युधिष्ठिर उवाच विधिं गवां परं श्रोतुमिच्छामि नृप तत्त्वतः। येन ताशाश्वताल्लोकानर्थिनां प्राप्नुयादिह॥
Yudhishthira said I wish, O king, to hear you discourse in detail upon those high ordinances which regulate gifts of kine, for it is by making gifts (of kine) according to those ordinances that one cquires innumerable regions of eternal happiness.
भीष्म उवाच न गोदानात् परं किंचिद् विद्यते वसुधाधिप। गौर्हि न्यायागता दत्ता सद्यस्तारयते कुलम्॥
Bhishma said There is no gift, O king, that is higher in point of merit than the gift of kine. A cow, lawfully acquired, if given away, immediately rescues the entire family of the giver.
सतामर्थे सम्यगुत्पादितो यः स वै क्लृप्तः सम्यगाभ्यः प्रजाभ्यः। तस्मात् पूर्वं ह्यादिकालप्रवृत्तं गोदानार्थं शृणु राजन् विधि मे॥
That ritual which sprang for the benefit of the pious, was subsequently declared for the sake of all creatures. That ritual has come down from primeval time. It existed even before it was declared. Indeed, O king, listen to me as I recite to you that ritual which affects the gifts of kine.
पुरा गोषूपनीतासु गोषु संदिग्धदर्शिना। मान्धात्रा प्रकृतं प्रश्नं बृहस्पतिरभाषत।॥
Formerly, when a number of kine was brought, (before him), king Mandhatri, filled with doubt about the ritual he should observe, properly questioned Brihaspati for an explanation of that doubt.
बृहस्पति उवाच द्विजातिमतिसत्कृत्य श्वः कालमभिवेद्य च। गोदानार्थे प्रयुञ्जीत रोहिणी नियतव्रतः॥
Brihaspati said Duly observing restrains all the while, the giver of kine should, on the previous day, properly honour the Brahmanas and appoint the time of gift. As for the kine to be given away, they should be of the class called Rohini.
आह्वानं च प्रयुञ्जीत समझे बहुलेति च। प्रविश्य च गवां मध्यमिमां श्रुतिमुदाहरेत्॥
The kine also should be addressed with the wordsSamange and BahuleEntering the fold where the kine are kept, the following Shrutis should be uttered:
गौर्मे माता वृषभः पिता मे दिवं शर्म जगती मे प्रतिष्ठा। प्रपद्यैवं शर्वरीमुष्य गोषु पुनर्वाणीमुत्सृजेद् गोप्रदाने॥
The cow is my mother. The bull is my father. (Give me) Heaven and Earthly prosperity. The cow is my refuge. Entering the fold and acting thus, the giver should pass the night there. He should again utter the formula when actually giving away the kine.
स तामेकां निशां गोभिः समसख्यः समव्रतः। ऐकात्म्यगमनात् सद्यः कलुषाद् विप्रमुच्यते॥८॥
The giver, thus living with the kine in the fold without doing anything to control their freedom, and lying down on the naked earth, becomes readily cleansed of all his sins on account of his bringing himself down to a condition of perfect similitude with the kine.
उत्सृष्टवृषवत्सा हि प्रदेया सूयदर्शने। त्रिदिवं प्रतिपत्तव्यमर्थवादाशिषस्तव॥
When the Sun rises in the morning, you should give away the cow, accompanied by her calf and a bull. As the reward of such a deed, you will surely attain to the celestial region. You will also enjoy the blessings shown by the Mantras.
उर्जस्विन्य ऊर्जमेधाश्च यज्ञे गर्भोऽमृतस्य जगतोऽस्य प्रतिष्ठा। क्षिते रोहः प्रवृहुः शश्वदेव प्रजापत्याः सर्वमित्यर्थवादाः॥
The Mantras contain these references of kine: Kine are gifted with strength and energetic exertion. Kine are also wise. They are the root of that immortality which sacrifice yields. They are the root of all energy. They are the steps by which earthly prosperity is gained. They are the eternal course of the universe. The multiply one's race.
स्तथा सौम्याः स्वर्गयानाय सन्तु। आत्मानं मे मातृवच्चाश्रयन्तु तथानुक्ताः सन्तु सर्वाशिषो मे॥
Let the kine dissipate my sins. They have in them the nature of both the Sun and the Moon. Let them help me in the attainment of the celestial region. Let them come to me, as a mother takes to her children. May I enjoy all other blessings which have not been named in the Mantras I have uttered.
