गोप्रदानविधिः (Gopradāna-vidhi) — Procedure and Praise of Cow-Gifting
भगवन्! गोदानमें कैसी दक्षिणा श्रेष्ठ मानी जाती है? यह सब यथार्थरूपसे मुझे बतानेकी कृपा करें ।। इति श्रीमहा भारते अनुशासनपर्वणि दानधर्मपर्वणि गोप्रदानिके द्विसप्ततितमो<5ध्याय:
śakra uvāca | bhagavan! godāne kaisī dakṣiṇā śreṣṭhā mānī jātī hai? etat sarvaṃ yathārtharūpeṇa me vaktum arhasi |
Wika ni Śakra: “O kagalang-galang! Sa pag-aalay ng baka, anong dakṣiṇā ang itinuturing na pinakadakila? Ipagkaloob na sabihin mo sa akin ang lahat ng ito nang tapat at sa wastong paglalatag.” — (Sa Śrī Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Dāna-dharma Parva, ikapitumpu’t dalawang kabanata hinggil sa pag-aalay ng baka.)
शक्र उवाच
The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: a donation is not only the main gift (the cow) but is ethically and ritually ‘completed’ by an appropriate dakṣiṇā. The question seeks the standard of excellence—what accompanying gift best fulfills the intent of go-dāna.
Śakra (Indra) respectfully questions a revered authority about the proper and most excellent dakṣiṇā to be given in the context of cow-donation, requesting a truthful, detailed explanation.