Shloka 49
Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)
एतद् दानं न्यायलब्धं द्विजेभ्य: पात्रे दत्त प्रापणीयं परीक्ष्य । काम्याष्टम्या वर्तितव्यं दशाहं रसैर्गवां शकृता प्रस्नवैर्वा
etad dānaṃ nyāyalabdhaṃ dvijebhyaḥ pātre dattaṃ prāpaṇīyaṃ parīkṣya | kāmyāṣṭamyā vartitavyaṃ daśāhaṃ rasair gavāṃ śakṛtā prasnavair vā ||
那支迦说道：“此施——以正当之法所得之牛畜——当施与二生者（婆罗门）。审察受者之德行与资格之后，所赠于真正堪受之人的那头牛，应依礼送达其家。又当自所择吉祥之阿湿多弥日（Aṣṭamī，月八日）起，守持十日之戒行，以牛之产物为食——乳与诸汁——或以牛粪，或以牛尿为资。”
नाचिकेत उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity must be funded by ethically acquired wealth, offered to genuinely worthy recipients after due scrutiny, and completed responsibly (ensuring the gift reaches the recipient). The accompanying ten-day observance emphasizes self-discipline and ritual purification through cow-related substances, framing dāna as both ethical and ascetic practice.
Naciketas lays down procedural and moral guidelines for go-dāna (donation of cows): acquire the cattle righteously, test the recipient’s worthiness, deliver the cow properly, and undertake a ten-day regimen beginning on an auspicious Aṣṭamī, living on cow-products as part of the rite.