Shloka 53
Vāraṇāvata-prasaṃsā and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure (वरणावत-प्रशंसा तथा पाण्डव-प्रयाणम्)
विशुद्धमिच्छन् गाड़ेय धर्मोपेतं प्रतिग्रहम् अन्तादन्तं परिक्रम्य नाध्यगच्छ॑ पयस्विनीम्
viśuddham icchan gāḍeya dharmopetaṃ pratigraham | antād antaṃ parikramya nādhyagacchaṃ payasvinīm ||
ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಓ ಗಾಡೇಯ! ಧರ್ಮೋಪೇತವಾದ ಶುದ್ಧ ಪ್ರತಿಗ್ರಹವನ್ನು ಬಯಸಿ ನಾನು ಆ ದೇಶವನ್ನು ಅಂಚಿನಿಂದ ಅಂಚುವರೆಗೆ ಸುತ್ತಾಡಿದೆನು; ಆದರೂ ಹಾಲು ಕೊಡುವ ಗೋವನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳಲಿಲ್ಲ.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes ethical restraint in seeking charity: one should accept gifts only in a way that does not harm the donor’s livelihood or religious duties, and should seek a ‘pure’ (viśuddha) gift consistent with dharma.
The speaker explains that he traveled widely looking for a milk-giving cow to receive as a lawful gift, but avoided asking poor Brahmins with few cows so they would not suffer in their agnihotra and daily rites; despite repeated wandering, he could not find such a cow.