शोषोत्सर्गे कर्मभिर्देहमोक्षे सरस्वत्यः श्रेयसे सम्प्रवृत्ताः। यूयं नित्यं सर्वपुण्योपवाह्यां दिशध्वं मे गतिमिष्टां प्रसन्नाः॥
For alleviating or curing phthisis and other wasting diseases, and for achieving freedom from the body, if a person takes the help of the five products of the cow, kine confer blessings upon the person like the river Sarasvati you kine, you are always co nveyers of all sorts of merit. Pleased with me, do you assign a desirable end for me.
या वै यूयं सोऽहमद्यैव भावो युष्मान् दत्त्वा चाहमात्मप्रदाता। मनश्च्युता मन एवोपपन्नाः संधुक्षध्वं सौम्यरूपोग्ररूपाः॥
I have to day become what you are. By giving you away, I really give myself away, You do not belong to him who gives you away. You have now become mine. Possessed of the nature of both the Sun and the Moon, do you cause both the giver and the receiver the shine with all kinds of prosperity.
एवं तस्याग्रे पूर्वमर्थं वदेत गवां दाता विधिवत् पूर्वदृष्टः। प्रतिब्रूयाच्छेषमधु द्विजाति: प्रतिगृह्णन् वै गोप्रदाने विधिज्ञः॥
The giver should duly utter the words found in the first part of the above Verse. The twice born recipient, conversant with the ritual regulating the gift of kine, should, when receiving the kine in gift, utter the words found in the latter half of the above Verse.
गोप्रदानीति वक्तव्यमर्थ्यवस्त्रवसुप्रदः। उर्ध्वास्या भवितव्या च वैष्णवीति च चोदयेत्॥
The man who, instead of a cow, gives away the usual value thereof or cloths or gold, is considered as the giver of a cow. The giver, when giving away the usual value of a cow, should utter the words. This cow with face lipuurned is being given away. Do you accept her. The man who gives away cloths should utter the words, Bhavitavya (this should be regarded as representing a cow). The man who gives away gold should utter the word Vaishnavi i.e., the gold of the form and nature of a cow.
नाम संकीर्तयेत् तस्या यथासंख्योत्तरं स वै। फलं षट्त्रिंशदष्टौ च सहस्राणि च विंशतिः॥
These are the words that should be uttered according to the kind of gift mentioned above. The reward that was reaped by making gifts of kine is residence in the celestial region for six and thirty thousand years, eight thousand years, and twenty thousand years respectively.
एवमेतान् गुणान् विद्याद् गवादीनां यथाक्रमम्। गोप्रदाता समाप्नोति समस्तानष्टमे क्रमे॥
These are the merits, respectively, of gifts of things as substitutes of kine. While, about him who gives an actual cow all the merits that attach to gifts of kine become his at only the eighth step of the recipient.
गोदः शीली निर्भयश्चार्थदाता न स्याद् दुःखी वसुदाता च कामम्। उषस्योढा भारते यश्च विद्वान् विख्यातास्ते वैष्णवाश्चन्द्रलोकाः॥
He who gives an actual cow becomes gifted with righteous conduct in this world. He who gives the valve of a cow becomes freed from every sort of fear. He who gives a cow never suffers from sorrow. All the three, as also they who regularly perform their ablutions and other acts at early dawn, and he who is well conversant with the Mahabharata, it is well known attain to the regions of Vishnu and Soma.
गा वै दत्त्वा गोव्रती स्यात् त्रिरात्रं निशां चैकां संवसेतेह ताभिः। कामाष्टम्यां वर्तितव्यं त्रिरात्रं रसैर्वा गोः शकृता प्रस्रवैर्वा॥
Having given away a cow, the giver should for three nights, adopt the vaccine vow, and pass one night with kine. Beginning again from that lunation, numbering the eighth, named Kamya, he should pass three nights, living exclusively on milk and the urine and dung of the cow.
देवव्रती स्याद् वृषभप्रदाने वेदावाप्तिर्गोयुगस्य प्रदाने। तथा गवां विधिमासाद्य यज्वा लोकानग्र्यान् विन्दते नाविधिज्ञः॥
By giving away a bull, one acquires the merit of Brahmacharya. By giving away two kine, one acquires the mastery of the Vedas. That man who celebrates a sacrifice and makes gifts of kine according to the ritual laid down, attains to many great regions. These, however, are not attainable by the person who does not know that ritual.
कामान् सर्वान् पार्थिवानेकसंस्थान यो वै दद्यात् कामदुघांच धेनुम्। स्तासामुक्ष्णां ज्यायसां सम्प्रदानम्॥
That man who gives away even a single cow. which gives profuse milk, acquires the merit of giving away all desirable objects on Earth collected together. What more should be said of the gift of many such kine as give Havya and Kavya on account of their fuil udders? The merit which belongs to the gift of superior oxen is greater than that of the gift of kine.
