Shloka 53
Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)
यैस्तद् दत्तं गोसहस््रं शतं वा दशार्थ वा दश वा साधुवत्सम् | अप्येका वै साधवे ब्राह्म॒णाय सास्यामुष्मिन् पुण्यतीर्था नदी वै
naaciketa uvaaca |
yais tad dattaṃ gosahasraṃ śataṃ vā daśārtha vā daśa vā sādhuvatsam |
apy ekā vai sādhave brāhmaṇāya sāsyāmuṣmin puṇyatīrthā nadī vai ||
Начи́кета сказал: «Тот, кто дарует тысячу коров, или сто, или десять (по своим средствам), или даже одну — и каждая с хорошим телёнком — достойному брахману, для того эта самая корова в ином мире становится рекой со святыми бродами, очищающим переходом».
नाचिकेत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the moral power of dāna depends on right intention and a worthy recipient: even a single cow given properly to a deserving brāhmaṇa yields great spiritual fruit, symbolized as becoming a purifying river with sacred fords in the next world.
Nāciketa is speaking and describing the otherworldly result of cow-gifts. He lists varying quantities (from a thousand down to one) to stress that merit is accessible according to one’s means, and he uses the image of a ‘holy river’ to convey the gift’s saving, purifying function after death.