Shloka 17
Chapter 84: Brahmā’s Counsel on Tāraka, the Search for Agni, and the Genesis of Skanda
Kārttikeya
गावस्तेजो महद् दिव्यं गवां दान॑ प्रशस्यते । ये चैता: सम्प्रयच्छन्ति साधवो वीतमत्सरा:
vyāsa uvāca | gāvas tejo mahad divyaṃ gavāṃ dānaṃ praśasyate | ye caitāḥ samprayacchanti sādhavo vītamatsarāḥ |
ویاس نے کہا— گایوں میں عظیم، الٰہی نور ہے؛ اسی لیے گودان کی ستائش کی جاتی ہے۔ جو نیک لوگ حسد و عداوت سے پاک ہو کر ان گایوں کو دان کرتے ہیں، وہ واقعی صاحبِ ثواب سمجھے جاتے ہیں۔
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that go-dāna (the gift of cows) is especially meritorious because cows are viewed as bearing divine tejas; the ethical condition emphasized is vīta-matsaratā—giving without envy, rivalry, or grudging—so that charity becomes pure and spiritually fruitful.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma and gifts, Vyāsa states a doctrinal praise of cow-gifting: virtuous, non-envious donors who give cows are celebrated and are said to gain an exalted posthumous destination (Goloka, as understood in the traditional explanation).