Shloka 17
Chapter 84: Brahmā’s Counsel on Tāraka, the Search for Agni, and the Genesis of Skanda
Kārttikeya
गावस्तेजो महद् दिव्यं गवां दान॑ प्रशस्यते । ये चैता: सम्प्रयच्छन्ति साधवो वीतमत्सरा:
vyāsa uvāca | gāvas tejo mahad divyaṃ gavāṃ dānaṃ praśasyate | ye caitāḥ samprayacchanti sādhavo vītamatsarāḥ |
Vyāsa disse: “As vacas possuem um grande fulgor divino; por isso, o dom de vacas é louvado. As pessoas boas que, livres de inveja e malícia, doam essas vacas são tidas como verdadeiramente meritórias. Tais doadores são contados entre os que dão todos os dons, e alcançam o mundo santo das vacas, Goloka.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that go-dāna (the gift of cows) is especially meritorious because cows are viewed as bearing divine tejas; the ethical condition emphasized is vīta-matsaratā—giving without envy, rivalry, or grudging—so that charity becomes pure and spiritually fruitful.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma and gifts, Vyāsa states a doctrinal praise of cow-gifting: virtuous, non-envious donors who give cows are celebrated and are said to gain an exalted posthumous destination (Goloka, as understood in the traditional explanation).