Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.45.27
తేభ్యోఽదాద్దక్షిణా గావో రుక్మమాలా: స్వలఙ్కృతా: ।
స్వలఙ్కృతేభ్య: సమ్పూజ్య సవత్సా: క్షౌమమాలినీ: ॥ ౨౭ ॥
tebhyo ’dād dakṣiṇā gāvo
[tebhyo ’daad dakshinaa gaavo]
rukma-mālāḥ sv-alaṅkṛtāḥ
[rukma-maalaah sv-alankritaah]
sv-alaṅkṛtebhyaḥ sampūjya
[sv-alankritebhyah sampoojya]
sa-vatsāḥ kṣauma-mālinīḥ
[sa-vatsaah kshauma-maalineeh]
Word-for-word
tebhyaḥ
—
to them (the brāhmaṇas )
adāt
—
he gave
dakṣiṇāḥ
—
gifts in remuneration
gāvaḥ
—
cows
rukma
—
of gold
mālāḥ
—
with necklaces
su
—
well
alaṅkṛtāḥ
—
ornamented
su - alaṅkṛtebhyaḥ
—
to the well-ornamented ( brāhmaṇas )
sampūjya
—
worshiping them
sa
—
having
vatsāḥ
—
calves
kṣauma
—
of linen
mālinīḥ
—
wearing garlands .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tebhyo ’dād dakṣiṇā gāvo
tebhyaḥ
to them (the brāhmaṇas )
adāt
he gave
dakṣiṇāḥ
gifts in remuneration
gāvaḥ
cows
rukma-mālāḥ sv-alaṅkṛtāḥ
rukma
of gold
mālāḥ
with necklaces
su
well
alaṅkṛtāḥ
ornamented
su - alaṅkṛtebhyaḥ
to the well-ornamented ( brāhmaṇas )
sv-alaṅkṛtebhyaḥ sampūjya
sampūjya
worshiping them
sa-vatsāḥ kṣauma-mālinīḥ
sa
having
vatsāḥ
calves
kṣauma
of linen
mālinīḥ
wearing garlands .
Important Words
-
dakṣiṇāḥ
—
gifts in remuneration
Dakṣiṇā — the proper completion of any ritual; without it the rite is incomplete (cf. SB 1.8). Vasudeva honors śāstric procedure to its end.
-
gāvaḥ
—
cows
Cow-dāna is the highest dakṣiṇā. In Gauḍīya theology cows are the wealth-form Kṛṣṇa Himself most loves (cf. Govinda, Gopāla). The gift is rasa-resonant.
-
rukma - mālāḥ
—
with gold necklaces
The cows themselves wear gold — already worshiped before being given. The dāna's recipient (brāhmaṇa) and the gift (cow) are both pre-honored. Maximum decorum.
-
sa - vatsāḥ
—
with their calves
Sa-vatsā = with calf. Cow-with-calf dāna is the higher form; the mother-bond is not severed. Vātsalya in the gift itself.
-
kṣauma - mālinīḥ
—
wearing linen garlands
Kṣauma = linen, fine cloth; mālinī = garlanded. The cows wear kṣauma garlands — the bovine equivalent of brāhmaṇa attire. The whole tableau is liturgical.
Vasudeva honored these brāhmaṇas by worshiping them and giving them fine ornaments and well-ornamented cows with their calves. All these cows wore gold necklaces and linen wreaths.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Vasudeva honored these brāhmaṇas by worshiping them and giving them fine ornaments and well-ornamented cows with their calves. All these cows wore gold necklaces and linen wreaths.
Commentary
The cows wore garlands of linen cloth as well as gold garlands.
Jīva Gosvāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Śrīdhara Svāmī’s explanation of rukma-māhāḥ (rukmasya mālā vidyante yāsāṁ tāḥ) suggests he is referring to another version with rukma-mālinīḥ, but this version is not seen anywhere. Sv-alaṇkṛtebhyaḥ indicates that the brāhmaṇas were decorated by Vasudeva.
Śrīdhara Svāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
He worshipped the brāhmaṇas according to the rules (sampūjya) with the finest ornaments, with faith.
Related values & verses
Related values
Dana (Charity / Generosity)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
Personal Guidance
Analogy
Vasudeva's gift of gold-garlanded cows with calves, in linen wreaths, to the well-adorned brāhmaṇas is the householder's full breath out after years of held terror. The opulence is not display — it is the unsealing of a vow Kaṁsa had kept locked.
My note
Source: vedabase.io