Shloka 72

गोप्रदानविधिः (Gopradāna-vidhi) — Procedure and Praise of Cow-Gifting

Devanagari script

भगवन्‌! गोदानमें कैसी दक्षिणा श्रेष्ठ मानी जाती है? यह सब यथार्थरूपसे मुझे बतानेकी कृपा करें ।। इति श्रीमहा भारते अनुशासनपर्वणि दानधर्मपर्वणि गोप्रदानिके द्विसप्ततितमो<5ध्याय:

Transliteration

śakra uvāca | bhagavan! godāne kaisī dakṣiṇā śreṣṭhā mānī jātī hai? etat sarvaṃ yathārtharūpeṇa me vaktum arhasi |

Translation

释迦罗说道：“尊者啊！施舍一头牛时，何种达克希那（dakṣiṇā）被视为最上？愿你慈悲，将这一切如实而详尽地告知于我。”——（《摩诃婆罗多》教诫篇·施舍法篇·第七十二章《论施牛》）

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O Lord / O venerable one
• भगवन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गोदानम्: in the gift of a cow (cow-donation)
• गोदानम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोदान
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कासी: what kind (which?)
• कासी: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: क
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दक्षिणा: honorarium / gift-fee (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठा: best, most excellent
• श्रेष्ठा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मानी: is considered / is regarded
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• श्री: auspiciousness; honorific 'Śrī'
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• महाभारते: in the Mahābhārata
• महाभारते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभारत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अनुशासनपर्वणि: in the Anuśāsana-parvan
• अनुशासनपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुशासनपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दानधर्मपर्वणि: in the section on the dharma of gifts
• दानधर्मपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानधर्मपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• गोप्रदानिके: in (the subsection) concerning cow-gifts
• गोप्रदानिके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: गोप्रदानिक
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• द्विसप्ततितमः: seventy-second
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विसप्तति-तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अध्यायः: chapter
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Go-dāna (cow-gift)
• Dakṣiṇā (honorarium/accompanying gift)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: a donation is not only the main gift (the cow) but is ethically and ritually ‘completed’ by an appropriate dakṣiṇā. The question seeks the standard of excellence—what accompanying gift best fulfills the intent of go-dāna.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) respectfully questions a revered authority about the proper and most excellent dakṣiṇā to be given in the context of cow-donation, requesting a truthful, detailed explanation.