Shloka 34

Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ

Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच पितामहस्याथ निशम्य वाक्य राजा सह भ्रातृभिराजमीढ: । सुवर्णवर्णानडुहस्तथा गा: पार्थो ददौ ब्राह्मणसत्तमेभ्य:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca

pitāmahasyātha niśamya vākyaṁ rājā saha bhrātṛbhir ājamīḍhaḥ |

suvarṇavarṇān aḍuhas tathā gāḥ pārtho dadau brāhmaṇasattamebhyaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Tâu Đại vương! Nghe lời của bậc tổ phụ Bhīṣma, vua Yudhiṣṭhira thuộc dòng Ājamīḍha—cùng các em—đã làm lễ bố thí đúng pháp cho những Brāhmaṇa tối thượng: những con bò đực sắc vàng và những con bò cái ưu tú.”

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• पितामहस्य: of the grandsire (Bhīṣma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• निशम्य: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• वाक्यम्: speech; words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• भ्रातृभिः: with (his) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अजमीढः: Ajāmīḍha (descendant of Ajāmīḍha)
• अजमीढः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजमीढ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुवर्णवर्णान्: gold-colored
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण-वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अडुहः: bulls/oxen
• अडुहः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अडुह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तथा: and also; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• पार्थः: Pārtha (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ददौ: gave; donated
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमेभ्यः: to the best of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण-सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pāṇḍava brothers
• Brāhmaṇas
• bulls (aḍuhaḥ)
• cows (gāḥ)
• Ājamīḍha lineage

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed through dāna: a righteous king, after heeding an elder’s counsel, supports the foremost Brāhmaṇas with valuable gifts (cows and bulls), reinforcing generosity, respect for spiritual authority, and ethical governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After listening to Bhīṣma’s instruction, Yudhiṣṭhira—together with his brothers—performs a donation, giving golden-hued bulls and fine cows to eminent Brāhmaṇas, marking a concrete act of compliance with Bhīṣma’s dharma-teachings.