नाश्रद्दधानाय न वक्रबुद्धये। गुह्यो ह्ययं सर्वलोकस्य धर्मो नेमं धर्मं यत्र तत्र प्रजल्पेत्॥
One should not, by giving a knowledge of this ritual, benefit a person who is not his disciple or who does not observe vows or who is bereft of faith or who is possessed of crooked understanding. Indeed this religion is a mystery, which many people do not know. One who knows it should not speak of it everywhere.
सन्ति लोकेऽश्रद्दधाना मनुष्या: सन्ति क्षुद्रा राक्षसमानुषेषु। एषामेतद् दीयमानं ह्यनिष्टं ये नास्तिक्यं चाश्रयन्तेऽल्पपुण्याः॥
There are, in the world, many men who have no faith. There are among men many persons who are mean and who resemble Rakshasas. This religion, if given to them, would lead to evil. It would produce equal evil it given to such sinful men as are atheists.
बार्हस्पत्यं वाक्यमेतन्निशम्य ये राजानो गोप्रदानानि दत्त्वा। स्तान् मे राजन् कीर्त्यमानान् निबोध॥
Listen to me, O king as I recite to you the names of those pious kings who have attained son to regions of great happiness as the reward of those gifts of kine which they made according to the instructions of Brihaspati.
उशीनरो विष्वगश्वो नृगश्च भगीरथो विश्रुतो यौवनाश्वः। मान्धाता वै मुचुकुन्दश्च राजा भूरिद्युम्नो नैषधः सोमकश्च॥
Ushinara, Vishvagashva, Nriga, Bhagiratha, the celebrated Mandhatri the of Yuvanashva, king Muchukunda, Bhuridyumna, Naishadha, Somaka. Pururavas, emperor Bharata to whose race belongs all the Bharatas, the heroic Rama the son of Dasharatha, and many other celebrated kings of great deeds, and also king Dilipa of widelyknown deeds, all, on account of their gifts of kine according to the ritual, attained to Heaven. King Mandhatri, was always observant of sacrifices, gifts, penances royal duties, and gifts of kine.
पुरूरवो भरतश्चक्रवर्ती यस्यान्ववाये भरताः सर्व एव। तथा वीरो दाशरथिश्च रामो ये चाप्यन्ये विश्रुताः कीर्तिमन्तः॥ तथा राजा पृथुकर्मा दिलीपो दिवं प्राप्तो गोप्रदानैर्विधिज्ञः। र्मान्धाताभूद् गोप्रदानैश्च युक्तः॥ तस्मात् पार्थ त्वमपीमां मयोक्तां बार्हस्पती भारती धारयस्व। द्विजाग्र्येभ्यः सम्प्रयच्छस्व प्रीतो गाः पुण्या वै प्राप्य राज्यं कुरूणाम्॥
Therefore, O son of Pritha, do you also keep in mind, those instructions of Brihaspati which I have recited to you Having obtained the kingdom of the Kurus, do you, with a cheerful heart, make gifts of good kine to foremost of Brahmanas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच कृतवान् धर्मराजो भीष्मेणोक्तो विधिवद् गोप्रदाने। तथा सर्वे स मान्धातुर्देवदेवोपदिष्टं सम्यग्धर्मं धारयामास राजा॥
Vaishampayana said Thus addressed by Bhishma on the subject of properly making gifts of kine, king Yudhishthira did all that Bhishma desired. Indeed, king Yudhishthira bore in mind the whole of that religion which the preceptor of the gods imparted to the Royal Mandhatri.
इति नृप सततं गवां प्रदाने यवशकलान् सह गोमयैः पिबानः। क्षितितलशयनः शिखी यतात्मा वृष इव राजवृषस्तदा बभूव॥
Yudhishthira from that time began to always make gifts of kine and to maintain himself with grains of barley and cowdung as both his food and drink, The king also began to sleep from that day on the naked earth, and possessed of controlled soul and resembling a bull in conduct, he become the foremost of monarchs.
नरपतिरभवत् सदैवताभ्यः प्रयतमनास्त्वभिसंस्तुवंश्च ता:स्म। न च धुरि नृप गामयुक्त भूय स्तुरगवरैरगमच्च यत्र तत्र॥
The Kuru king from that day became very attentive of kine and always adored them, singing their praises. From that day, the king gave up the practice of yO king kine to his cars. Wherever he had occasion to go, he proceeded on cars drawn by horses of good breed.