Shloka 53
Vāraṇāvata-prasaṃsā and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure (वरणावत-प्रशंसा तथा पाण्डव-प्रयाणम्)
विशुद्धमिच्छन् गाड़ेय धर्मोपेतं प्रतिग्रहम् अन्तादन्तं परिक्रम्य नाध्यगच्छ॑ पयस्विनीम्
viśuddham icchan gāḍeya dharmopetaṃ pratigraham | antād antaṃ parikramya nādhyagacchaṃ payasvinīm ||
ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—“โอ้ กาเฑยะ ด้วยปรารถนาจะรับทานอันบริสุทธิ์และประกอบด้วยธรรม เราเที่ยวเวียนไปทั่วแผ่นดินนั้นจากปลายหนึ่งถึงอีกปลายหนึ่ง แต่ก็ไม่พบโคที่ให้น้ำนมเลย”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes ethical restraint in seeking charity: one should accept gifts only in a way that does not harm the donor’s livelihood or religious duties, and should seek a ‘pure’ (viśuddha) gift consistent with dharma.
The speaker explains that he traveled widely looking for a milk-giving cow to receive as a lawful gift, but avoided asking poor Brahmins with few cows so they would not suffer in their agnihotra and daily rites; despite repeated wandering, he could not find such a cow.