Shloka 12

Gavāṃ Māhātmya — Go-dāna, Yajña-ādhāra, and Goloka

Brahmā–Indra–Surabhi Itihāsa

Devanagari script

समानवत्सां कृष्णां तु धेनुं दत््वा पयस्विनीम्‌ । सुव्रतां वस्त्रसंवीतामग्निलोके महीयते

Transliteration

samānavatsāṃ kṛṣṇāṃ tu dhenuṃ dattvā payasvinīm | suvratāṃ vastrasaṃvītām agniloke mahīyate ||

Translation

Vasiṣṭha nói: Ai đem bố thí một con bò đen cho nhiều sữa, kèm theo bê con cùng màu, lại phủ vải cho trang trọng và con bò ấy hiền lành, nết na, thì người ấy được tôn vinh và có địa vị cao trong cõi của thần Agni.

Word by Word

• समानवत्साम्: having a calf of the same color (with her calf)
• समानवत्साम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समानवत्सा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कृष्णाम्: black (dark-colored)
• कृष्णाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

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

• दत्त्वा: having given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• पयस्विनीम्: milk-yielding
• पयस्विनीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पयस्विनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सुव्रताम्: of good conduct/virtuous
• सुव्रताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुव्रता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वस्त्रसंवीताम्: clothed/covered with a garment
• वस्त्रसंवीताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्रसंवीता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle from सम्+वे/वी ‘to cover’)

• अग्निलोके: in Agni’s world (the realm of Fire)
• अग्निलोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निलोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महीयते: is honored/is exalted
• Type: Verb
• Root: महीय
• Form: Lat (present), Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Passive/mediopassive sense

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Agni
• Agniloka
• black milch cow (dhenu)
• calf (vatsa)
• garment/cloth (vastra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the dharmic principle that charity should be complete and respectful: giving a productive cow along with her calf and with proper presentation (clothing/covering) yields great merit, leading to honor in Agni’s realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is describing the फल (result) of a specific act of dāna: donating a black, milk-giving cow together with a matching calf, properly adorned/covered, and he states the spiritual reward—exaltation in Agniloka.