Shloka 22

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

Brahmā–Indra–Surabhi Itihāsa

Devanagari script

वयोपपन्नं लीलांगं सर्वरत्नसमन्वितम्‌ । गन्धर्वाप्सरसां लोकान्‌ दत्त्वा प्राप्नोति मानव:

Transliteration

vayopapannaṁ līlāṅgaṁ sarvaratnasamanvitam | gandharvāpsarasāṁ lokān dattvā prāpnoti mānavaḥ ||

Translation

Vasiṣṭha nói: Người nào bố thí một con bò đực đang độ sung mãn—thân hình nở nang, tứ chi tuấn tú, lại được trang sức bằng mọi loại châu báu—thì sẽ đạt đến các cõi trời của Gandharva và Apsaras.

Word by Word

• वयः-उपपन्नम्: endowed with youth/prime age
• वयः-उपपन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वयस् + उपपन्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लीलाङ्गम्: having beautiful/graceful limbs
• लीलाङ्गम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लीलाङ्ग
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सर्व-रत्न-समन्वितम्: adorned with all jewels
• सर्व-रत्न-समन्वितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + रत्न + समन्वित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गन्धर्व-अप्सरसाम्: of the Gandharvas and Apsarases
• गन्धर्व-अप्सरसाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + अप्सरस्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• लोकान्: worlds/realms
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दत्त्वा: having given (donated)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (दाने)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (प्राप्तौ)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular

• मानवः: a man (human)
• मानवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• bull (vṛṣabha)
• Gandharvas
• Apsarases
• Gandharva-loka
• Apsaras-loka
• jewels (ratna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that dāna performed with discernment—giving a gift that is fit, valuable, and complete (a prime, well-formed bull adorned with jewels)—produces elevated spiritual merit, here expressed as attainment of refined heavenly realms.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vasiṣṭha’s instruction on dharma and the fruits of charitable acts, he specifies a particular form of gift (donating a prime, ornamented bull) and states its result: the donor reaches the worlds associated with Gandharvas and Apsarases.