Shloka 27
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
तथा राजा पृथुकर्मा दिलीपो दिवं प्राप्तो गोप्रदानैरविधिज्ञ: । यज्जैदनिस्तपसा राजधर्म- मॉन्धाताभूद् गोप्रदानैश्व युक्ता:
bhīṣma uvāca | tathā rājā pṛthukarmā dilīpo divaṃ prāpto gopradānair avidhijñaḥ | yajjaiś ca dānais tapasā rājadharmair māndhātābhūd gopradānaiś ca yuktaḥ | uśīnaraḥ viśvagas ca nṛgaḥ bhagīrathaḥ suvikhyātaḥ yuvanāśvakumāraḥ mahārājo māndhātā rājā mucukundaḥ bhūridyumnaḥ niṣadhanareśo nalaḥ somakaḥ purūravāḥ cakravartī bharataḥ | yeṣāṃ vaṃśe bhavantaḥ sarve rājānaḥ bhāratāḥ ity ucyante | daśarathanandano vīraḥ śrīrāmaḥ anye ca vikhyātakīrtayo nareśāḥ tathā mahākarmā rājā dilīpaḥ | ete sarve vidhijñā nṛpā gōdānena svargalokaṃ prāptāḥ | rājā māndhātā tu yajña-dāna-tapasā rājadharma-gopradānādibhiḥ sarvaiḥ śreṣṭhaguṇaiḥ sampannaḥ āsīt ||
Bhishma disse: “Do mesmo modo, o rei Dilīpa—renomado por feitos grandiosos—alcançou o céu por meio de dádivas de vacas. E Māndhātṛ era dotado de sacrifícios, caridade, austeridade, deveres da realeza e, sobretudo, do dom de vacas. Assim também Uśīnara, Viśvaga, Nṛga, Bhāgīratha, o célebre filho de Yuvanāśva, o grande rei Māndhātṛ, o rei Mucukunda, Bhūridyumna, Nala senhor de Naiṣadha, Somaka, Purūravas e Bharata, o monarca universal—de cuja linhagem surgiram os reis chamados ‘Bhāratas’—e o heróico Śrī Rāma, filho de Daśaratha, juntamente com outros governantes famosos e o grande rei Dilīpa: todos esses reis, conhecedores da regra correta, alcançaram o mundo celeste pelo mérito das dádivas de vacas. Māndhātṛ, em particular, era completo nas mais altas virtudes—sacrifício, doação, austeridade, dever real e a prática de oferecer vacas.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma presents cow-gifting (go-dāna) as a premier royal charity that, when performed in accordance with proper norms and alongside yajña, dāna, tapas, and rājadharma, leads to great merit and the attainment of heaven; exemplary kings are cited to model this ethical ideal.
In his instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma lists renowned kings—Dilīpa, Māndhātṛ and others—who are said to have reached svarga through righteous giving, especially go-dāna, thereby reinforcing to the listener that ideal kingship is measured by disciplined duty and generous support of society.