Shloka 34

Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ

Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच पितामहस्याथ निशम्य वाक्य राजा सह भ्रातृभिराजमीढ: । सुवर्णवर्णानडुहस्तथा गा: पार्थो ददौ ब्राह्मणसत्तमेभ्य:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca

pitāmahasyātha niśamya vākyaṁ rājā saha bhrātṛbhir ājamīḍhaḥ |

suvarṇavarṇān aḍuhas tathā gāḥ pārtho dadau brāhmaṇasattamebhyaḥ ||

Translation

毗舍波耶那说道：“大王啊！听罢祖父辈的毗湿摩之言，阿阇弥陀罗系的国王由提施提罗与诸弟兄一道，依正法向最尊贵的婆罗门行清净之施：金色光辉的公牛与上等母牛。”

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• पितामहस्य: of the grandsire (Bhīṣma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• निशम्य: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• वाक्यम्: speech; words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• भ्रातृभिः: with (his) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अजमीढः: Ajāmīḍha (descendant of Ajāmīḍha)
• अजमीढः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजमीढ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुवर्णवर्णान्: gold-colored
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण-वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अडुहः: bulls/oxen
• अडुहः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अडुह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तथा: and also; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• पार्थः: Pārtha (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ददौ: gave; donated
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमेभ्यः: to the best of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण-सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pāṇḍava brothers
• Brāhmaṇas
• bulls (aḍuhaḥ)
• cows (gāḥ)
• Ājamīḍha lineage

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed through dāna: a righteous king, after heeding an elder’s counsel, supports the foremost Brāhmaṇas with valuable gifts (cows and bulls), reinforcing generosity, respect for spiritual authority, and ethical governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After listening to Bhīṣma’s instruction, Yudhiṣṭhira—together with his brothers—performs a donation, giving golden-hued bulls and fine cows to eminent Brāhmaṇas, marking a concrete act of compliance with Bhīṣma’s dharma-teachings.