FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

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]
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 .
  • 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.
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
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

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

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