Shloka 4

Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa

Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation

Devanagari script

पुरा गोष्पनीतासु गोषु संदिग्धदर्शिना । मान्धात्रा प्रकृतं प्रश्न बृहस्पतिरभाषत

Transliteration

purā goṣpanītāsu goṣu saṃdigdha-darśinā | māndhātrā prakṛtaṃ praśnaṃ bṛhaspatir abhāṣata ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Thuở xưa, khi nhiều con bò được đem đến để làm lễ bố thí, vua Māndhātṛ—vì còn phân vân không biết con bò nào mới thật xứng đáng để hiến tặng—đã nêu lên một câu hỏi thích đáng. Đáp lại câu hỏi ấy, Bṛhaspati đã lên tiếng, giảng rõ chuẩn mực đúng đắn cho việc dâng tặng bò.

Word by Word

• {'purā': 'formerly

• in ancient times', 'goṣu': 'among cows

• with regard to cows (locative plural of go)', 'goṣpanītāsu': "when cows had been brought/led (for a purpose, here for donation)

• lit. 'in (the state of) cows being led'", 'saṃdigdha-darśinā': 'by one whose judgment/vision was doubtful

• by one in uncertainty', 'māndhātrā': 'by Māndhātṛ (instrumental singular)', 'prakṛtam': 'relevant

• appropriate to the matter at hand', 'praśnam': 'question', 'bṛhaspatiḥ': 'Bṛhaspati (the preceptor of the gods)', 'abhāṣata': 'spoke

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Māndhātṛ
• Bṛhaspati
• cows (go)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When performing dāna (charitable gifting), one should not act casually or merely by quantity; the gift must be dharmically appropriate. If uncertain about the proper standard, a ruler should seek authoritative guidance (here, Bṛhaspati) so that the act of giving becomes ethically sound and spiritually meaningful.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma introduces an old precedent: King Māndhātṛ receives many cows intended for donation but hesitates, unsure what kind of cow should be given. He asks Bṛhaspati for clarification, and Bhīṣma is about to recount Bṛhaspati’s answer.