Shloka 1
गोप्रदानविधिः (Gopradāna-vidhi) — Procedure and Praise of Cow-Gifting
द्विसप्ततितमो< ध्याय: गौओंके लोक और गोदानविषयक युधिषछिर और इन्द्रके प्रश्न युधिछिर उवाच उक्त ते गोप्रदानं वै नाचिकेतमृषिं प्रति । माहात्म्यमपि चैवोक्तमुद्देशेन गवां प्रभो
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: uktaṃ te gopradānaṃ vai nāciketam ṛṣiṃ prati | māhātmyam api caivoktam uddeśena gavāṃ prabho ||
Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: “Bạch Chúa tể! Ngài đã nói về việc hiến tặng bò như đã được truyền dạy liên hệ đến hiền triết Nāciketa, và Ngài cũng đã tóm lược sự vĩ đại của loài bò.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames go-dāna (the gifting of cows) as a significant dharmic act and signals that the ‘greatness of cows’ has ethical and religious weight; Yudhiṣṭhira acknowledges the teaching and prepares to inquire further into its implications.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses his instructor respectfully, summarizing what has just been taught: instructions about donating cows in connection with the sage Nāciketa and a brief account of the cows’ sacred merit, setting up the next question or elaboration.