Ritual donation described in the ancient texts of India
Gosahasra or go-sahasra-dana (literally "the gift of a thousand cows") is a ritual donation described in the ancient texts of
India. It is one of the
sixteen great gifts (shodasha-mahadana), and is frequently mentioned in the ancient inscriptions.
Scriptural authority
The Atharvaveda-parishishta, composed in the 1st millennium BCE, mentions gosahasra, along with
hiranyagarbha and
tulapurusha donations.[1] These three donations are included among the
sixteen great gifts in the later text Matsya Purana; the relevant section of the text appears to have been composed during 550-650 CE.[2] The Matsya Purana states that several ancient kings performed the great gifts,[1] and these three donations are most prominent among the great gifts recorded in historical inscriptions.[3]
The Linga Purana also mentions the sixteen great gifts; according to R. C. Hazara, the relevant portion of the text was composed during c. 600-1000 CE, most probably after 800 CE. The great gifts are further detailed in the later digests devoted to the topic of charity (
dāna), such as
Ballala's Dana-sagara, and the Danakhanda section of
Hemadri's Chaturvarga-chintamani (13th century).[1]
Historical performers
The inscriptions of the
Shalankayana and
Vishnukundin kings (c. 4th-6th centuries) mention gosahasra and hiranyagarbha performances.[4]
Attivarman (c. 4th century) of
Ananda dynasty of
Guntur region performed gosahsra and hiranyagarbha.[5] Damodaravarman of this dynasty also made these two donations.[6]
The
Siripuram inscription of the
Vasishtha king Anantavarman (c. 5th century) records gosahasra and other donations by his grandfather Gunavarman.[8]
Jayantavarman alias Cendan (c. 7th century) of
Pandya dynasty, according to one of his inscriptions, "castigated the
Kali age" by performing gosahsra along with hiranyagarbha and tulapursuha.[9]
An inscription of the Pandya king Varaguna I (r. c. 768-811) states that his father and grandfather performed hiranyagarbha, tulabhara and gosahasra many times.[10]
The Pandya king Nedumaran, according to his
Madurai inscription, performed many great gifts including those of gosahasra, tulabhara (tulapurusha), and hiranyagarbha.[11]
Chandradeva (c. 1099 CE) of
Gahadavala dynasty performed gosahasra and tulapurusha donations in front of an idol of
Adikeshava, and then granted some villages, according to his Chandravati inscription[12]
Anavema Reddi (14th century) of
Reddi dynasty made the gosahasra donation.[13]
Krishnadevaraya (r. 1509-1529) of the
Vijayanagara Empire performed the sixteen great gifts according to the 1510
Rameswaram inscription and the 1513
Srikalahasti inscription.[14] His 1521 Chikalparvi inscription records the performance of gosahasra along with that of other great gifts of ratnadhenu, hiranashva, and tulapurusha.[15]
Venkata I (r. c. 1542) and
Tirumala Deva Raya (r. c. 1565-1572) of Vijayanagara also performed all the great gifts including the gosahasra.[14]