Shloka 187
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
विद्यमाने च जनके यदि माता विनश्यति । चंदनेनांकिता धेनुस्तस्याः स्वर्गाय दीयते
vidyamāne ca janake yadi mātā vinaśyati | caṃdanenāṃkitā dhenustasyāḥ svargāya dīyate
หากบิดายังมีชีวิตอยู่แต่มารดาสิ้นไป พึงถวายทานโคที่ทำเครื่องหมายด้วยจันทน์ เพื่อให้นางได้ไปสวรรค์
Not explicitly identifiable from the single verse (context needed from surrounding verses in Adhyaya 48).
Concept: In grief and family disruption, dharma offers a concrete act—cow-gift—to support the departed mother’s auspicious passage and relieve the living of obligation.
Application: When facing loss, channel sorrow into meaningful remembrance and charity; support causes that sustain life (food, care, shelter) as a modern analogue of go-dāna.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a quiet courtyard, a grieving son stands with folded hands beside a gentle cow whose forehead and flank bear fresh sandal-paste markings, fragrant and pale-gold. A priest prepares a simple dāna rite with darbha and a water pot, while a soft, translucent maternal presence seems to rise toward a luminous path, suggesting ‘svargāya dīyate’.","primary_figures":["householder son","consecrated cow (dhenu)","family priest (optional)","departed mother (subtle, ethereal)"],"setting":"Village home courtyard with tulsi platform hinted in the corner (not central), ritual mat, brass vessels, and a gateway opening to sky.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["sandalwood cream","warm amber","cowhide brown","vermillion red","night-sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: courtyard go-dāna scene with a cow marked in sandal paste, the donor in añjali, priest with ritual vessels, an ethereal maternal figure ascending toward a golden arch of svarga; heavy gold leaf on halos and ornaments, rich maroon and emerald textiles, traditional iconographic framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate domestic courtyard with delicate architecture, soft expressions of grief and resolve, cow with pale sandal markings, a faint maternal silhouette dissolving into a pastel sky; cool gentle palette, refined linework, lyrical realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures in a ritual courtyard, cow prominently centered with stylized candana marks, lamp-lit ambiance, mother’s spirit as a decorative translucent form above; strong reds/yellows/greens with deep blue accents, temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: cow as central sacred motif framed by floral borders and lotuses, donor figures symmetrically placed, sandal markings rendered as ornate patterns, a celestial band above indicating svarga; deep indigo ground with gold detailing and intricate vines."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["soft lamp crackle","low temple bell","murmured mantras","silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चंदनेनांकिता = चन्दनेन + आङ्किता; धेनुस्तस्याः = धेनुः + तस्याः.
FAQs
It prescribes giving a milch-cow as dāna, specifically marked/anointed with sandalwood paste, when the mother dies while the father is still living.
The verse states the gift is made “for her heaven” (tasyāḥ svargāya), i.e., to support the deceased mother’s auspicious posthumous state.
It stresses filial responsibility: performing charitable rites on behalf of one’s deceased mother as an act of gratitude and dharmic duty.