Shloka 31
Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ
Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers
लोकमज्येष्ठा लोकवृत्तिप्रवृत्ता रुद्रोपेता: सोमविष्यन्दभूता: । सौम्या: पुण्या: कामदा: प्राणदाश्न गा वै दत्त्वा सर्वकामप्रद: स्थात्
lokam ajyeṣṭhā lokavṛtti-pravṛttā rudropetāḥ soma-viṣyanda-bhūtāḥ | saumyāḥ puṇyāḥ kāmadāḥ prāṇadāś ca gā vai dattvā sarva-kāma-pradaḥ syāt ||
भीष्म उवाच—गावो लोकस्य ज्येष्ठा धनं, सर्वभूतानां जीवनवृत्तिप्रवृत्ताः। रुद्रः सदा ताभिः सह वसति। सोमस्य विष्यन्दमानादमृतात् सम्भूताः, सौम्याः पुण्याः, कामदाः प्राणदाः च। तस्माद् यो गोदानं करोति स सर्वकामप्रद इति कीर्त्यते।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates go-dāna (gift of cows) as a supreme form of charity because cows are portrayed as sustaining worldly life and livelihood; thus giving them is ethically framed as supporting society and is said to yield comprehensive spiritual and worldly benefits.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira about the greatness of gifts and vows; here he praises cows as sacred and life-sustaining and concludes that donating cows makes the donor a bestower of all desired goods.