Shloka 263

गोप्रदानगुणाः तथा कपिलागोविधानम्

Merits of Cow-Gift and the Origin-Account of Kapilā Cows

Devanagari script

महत्‌ फल प्राप्यते स द्विजाय दत्त्वा दोग्ध्रीं विधिनानेन धेनुम्‌ । जो पुरुष सदा सावधान रहकर इस उपर्युक्त धर्मका पालन करता है तथा जो सत्यवादी

Transliteration

pitāmaha uvāca | mahat phalaṁ prāpyate sa dvijāya dattvā dogdhrīṁ vidhinānena dhenum | yo puruṣaḥ sadā sāvadhānaḥ san uparyukta-dharmasya pālanaṁ karoti tathā yaḥ satyavādī guru-sevā-parāyaṇaḥ dakṣaḥ kṣamāśīlaḥ deva-bhaktaḥ śānta-cittaḥ pavitraḥ jñānavān dharmātmā ca ahaṅkāra-śūnyaḥ sa pūrvokta-vidhinā brāhmaṇāya kṣīra-dāyinīṁ gāṁ dadāti cet tasya mahān phala-prāptiḥ bhavati ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Người nào theo đúng nghi thức đã được truyền dạy mà đem dâng cho một Bà-la-môn một con bò sữa, sẽ được công đức lớn. Người luôn tỉnh thức gìn giữ bổn phận đã nêu—lời nói chân thật, tận tụy phụng sự thầy, khéo léo, khoan dung, sùng kính chư thiên, tâm ý an tịnh, thanh khiết, có trí, sống theo chính pháp và không ngã mạn—nếu bố thí con bò cho sữa ấy cho Bà-la-môn đúng như phép tắc, ắt đạt phần thưởng lớn lao.

Word by Word

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्यते: is obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+आप्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजाय: to a twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Active

• दोग्ध्रीम्: a milch-cow (milk-giving one)
• दोग्ध्रीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोग्ध्री
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• विधिना: by the prescribed rule
• विधिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• धेनुम्: cow
• धेनुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

पितामह उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Bhishma)
• Brāhmaṇa (Brahmin)
• Dhenū/Gauḥ (milch-cow)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that charitable giving (dāna), when performed according to proper rite and with inner virtues—truthfulness, humility, self-control, devotion, purity, knowledge, and service to one’s teacher—yields great spiritual merit; the specific exemplar is gifting a milch-cow to a Brahmin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma (the Grandsire) continues his instruction on dharma in the Anushasana Parva, describing the conditions and character of a donor and stating that donating a milk-giving cow to a Brahmin by the prescribed procedure brings great reward.