Shloka 36
गोप्रदानगुणाः तथा कपिलागोविधानम्
Merits of Cow-Gift and the Origin-Account of Kapilā Cows
रोग्णि रोग्णि महाभाग लोकाश्षास्या5क्षया:स्मृता: । संग्रामेष्वर्जयित्वा तु यो वै गा: सम्प्रयच्छति । आत्मविक्रयतुल्यास्ता: शाश्वता विद्धि कौशिक
Pitāmaha uvāca: rogṇi rogṇi mahābhāga lokāḥ śāśvatā akṣayāḥ smṛtāḥ | saṅgrāmeṣv arjayitvā tu yo vai gāḥ samprayacchati | ātmavikrayatulyās tāḥ śāśvatā viddhi Kauśika ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “O mapalad na tao, inaalala na sa bawat hibla ng balahibo ng baka ay nananahan ang mga daigdig na walang hanggan at di-nasisira. Kaya’t sinumang, matapos magwagi ng mga baka sa digmaan, ay ipinamamahagi ang mga iyon bilang kaloob—ang mga bakang iyon ay nagiging para sa kanya na gaya ng mga bakang nakuha sa pamamagitan ng pagbebenta ng sarili, at nagbubunga ng walang hanggang, di-nauubos na kabutihang-loob. Alamin mo ito, O Kaushika.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse extols go-dāna as a supremely meritorious act: cows are symbolically said to contain imperishable ‘worlds’ in every hair, so gifting cows—especially those acquired through the hardships of battle—yields inexhaustible, lasting spiritual reward.
Bhīṣma (the Grandsire) is instructing his listener (addressed as Kauśika) within Anuśāsana Parva’s teachings on gifts and dharma, emphasizing that donating cows won in warfare produces enduring merit comparable to the extreme personal sacrifice implied by ‘self-sale.’