Shloka 10

गोमहात्म्य-प्रश्नोत्तरम्

Saudāsa–Vasiṣṭha on the Purifying Power of Cows

Devanagari script

कुलानां पावन प्राहुर्जातरूपं शतक्रतो । एषा मे दक्षिणा प्रोक्ता समासेन महाद्युते

Transliteration

kulānāṃ pāvanaṃ prāhur jātarūpaṃ śatakrato | eṣā me dakṣiṇā proktā samāsena mahādyute ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Hỡi Śatakratu (Indra), người ta tuyên rằng vàng (jātarūpa) là vật thanh tịnh hóa các dòng tộc. Đó, hỡi bậc đại hùng, là điều về dakṣiṇā mà ta đã nói với ngài một cách vắn tắt.”

Word by Word

• {'kulānām': 'of families/lineages (genitive plural of kula)', 'pāvanam': 'purifying, purifier', 'prāhuḥ': 'they say, they declare (perfect/preterite plural)', 'jātarūpam': 'gold (literally ‘having a born/form’

• a common term for gold)', 'śatakrato': 'O Śatakratu

• epithet of Indra (‘of a hundred sacrifices/rites’)', 'eṣā': 'this (feminine demonstrative)', 'me': 'my / by me', 'dakṣiṇā': 'sacrificial fee

• honorarium in a rite', 'proktā': 'said, declared, taught', 'samāsena': 'briefly, in summary', 'mahādyute': 'O greatly radiant/mighty one (vocative)'}

Speaker

पितामह उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)
• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Gold (jātarūpa/suvarṇa)
• Dakṣiṇā (sacrificial fee/gift)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the dharmic value of proper dakṣiṇā in sacrificial contexts, stating that gold (jātarūpa) is traditionally regarded as a powerful purifier and an appropriate, esteemed form of ritual gift.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha), speaking in an instructive mode, addresses Indra (Śatakratu) and succinctly concludes a point about dakṣiṇā, emphasizing gold as the exemplary gift that brings purification and honor within ritual and lineage-based social frameworks.