Shloka 18

Go-apahāra (Cattle Theft), Go-dāna (Cow-Gift), and Suvarṇa-dakṣiṇā (Gold Fee): Karmic Consequence and Purificatory Merit

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच नराज्ञां प्रतिगृह्लामि शक्तो5हं स्वस्य मार्गणे सैव गौर्दीयतां शीघ्रं ममेति मधुसूदन

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | na rājñāṃ pratigṛhṇāmi śakto 'haṃ svasya mārgaṇe | saiva gaur dīyatāṃ śīghraṃ mameti madhusūdana ||

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ പറഞ്ഞു—“ഹേ മധുസൂദന! ഞാൻ രാജാക്കന്മാരുടെ ദാനം സ്വീകരിക്കുകയില്ല. എന്റെ ഉപജീവനത്തിനായി ഞാൻ സ്വയം സമ്പാദിക്കാൻ ശേഷിയുള്ളവൻ. അതിനാൽ എന്റെ അതേ പശുവിനെ ഉടൻ തന്നെ എനിക്ക് തിരികെ തരിക.”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• राज्ञाम्: of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रतिगृह्णामि: I accept (receive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह्
• Form: Present, 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शक्तः: able, capable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• स्वस्य: of myself / for my own
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• मार्गणे: in seeking / in acquisition
• मार्गणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सा: that (she/it)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• गौः: cow
• गौः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दीयताम्: let (her/it) be given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Imperative, 3, Singular, Atmanepada, passive/impersonal sense: 'let it be given'

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र

• मम: my / of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• मधुसूदन: O Madhusudana (slayer of Madhu)
• मधुसूदन: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुसूदन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa)
• मधुसूदन (Madhusūdana/Kṛṣṇa)
• गौ (cow)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical restraint in accepting wealth: a principled person may refuse royal gifts if they compromise independence or propriety, preferring honest self-earned livelihood and insisting only on the return of what rightfully belongs to them.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin addresses Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa), declaring that he will not accept donations from kings because he can provide for himself; he asks instead that his own cow be returned immediately.