Shloka 23
गोप्रदानगुणाः तथा कपिलागोविधानम्
Merits of Cow-Gift and the Origin-Account of Kapilā Cows
सत्ये धर्मे च निरतस्तस्य शक्र फलं शृणु । गोसहस्रेण समिता तस्य थेनुर्भवत्युत
pitāmaha uvāca | satye dharme ca niratas tasya śakra phalaṃ śṛṇu | go-sahasreṇa samitā tasya dhenur bhavaty uta | śacīpate śakra |
毗多摩诃说道：“噢，释迦罗（因陀罗）啊，且听那恒住真实与法（dharma）之人所得之果报。此人纵使只施舍一头牛，其功德亦等同于施舍千牛。噢，释迦罗，舍支之主——切莫以粗厉之言对婆罗门；对牛亦不可在心中生起丝毫敌意。凡以‘如牛之生计’而活者——温良、无害、扶持他人——又为牛备草料与照护，并坚守真实与正义者，必得此崇高之报。”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
Steadfastness in truth and dharma, coupled with reverence toward brāhmaṇas and a non-hostile, protective attitude toward cows, greatly magnifies the merit of charity—so much so that gifting even one cow can yield the fruit of a thousand cow-gifts.
Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha), in his instruction on righteous conduct, addresses Indra (Śakra) and explains the extraordinary spiritual reward obtained by a person who lives ethically and supports cows—framing it as a teaching about the power of virtuous disposition behind an act of giving.