Shloka 24
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
बार्हस्पत्यं वाक्यमेतन्निशम्य ये राजानो गोप्रदानानि दत्त्वा । लोकान _प्राप्ता: पुण्यशीला: प्रवृत्ता- स्तान् मे राजन् कीर्त्यमानान् निबोध
bārhaspatyaṁ vākyam etan niśamya ye rājāno gopradānāni dattvā | lokān prāptāḥ puṇyaśīlāḥ pravṛttās tān me rājan kīrtyamānān nibodha ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “O Hari, matapos marinig ang aral na ito ni Brihaspati, yaong mga haring nagkaloob ng mga baka at, sa bisa ng kabanalang iyon, nakamit ang mga dakilang daigdig at naging matatag sa kabutihan—nakahilig sa matuwid na gawi—makinig ngayon habang isinasalaysay ko ang kanilang mga pangalan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes the dharmic power of go-dāna (gift of cows) as taught by Bṛhaspati: such charity cultivates lasting virtue and yields exalted posthumous realms. The verse frames generosity as both ethical formation (puṇya-śīla, pravṛtta in satkarma) and spiritual consequence (attaining higher lokas).
Bhishma, instructing the king (Yudhiṣṭhira in context), transitions from citing Bṛhaspati’s counsel to promising an illustrative catalogue: he will now name the kings who performed cow-gifts and, through that merit, attained superior worlds and became firmly devoted to righteous action.