Shloka 12
Go-apahāra (Cattle Theft), Go-dāna (Cow-Gift), and Suvarṇa-dakṣiṇā (Gold Fee): Karmic Consequence and Purificatory Merit
अपश्यत् परिमार्गश्ष तां गां परगृहे द्विज: । ममेयमिति चोवाच ब्राह्णो यस्य साभवत्
apaśyat parimārgamāṇaḥ tāṃ gāṃ paragṛhe dvijaḥ | mamaiyam iti covāca brāhmaṇo yasya sābhavat ||
ಕೆಲವು ದಿನಗಳ ಬಳಿಕ ಆ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನು ಮರಳಿ ಬಂದು ತನ್ನ ಹಸುವನ್ನು ಹುಡುಕತೊಡಗಿದನು. ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗಿ ಅದು ಮತ್ತೊಬ್ಬನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡಾಗ, ಅದು ಮೊದಲು ಯಾರದ್ದಿತ್ತೋ ಆ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನು ಆ ಇನ್ನೊಬ್ಬ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನಿಗೆ— “ಈ ಹಸು ನನ್ನದು” ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿದನು.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up an ethical conflict about rightful ownership and truthful claim: when one finds one’s property in another’s possession, dharma requires a clear assertion of truth (“this is mine”) while the situation calls for a righteous method of resolution rather than force or deceit.
A Brahmin returns from abroad, searches for his missing cow, discovers it in another person’s home, and formally claims it by telling the other Brahmin that the cow belongs to him.