Shloka 12

गोप्रदानविधिः (Gopradāna-vidhi) — Procedure and Praise of Cow-Gifting

Devanagari script

कीदृशी दक्षिणा चैव गोप्रदाने विशिष्यते । एतत्‌ तथ्येन भगवन्‌ मम शंसितुमहसि

Transliteration

śakra uvāca |

kīdṛśī dakṣiṇā caiva gopradāne viśiṣyate |

etat tathyenā bhagavan mama śaṃsitum arhasi ||

Translation

Śakra nói: “Khi bố thí bò, loại dakṣiṇā—lễ vật kèm theo hay thù lao cúng dường—nào được xem là đặc biệt thích đáng? Bạch đấng tôn kính, xin hãy nói cho ta biết điều ấy một cách chân thật.”

Word by Word

• कीदृशी: what kind (of)
• कीदृशी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दक्षिणा: gift; sacrificial fee/donation
• दक्षिणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• गो-प्रदाने: in the giving of cows (cow-donation)
• गो-प्रदाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप्रदान
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• विशिष्यते: is distinguished; excels
• Type: Verb
• Root: विशिष्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Active (Atmanepada usage)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथ्येन: truthfully; with the truth
• तथ्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तथ्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• भगवन्: O venerable one; O Lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मम: of me; my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• शंसितुम्: to tell; to declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you ought; you are fit (to)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• dakṣiṇā
• gopradāna (gift of cows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dāna as not merely an act of giving but one guided by dharma: the donor should know what accompanying dakṣiṇā is ethically and ritually fitting, and seek truthful instruction rather than acting from guesswork or display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) asks a revered authority to explain, truthfully, what kind of dakṣiṇā is especially appropriate when performing gopradāna (the donation of cows), indicating a discussion on proper norms of charitable giving.