शतक्रतो: O Shatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतो: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत-क्रतु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

पितामह उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Pitamah)
• Indra (Sureshvara, Shatakratu)
• Gopradana (gift of cows)
• Goloka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames cow-gifting (go-pradāna) as a significant dharmic act and signals a shift from praising Goloka to explaining the specific spiritual merit (phala) gained by those devoted to such charity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, addressing Indra (called Sureśvara and Śatakratu), concludes a detailed account of Goloka’s greatness and introduces the next topic: the results promised to donors of cows.