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Shloka 31

Viṣṇu-sahasranāma—Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Recitation (विष्णोर्नामसहस्रम्)

इसलिये विशेष यत्न करके दीप और जलका दान करना चाहिये। विशेषतः पुष्कर तीर्थमें जो वेदोंके पारंगत विद्वान्‌ ब्राह्मणको कपिला दान करते हैं, उन्हें उस दानका जो फल मिलता है, उसे सुनो। उसे साँड़ों-लहित सौ गौओंके दानका शाश्वत फल प्राप्त होता है ।।

pāpaṃ karma ca yat kiñcid brahmahatyāsamaṃ bhavet | śodhayet kapilā ghoṣā pradattaṃ gośataṃ yathā ||

Diêm Vương nói: Vì thế phải gắng sức đặc biệt mà bố thí đèn và nước. Nhất là tại thánh địa Puṣkara, ai đem bò kapilā dâng cho bậc Bà-la-môn học giả tinh thông Veda—hãy nghe quả báo của thí ấy: người ấy được phúc quả vĩnh cửu như đã bố thí một trăm con bò kèm bò đực. Và bất cứ nghiệp tội nào—dù nặng như tội sát hại Bà-la-môn—cũng có thể được gột sạch nhờ việc dâng bò kapilā, như thể đạt công đức của việc bố thí một trăm con bò.

पापम्sin
पापम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपाप
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
कर्मdeed, act
कर्म:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
यत्whatever (which)
यत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
किञ्चित्anything at all, some
किञ्चित्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकिञ्चित्
ब्रह्महत्या-समम्equal to brahmin-slaying
ब्रह्महत्या-समम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootब्रह्महत्या-सम
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
भवेत्might be, would become
भवेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
शोधयेत्should purify, would cleanse
शोधयेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootशुध्/शोधय् (शुध् धातोः णिच्)
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
कपिलाa tawny cow (Kapilā)
कपिला:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकपिला
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
होकाnon-Sanskrit/unclear (likely a vernacular intrusion; expected: हि/एका/गवा etc.)
होका:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहोका
प्रदत्तम्given, donated
प्रदत्तम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootप्र-दा (दत्त)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)
गो-शतम्a hundred cows
गो-शतम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootगो-शत
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
यथाas, just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा

यम उवाच

Y
Yama
K
kapilā (tawny cow)
G
gośata (hundred cows)
B
brahmahatyā (sin of Brahmin-slaying)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches that intentional acts of charity—especially the gift of a kapilā cow—are presented as powerful means of purification, capable of cleansing even extremely grave sins, and yielding enduring religious merit comparable to gifting a hundred cows.

Yama is instructing about the ethical and ritual potency of dāna (gift-giving). In this section he highlights cow-gifting (kapilā) as an expiatory act and links it to the broader exhortation to give beneficial gifts such as lamps and water, particularly in sacred contexts.