Shloka 14

गोशकृन्माहात्म्य-प्रश्नः (On the Merit of Cow-Dung and the Abode of Śrī) / Inquiry into the Sanctity of Cow-Dung

Devanagari script

महर्षि वशिष्ठका राजा सौदाससे गौओंका माहात्म्य-कथन युवानमिन्द्रियोपेतं शतेन शतयूथपम्‌ । गवेन्द्रं ब्राह्मणेन्द्राय भूरिशंगमलड्कृतम्‌

Transliteration

yuvānam indriyopetaṁ śatena śatayūthapam | gavendraṁ brāhmaṇendrāya bhūriśaṅgam alaṅkṛtam ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ଶତ୍ରୁସନ୍ତାପକ ରାଜନ! ଯେମାନେ ଯୁବ, ସମସ୍ତ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟସମ୍ପନ୍ନ, ଶତ ଗୋଦଳର ନେତା, ବଡ଼ ଶିଙ୍ଗବିଶିଷ୍ଟ ଗବେନ୍ଦ୍ର ବୃଷଭକୁ ସୁସଜ୍ଜିତ କରି ଶତ ଗାଈ ସହିତ ଶ୍ରୋତ୍ରିୟ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଙ୍କୁ ଦାନ କରନ୍ତି, ସେମାନେ ଯେତେବେଳେ-ଯେତେବେଳେ ଏହି ଲୋକରେ ଜନ୍ମ ନେନ୍ତି, ସେତେବେଳେ-ସେତେବେଳେ ମହାନ ଐଶ୍ୱର୍ୟର ଭାଗୀ ହୁଅନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• युवानम्: young
• युवानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युवन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इन्द्रिय-उपेतम्: endowed with (all) senses
• इन्द्रिय-उपेतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रियोपेत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शतेन: with a hundred
• शतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• शत-यूथपम्: leader of a hundred herds (i.e., of a hundred cows)
• शत-यूथपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतयूथप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गवेन्द्रम्: bull, lord of cattle
• गवेन्द्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गवेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ब्राह्मण-इन्द्राय: to the foremost Brahmin
• ब्राह्मण-इन्द्राय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• भूरि-शृङ्गम्: having great/big horns
• भूरि-शृङ्गम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरिशृङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अलङ्कृतम्: adorned, decorated
• अलङ्कृतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलङ्कृत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• King (addressed as enemy-scorching ruler; likely Yudhiṣṭhira in context)
• Vasiṣṭha (Mahārṣi, in the surrounding narrative frame)
• Saudāsa (king, in the surrounding narrative frame)
• brāhmaṇa (śrotriya/learned recipient)
• gavendra vṛṣabha (excellent bull)
• cows (hundred cows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That properly performed dāna—especially gifting valuable cattle (a prime bull with cows) to a worthy, Veda-learned brāhmaṇa—produces lasting puṇya, manifesting as prosperity and high status repeatedly across future births.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is instructing the king on the greatness of go-dāna (cow-gifting). He describes the ideal gift (a young, fully sound, decorated herd-leading bull along with a hundred cows) and states the karmic result: recurring worldly prosperity whenever the donor is reborn.