Shloka 18

Go-apahāra (Cattle Theft), Go-dāna (Cow-Gift), and Suvarṇa-dakṣiṇā (Gold Fee): Karmic Consequence and Purificatory Merit

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच नराज्ञां प्रतिगृह्लामि शक्तो5हं स्वस्य मार्गणे सैव गौर्दीयतां शीघ्रं ममेति मधुसूदन

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | na rājñāṃ pratigṛhṇāmi śakto 'haṃ svasya mārgaṇe | saiva gaur dīyatāṃ śīghraṃ mameti madhusūdana ||

Translation

Sinabi ng Brahmana: “O Madhusūdana, hindi ako tumatanggap ng handog mula sa mga hari. Kaya kong maghanap ng yaman para sa sariling ikabubuhay. Kaya ibalik mo sa akin, agad, ang mismong bakang iyon.”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• राज्ञाम्: of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रतिगृह्णामि: I accept (receive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह्
• Form: Present, 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शक्तः: able, capable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• स्वस्य: of myself / for my own
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• मार्गणे: in seeking / in acquisition
• मार्गणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सा: that (she/it)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• गौः: cow
• गौः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दीयताम्: let (her/it) be given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Imperative, 3, Singular, Atmanepada, passive/impersonal sense: 'let it be given'

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र

• मम: my / of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• मधुसूदन: O Madhusudana (slayer of Madhu)
• मधुसूदन: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुसूदन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa)
• मधुसूदन (Madhusūdana/Kṛṣṇa)
• गौ (cow)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical restraint in accepting wealth: a principled person may refuse royal gifts if they compromise independence or propriety, preferring honest self-earned livelihood and insisting only on the return of what rightfully belongs to them.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin addresses Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa), declaring that he will not accept donations from kings because he can provide for himself; he asks instead that his own cow be returned immediately.