Shloka 2
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
भीष्म उवाच न गोदानात् परं किंचिद् विद्यते वसुधाधिप । गौहि न््यायागता दत्ता सद्यस्तारयते कुलम्
bhīṣma uvāca | na godānāt paraṃ kiñcid vidyate vasudhādhipa | gauḥ hi nyāyāgatā dattā sadyaḥ tārayate kulam ||
ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വസുധാധിപാ! ഗോദാനത്തേക്കാൾ മേലായതു ഒന്നുമില്ല. ന്യായമായി ലഭിച്ച പശുവിനെ ദാനം ചെയ്താൽ അത് ഉടൻ തന്നെ സമസ്ത കുലത്തെയും ഉദ്ധരിക്കുന്നു।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that cow-donation (godāna) is considered supremely meritorious, but its ethical validity depends on rightful acquisition: only a cow obtained by just means should be given, and such a gift is said to bring immediate spiritual benefit to one’s lineage.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira) and extols a specific form of charity—donating a cow—emphasizing both its exceptional merit and the requirement that the donated cow be lawfully obtained.