Shloka 52

Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

गावो लोकांस्तारयन्ति क्षरन्त्यो गावश्षान्नं संजनयन्ति लोके । यस्तं जानन्न गवां हार्दमेति स वै गन्ता निरयं पापचेता:

Transliteration

gāvo lokāṁs tārayanti kṣarantyo gāvaś cānnaṁ saṁjanayanti loke | yas taṁ jānann na gavāṁ hārdam eti sa vai gantā nirayaṁ pāpacetāḥ ||

Translation

Bò, nhờ cho sữa, cứu các cõi khỏi nỗi khổ đói khát; và ngay trong đời này, chúng cũng làm nảy sinh nguồn dưỡng nuôi cho mọi người. Biết vậy mà ai vẫn không nuôi dưỡng lòng thiện cảm đối với bò, kẻ ấy mang tâm tội lỗi và phải sa vào địa ngục.

Word by Word

• {'gāvaḥ (गावः/गावो)': 'cows', 'lokān (लोकान्)': 'worlds

• people/realms', 'tārayanti (तारयन्ति)': 'they ferry across

• rescue', 'kṣarantyaḥ (क्षरन्त्यः)': 'flowing

• yielding (milk)', 'ca (च)': 'and', 'annam (अन्नम्)': 'food

• grain', 'saṁjanayanti (संजजनयन्ति/संजजनयन्ति)': 'they produce

• bring forth', 'loke (लोके)': 'in the world', 'yaḥ (यः)': 'whoever', 'tam (तम्)': 'that (fact/benefit)', 'jānan (जानन्)': 'knowing', 'na (न)': 'not', 'gavām (गवाम्)': 'of cows', 'hārdam (हार्दम्)': 'heartfelt goodwill

• affection', 'eti (एति)': 'goes

• attains', 'saḥ (सः)': 'he', 'vai (वै)': 'indeed', 'gantā (गन्ता)': 'goer

• one who goes', 'nirayam (निरयम्)': 'hell

• a state of torment', 'pāpacetāḥ (पापचेता: / पापचेताः)': 'one whose mind is sinful

Speaker

नाचिकेत उवाच

Characters & Entities

• नाचिकेत (Nāciketa)
• गावः (cows)
• लोकाः (worlds/people)
• निरय (hell)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Recognize the life-sustaining, society-supporting role of cows (milk and nourishment) and therefore cultivate goodwill and respectful conduct toward them; ingratitude and hostility toward such benefactors is framed as sinful and leading to grave karmic consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nāciketa speaks a didactic verse praising cows as rescuers from hunger and sources of food in the world, then warns that a person who knows this yet lacks heartfelt friendliness toward cows is morally culpable and destined for hell.