Shloka 6
The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts
शतं गावो वृषश्चैको यत्र तिष्ठंत्ययंत्रिताः । गोचर्ममात्रां तां भूमिं प्रवदंति महर्षयः
śataṃ gāvo vṛṣaścaiko yatra tiṣṭhaṃtyayaṃtritāḥ | gocarmamātrāṃ tāṃ bhūmiṃ pravadaṃti maharṣayaḥ
Kung saan makatatayo, nang walang pagpipigil, ang sandaang baka at iisang toro, yaong lawak ng lupa ay ipinahahayag ng mga dakilang rishi na sukat lamang ng balat ng baka.
Unspecified (narratorial/quoted statement within the chapter context)
Concept: Defines ‘go-carma-mātra’ land by a pragmatic standard: space sufficient for 100 cows and 1 bull to stand unrestrained.
Application: When giving, be clear and fair about boundaries and definitions; avoid ambiguity in charity and endowments so the gift truly benefits the recipient.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A wide, carefully marked rectangle of earth is shown as a living diagram: one hundred cows stand calmly within it, with a single bull at the center, all unrestrained. At the edge, sages gesture toward the boundary stones and a laid-out cowhide, teaching the definition of the measure with quiet authority.","primary_figures":["mahārṣis (sages)","herd of cows","single bull","attendant disciple (optional)"],"setting":"Open pasture near an āśrama with boundary stones, measuring rope, cowhide spread flat, and a palm-leaf text on a low wooden stand.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["pasture green","clay brown","cream white","charcoal black","sunlit amber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: didactic tableau with sages pointing to a gold-outlined land plot; inside, stylized 100 cows and one bull arranged harmoniously; cowhide and measuring rope in foreground; ornate borders with gold leaf, rich reds/greens, traditional iconographic sages with halos.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: pastoral scene with delicate cows, a single bull, and sages explaining boundaries; soft greens and browns, fine linework, gentle shadows, lyrical trees and a small āśrama hut in the background.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined cows in rhythmic pattern, central bull, sages in teaching mudrā; saturated pigments, temple mural symmetry, decorative vegetal motifs framing the ‘measurement’ lesson.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: cow-centered composition with ornate floral borders; the measured plot rendered like a sacred mandala; peacocks on corners, deep blue-green ground, gold highlights, intricate textile patterning emphasizing abundance and order."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["cowbells","birds","rustling leaves","soft hand cymbals (manjira)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वृषश्चैको = वृषः + च + एकः; तिष्ठंत्ययंत्रिताः = तिष्ठन्ति + अयन्त्रिताः; प्रवदंति = प्रवदन्ति (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेदः)
FAQs
It denotes a traditional unit/idiom of area—“as much land as a cowhide (gocarma) would cover”—used to communicate a small, defined extent of ground.
It uses a vivid spatial test: if even a large herd (100 cows) with a bull can stand without being packed or constrained, sages still classify that land as only “cowhide-measure,” emphasizing how limited that plot is by their standard.
Cows function as a dharmic symbol of sustenance and social order; the sages’ “declaration” frames the measurement as a normative, tradition-backed standard rather than a casual estimate.