Shloka 7

गवां लोकवर्णनं तथा गोप्रदानफलश्रुतिः

Description of the ‘World of Cows’ and the Stated Fruits of Cow-Gift

Devanagari script

मातर: सर्वभूतानां गाव: सर्वसुखप्रदा: । वृद्धिमाकाडुक्षता नित्यं गाव: कार्या: प्रदक्षिणा:

Transliteration

mātaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ gāvaḥ sarvasukhapradāḥ | vṛddhim ākāṅkṣatā nityaṁ gāvaḥ kāryāḥ pradakṣiṇāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Bò được gọi là mẹ của mọi loài hữu tình, vì ban phát an lạc và tiện nghi cho tất cả. Bởi vậy, ai cầu thịnh vượng và nâng cao đời mình, hãy luôn tôn kính bò, đi nhiễu quanh chúng, giữ chúng ở bên phải.”

Word by Word

• मातरः: mothers
• मातरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वसुखप्रदाः: bestowers of all happiness
• सर्वसुखप्रदाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वसुखप्रद
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• वृद्धिम्: prosperity, increase
• वृद्धिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आकाङ्क्षता: by one desiring
• आकाङ्क्षता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकाङ्क्षत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• कार्याः: should be done / ought to be
• कार्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रदक्षिणाः: kept on the right / circumambulated keeping to the right
• प्रदक्षिणाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदक्षिण
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• cows (gāvaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that honoring and protecting cows is a dharmic act because they are viewed as universal benefactors; reverential circumambulation (pradakṣiṇā) symbolizes respect, gratitude, and the pursuit of prosperity through righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on duties and ethical observances; here he highlights the religious-ethical importance of cows and prescribes a customary act of reverence—keeping them to one’s right while circling them.