Shloka 43
गोप्रदानगुणाः तथा कपिलागोविधानम्
Merits of Cow-Gift and the Origin-Account of Kapilā Cows
हृष्ट-पुष्ट, सीधी-सादी, जवान और उत्तम गन्धवाली सभी गौएँ प्रशंसनीय मानी गयी हैं। जैसे गंगा सब नदियोंमें श्रेष्ठ हैं, उसी प्रकार कपिला गौ सब गौआओंमें उत्तम है ।।
tisro rātrīs tv adbhir upoṣya bhūmau tṛptā gāvas tarpitibhyaḥ pradeyāḥ | vatsaiḥ puṣṭaiḥ kṣīrapaiḥ supracārās tryahaṃ dattvā gorasair vartitavyam ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “Hayaang ang nagkakaloob ay mag-ayuno sa loob ng tatlong gabi, na tubig lamang ang sandigan at sa lupa matulog. Matapos busugin ang mga baka sa damo at pakain, at mapasaya rin ang mga brāhmaṇa sa pagkain at nararapat na paggalang, saka niya ialay ang mga bakang iyon bilang kaloob. Ang mga baka ay dapat maamo at masigla, na may kasamang matatabang guya na umiinom pa ng gatas. Pagkatapos magbigay ng mga baka, ang nagkaloob ay mamuhay sa loob ng tatlong araw na tanging mga pagkaing mula sa gatas (goras) lamang ang tinatanggap.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity (go-dāna) is not merely transfer of property; it is framed as a disciplined ethical act requiring self-restraint, care for the animals, honoring worthy recipients (brāhmaṇas), and post-gift austerity to purify intention and detach from possession.
Bhīṣma, instructing on dharma, lays out the procedure for gifting cows: the donor fasts on water for three nights and sleeps on the ground, feeds the cows to satisfaction, honors and satisfies brāhmaṇas, gives vigorous well-behaved cows with healthy suckling calves, and then lives for three days on milk-products.