Shloka 43

गोप्रदानगुणाः तथा कपिलागोविधानम्

Merits of Cow-Gift and the Origin-Account of Kapilā Cows

Devanagari script

हृष्ट-पुष्ट, सीधी-सादी, जवान और उत्तम गन्धवाली सभी गौएँ प्रशंसनीय मानी गयी हैं। जैसे गंगा सब नदियोंमें श्रेष्ठ हैं, उसी प्रकार कपिला गौ सब गौआओंमें उत्तम है ।।

Transliteration

tisro rātrīs tv adbhir upoṣya bhūmau tṛptā gāvas tarpitibhyaḥ pradeyāḥ | vatsaiḥ puṣṭaiḥ kṣīrapaiḥ supracārās tryahaṃ dattvā gorasair vartitavyam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“施主当斋戒三夜，唯以清水自持，并卧于地。先以草料使诸牛饱足，又以饮食与应有的礼敬使婆罗门欢悦，然后方可将这些牛作为布施奉赠。所施之牛当温顺而健壮，并须有仍在吮乳的强健犊牛相随。施牛之后，施主当再行三日，只食乳品（goras）而住。”

Word by Word

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• रात्रीः: nights
• रात्रीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• त्वत्: you (the giver)
• त्वत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• अद्भिः: with water
• अद्भिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपवस्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), —, —

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• तृप्ताः: satiated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्त
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• तर्पितेभ्यः: to the satisfied (Brahmins)
• तर्पितेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तर्पित
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• प्रदेयाः: are to be given
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदेय
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• वत्सैः: with calves
• वत्सैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पुष्टैः: well-nourished
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• क्षीरपैः: milk-drinking
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीरप
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुप्रचाराः: well-behaved / well-moving
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्रचार
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• त्र्यहम्: for three days
• त्र्यहम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यह
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), —, —

• गोरसैः: with milk-products / cow-juice (milk)
• गोरसैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोरस
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वर्तितव्यम्: one should subsist / should live
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Gerundive (to be done), —, —

Speaker

पितामह उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Pitamaha)
• cows (gāvaḥ)
• calves (vatsāḥ)
• brāhmaṇas (implied as recipients)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity (go-dāna) is not merely transfer of property; it is framed as a disciplined ethical act requiring self-restraint, care for the animals, honoring worthy recipients (brāhmaṇas), and post-gift austerity to purify intention and detach from possession.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing on dharma, lays out the procedure for gifting cows: the donor fasts on water for three nights and sleeps on the ground, feeds the cows to satisfaction, honors and satisfies brāhmaṇas, gives vigorous well-behaved cows with healthy suckling calves, and then lives for three days on milk-products.