Shloka 20
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
देवव्रती स्याद् वृषभप्रदाने वेदावाप्तिगोयुगस्य प्रदाने । तथा गवां विधिमासाद्य यज्वा लोकानग्रयान् विन्दते नाविधिज्ञ:
bhīṣma uvāca | devavratī syād vṛṣabhapradāne vedāvāptigoyugasya pradāne | tathā gavāṁ vidhim āsādya yajvā lokān agrayān vindate nāvidhijñaḥ ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຜູ້ໃດບໍລິຈາກງົວຜູ້ (ວຣິສະພະ) ຜູ້ນັ້ນຈະເປັນ devavrata—ຜູ້ມັ່ນຄົງໃນວິໄນອັນສັກສິດ. ຜູ້ໃດບໍລິຈາກງົວເປັນຄູ່ (ງົວແມ່ກັບງົວຜູ້) ຜູ້ນັ້ນໄດ້ເຂົ້າເຖິງພຣະເວດ (ຄວາມຮູ້ອັນສັກສິດ). ແລະຜູ້ໃດປະກອບພິທີບໍລິຈາກງົວຕາມຂັ້ນຕອນທີ່ຖືກຕ້ອງ ຜູ້ນັ້ນຈະໄດ້ບັນລຸໂລກອັນສູງສຸດ. ແຕ່ຜູ້ບໍ່ຮູ້ກົດລະບຽບ ບໍ່ໄດ້ຮັບຜົນອັນປະເສີດ».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity yields graded spiritual results, but only when performed with knowledge of dharma and proper ritual procedure (vidhi). The verse stresses that intention alone is not enough; correct method and understanding are integral to the fruit of dāna.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anuśāsana Parva), he explains the merits of specific gifts—bull-gift, cow-and-bull gift, and properly conducted cow-gift rites—while warning that ignorance of prescribed rules diminishes or negates the highest results.