Shloka 42

Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

एंक गोब्राह्मणं तस्मात्‌ प्रवदन्ति मनीषिण: । रन्तिदेवस्य यज्ञे ता: पशुत्वेनोपकल्पिता:,इसीसे गौ और ब्राह्मणको मनस्वी पुरुष एक बताते हैं। राजन! राजा रन्तिदेवके यज्ञमें वे पशुरूपसे दान देनेके लिये निश्चित की गयी थीं; अतः गौओंके चमड़ोंसे वह चर्मण्वती नामक नदी प्रवाहित हुई थी। वे सभी गौएँ पशुत्वसे विमुक्त थीं और दान देनेके लिये नियत की गयी थीं

Transliteration

ekaṁ gobrāhmaṇaṁ tasmāt pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ | rantidevasya yajñe tāḥ paśutvenopakalpitāḥ ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു— “അതുകൊണ്ടാണ് പണ്ഡിതന്മാർ ഗോവിനെയും ബ്രാഹ്മണനെയും ഒരേ സാരമെന്ന് പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നത്. രന്തിദേവന്റെ യാഗത്തിൽ ആ പശുക്കൾ ‘പശു’ എന്ന നിലയിൽ വെറും വിധിപ്രയോഗത്തിനായി മാത്രം നിശ്ചയിക്കപ്പെട്ടവയായിരുന്നു.”

Word by Word

एकम्one (as one entity)

गोब्राह्मणम्cow-and-Brahmin (as a single combined object of regard)

तस्मात्therefore / from that (reason)

प्रवदन्तिdeclare / say

मनीषिणःthe wise (men)

रन्तिदेवस्यof Rantideva

यज्ञेin the sacrifice

ताःthose (fem.)

पशुत्वेनas/with the status of sacrificial animals

उपकल्पिताःwere arranged / were prepared / were appointed

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Rantideva

cow (go)

Brahmin (brāhmaṇa)

yajña (sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates the cow and the Brahmin as a single sacred category in dharma: both are to be protected and honored. It frames true righteousness as generosity and reverence for life, emphasizing that ritual designations should not be read as license for cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma cites King Rantideva’s famed sacrifice, where many cows were set aside under the ritual label of ‘paśu’ but were intended for gifting. The tradition remembers the immense scale of the rite (and its aftermath imagery, such as the river associated with hides) to underscore extraordinary charity and the sanctity attached to cows.