Shloka 10

गोमहात्म्य-प्रश्नोत्तरम्

Saudāsa–Vasiṣṭha on the Purifying Power of Cows

Devanagari script

कुलानां पावन प्राहुर्जातरूपं शतक्रतो । एषा मे दक्षिणा प्रोक्ता समासेन महाद्युते

Transliteration

kulānāṃ pāvanaṃ prāhur jātarūpaṃ śatakrato | eṣā me dakṣiṇā proktā samāsena mahādyute ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—ఓ శతక్రతూ (ఇంద్రా)! స్వర్ణం వంశాలను పవిత్రం చేస్తుందని చెప్పబడింది. ఓ మహాద్యుతీ! ఈ దక్షిణా విషయాన్ని నేను నీకు సంక్షేపంగా తెలిపాను॥

Word by Word

• {'kulānām': 'of families/lineages (genitive plural of kula)', 'pāvanam': 'purifying, purifier', 'prāhuḥ': 'they say, they declare (perfect/preterite plural)', 'jātarūpam': 'gold (literally ‘having a born/form’

• a common term for gold)', 'śatakrato': 'O Śatakratu

• epithet of Indra (‘of a hundred sacrifices/rites’)', 'eṣā': 'this (feminine demonstrative)', 'me': 'my / by me', 'dakṣiṇā': 'sacrificial fee

• honorarium in a rite', 'proktā': 'said, declared, taught', 'samāsena': 'briefly, in summary', 'mahādyute': 'O greatly radiant/mighty one (vocative)'}

Speaker

पितामह उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)
• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Gold (jātarūpa/suvarṇa)
• Dakṣiṇā (sacrificial fee/gift)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the dharmic value of proper dakṣiṇā in sacrificial contexts, stating that gold (jātarūpa) is traditionally regarded as a powerful purifier and an appropriate, esteemed form of ritual gift.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha), speaking in an instructive mode, addresses Indra (Śatakratu) and succinctly concludes a point about dakṣiṇā, emphasizing gold as the exemplary gift that brings purification and honor within ritual and lineage-based social frameworks.