Shloka 16

गुणवचनसमुच्चयैकदेशो नृवर मयैष गवां प्रकीर्तितस्ते । न च परमिह दानमस्ति गोभ्यो भवति न चापि परायणं तथान्यत्‌,नरश्रेष्ठ यह मैंने तुमसे गौओंके गुणवर्णनसम्बन्धी साहित्यका एक लघु अंशमात्र बताया है--दिग्दर्शनमात्र कराया है। गौओंके दानसे बढ़कर इस संसारमें दूसरा कोई दान नहीं है, तथा उनके समान दूसरा कोई आश्रय भी नहीं है

guṇavacanasamuccayaikadeśo nṛvara mayaiva eṣa gavāṁ prakīrtitas te | na ca param iha dānam asti gobhyo bhavati na cāpi parāyaṇaṁ tathā anyat ||

వసిష్ఠుడు అన్నాడు— నరశ్రేష్ఠా! గోవుల గుణవర్ణనల సమాహారంలో నేను నీకు కేవలం ఒక చిన్న భాగమే చెప్పాను—సూచన మాత్రమే. ఈ లోకంలో గోదానానికి మించిన దానం లేదు; అలాగే వాటితో సమానమైన ఆశ్రయం మరొకటి లేదు.

गुणवचनसमुच्चयैकदेशःa partial portion of the collection of statements of qualities
गुणवचनसमुच्चयैकदेशः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगुणवचन-समुच्चय-एक-देश
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
नृवरO best of men
नृवर:
TypeNoun
Rootनृवर
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
मयाby me
मया:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormInstrumental, Singular
एषःthis
एषः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
गवाम्of cows
गवाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootगो
FormFeminine, Genitive, Plural
प्रकीर्तितःhas been proclaimed/described
प्रकीर्तितः:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-कीर्त्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)
तेto you
ते:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormDative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
परम्a higher/superior (thing)
परम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootपर
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
इहhere, in this world
इह:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह
दानम्gift, charity
दानम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदान
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अस्तिis/exists
अस्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
गोभ्यःthan cows / from cows
गोभ्यः:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootगो
FormFeminine, Ablative, Plural
भवतिbecomes/is
भवति:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अपिalso, even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
परायणम्refuge, ultimate resort
परायणम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपरायण
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
तथाthus, in that manner
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
अन्यत्another (thing)
अन्यत्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअन्य
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
नरश्रेष्ठO best of men
नरश्रेष्ठ:
TypeNoun
Rootनर-श्रेष्ठ
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

वसिष्ठ उवाच

V
Vasiṣṭha
C
cows (go/gavām)

Educational Q&A

The verse elevates go-dāna (the gifting of cows) as the highest form of charity and presents cows as an unmatched source of support/refuge, framing this as a dharmic and ethically superior act.

Vasiṣṭha addresses a king, explaining that he has only offered a brief sample of the traditional praises of cows, and then emphasizes their exceptional status by declaring cow-gifting the greatest donation and cows an incomparable refuge.