Shloka 45
Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement
कृष्णानां श्वेतवत्सानां सहस्राणि चतुर्दश । आहरं न लभे तस्मात् प्रसादं द्विजसत्तमात्,'श्वेत बछड़ेवाली चौदह हजार काली गौएँ मैं उसे देनेके लिये ले आया तो भी उस श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणसे अनुग्रह न पा सका
kṛṣṇānāṃ śvetavatsānāṃ sahasrāṇi caturdaśa | āharaṃ na labhe tasmāt prasādaṃ dvijasattamāt ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Walaupun aku membawa empat belas ribu ekor lembu hitam, setiap satunya bersama anak lembu putih, aku tetap tidak dapat memperoleh perkenan brahmana yang utama itu.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Material offerings, even vast gifts, do not automatically secure spiritual approval; the recipient’s ethical-spiritual standard and the giver’s intent and worthiness matter in gaining true prasāda (favor/grace).
Sañjaya reports an episode where he attempted to win the goodwill of an eminent Brahmin by bringing an enormous gift—fourteen thousand black cows with white calves—yet the Brahmin did not grant him favor, implying refusal or dissatisfaction despite the magnitude of the offering.