Shloka 7
Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ
Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers
रुष्टा दुष्टा व्याधिता दुर्बला वा नो दातव्या याश्र मूल्यैरदत्तै: । क्लेशैविंप्रं योडफलै: संयुनक्ति तस्यावीर्याश्षवाफलाश्वैव लोका:
bhīṣma uvāca |
ruṣṭā duṣṭā vyādhitā durbalā vā na dātavyā yāś ca mūlyair adattaiḥ |
kleśa eva vipraṁ yo ’phalaiḥ saṁyunakti tasyāvīryāś ca aphalāś caiva lokāḥ ||
ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—କ୍ରୋଧୀ, ଦୁଷ୍ଟସ୍ୱଭାବୀ, ରୋଗାକ୍ରାନ୍ତ କିମ୍ବା ଦୁର୍ବଳ ଗାଈ, ଏବଂ ଯାହାର ମୂଲ୍ୟ ଯଥାର୍ଥରେ ଦିଆଯାଇନାହିଁ—ଏପରି ଗାଈକୁ ଦାନ କରିବା ଉଚିତ ନୁହେଁ। ଯେ ଏମିତି ନିଷ୍ଫଳ ଦାନରେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣକୁ କେବଳ କ୍ଲେଶ ଦିଏ, ସେ ମଧ୍ୟ ନିର୍ବଳ ଓ ନିଷ୍ଫଳ ଲୋକମାନେ ପାଏ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity must be clean, rightful, and genuinely beneficial to the recipient. Donating a cow that is unfit (angry, vicious, sick, weak) or not lawfully acquired (unpaid) is not true dāna; it becomes a burden on the Brahmin and yields no spiritual merit.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma lays down standards for proper gifting—specifically cow-donation—warning that improper gifts harm the recipient and lead the giver to barren, powerless posthumous results.