Shloka 4

Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa

Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation

Devanagari script

पुरा गोष्पनीतासु गोषु संदिग्धदर्शिना । मान्धात्रा प्रकृतं प्रश्न बृहस्पतिरभाषत

Transliteration

purā goṣpanītāsu goṣu saṃdigdha-darśinā | māndhātrā prakṛtaṃ praśnaṃ bṛhaspatir abhāṣata ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：在远古之时，许多母牛被带来以备施赠；曼陀达罗王因不确定何种母牛才算适宜布施，便提出了一个切要的问题。对此，布里哈斯帕提开口解答，阐明了施牛之礼应遵循的正当标准。

Word by Word

• {'purā': 'formerly

• in ancient times', 'goṣu': 'among cows

• with regard to cows (locative plural of go)', 'goṣpanītāsu': "when cows had been brought/led (for a purpose, here for donation)

• lit. 'in (the state of) cows being led'", 'saṃdigdha-darśinā': 'by one whose judgment/vision was doubtful

• by one in uncertainty', 'māndhātrā': 'by Māndhātṛ (instrumental singular)', 'prakṛtam': 'relevant

• appropriate to the matter at hand', 'praśnam': 'question', 'bṛhaspatiḥ': 'Bṛhaspati (the preceptor of the gods)', 'abhāṣata': 'spoke

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Māndhātṛ
• Bṛhaspati
• cows (go)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When performing dāna (charitable gifting), one should not act casually or merely by quantity; the gift must be dharmically appropriate. If uncertain about the proper standard, a ruler should seek authoritative guidance (here, Bṛhaspati) so that the act of giving becomes ethically sound and spiritually meaningful.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma introduces an old precedent: King Māndhātṛ receives many cows intended for donation but hesitates, unsure what kind of cow should be given. He asks Bṛhaspati for clarification, and Bhīṣma is about to recount Bṛhaspati’s answer.