Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 13.112
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13.112.1
ततो युधिष्ठिरे राजा भूयः शान्तनवं नृपम् ।
गोदानविस्तरं धीमान्पप्रच्छ विनयान्वितः ॥ १३.११२.१ ॥
Then the wise Yudhiṣṭhira, endowed with humility, again asked the king, the son of Śantanu, about the extensive teaching on the gift of cows.
13.112.2
गोप्रदानगुणान्सम्यक् पुनर्मे ब्रूहि भारत ।
न हि तृप्याम्यहं वीर शृण्वानोऽमृतमीदृशम् ॥ १३.११२.२ ॥
Tell me again fully the merits of giving cows, O Bhārata. O hero, I am not satisfied, hearing such nectar.
13.112.3
इत्युक्तो धर्मराजेन तदा शान्तनवो नृपः ।
सम्यगाह गुणांस्तस्मै गोप्रदानस्य केवलान् ॥ १३.११२.३ ॥
Thus addressed by the king of dharma, the king, the son of Śantanu, then fully spoke to him only of the merits of the gift of cows.
13.112.4
वत्सलां गुणसम्प्रन्ना तरुणीं वस्त्रसंयुताम् ।
दत्त्वेदृशीं गां विप्राय सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते ॥ १३.११२.४ ॥
Having given such a cow to a brahmin — one with a calf, endowed with good qualities, young and clothed — a man is freed from all sins.
13.112.5
असुर्या नाम ते लोका गां दत्त्वा तान्न गच्छति। ॥ १३.११२.५ ॥
One who gives a cow does not go to those worlds called Asuryā.
13.112.6
पीतोदकां जग्धतृणां नष्टक्षीरां निरिन्द्रियाम् ।
जरारोगोपसम्पन्नां जीर्णां वापीमिवाजलाम्।
दत्त्वा तमः प्रविशति द्विजं क्लेशेन योजयेत् ॥ १३.११२.६ ॥
Having given to a brahmin a cow whose water has been drunk, whose grass has been eaten, whose milk has dried up, who is without vigor, afflicted by old age and disease, decrepit like a waterless well — a man enters darkness and puts the twice-born into distress.
13.112.7
रुष्टा दुष्टा व्याधिता दुर्बला वा ।
नो दातव्या याश्च मूल्यैरदत्तैः।
क्लेशैर्विप्रं योऽफलैः संयुनक्ति ।
तस्याऽवीर्याश्चाफलाश्चैव लोकाः ॥ १३.११२.७ ॥
Cows that are angry, vicious, diseased, or weak must not be given, nor those not given for a price. The worlds of one who binds a Brahmin with troubles and fruitless things become powerless and fruitless.
13.112.8
बलान्विताः शीलवीर्योपपन्नाः ।
सर्वे प्रशंसन्ति सुगन्धवत्यः।
यथा हि गङ्गा सरितां वरिष्ठा ।
तथाऽर्जुनीनां कपिला वरिष्ठा ॥ १३.११२.८ ॥
All praise the cows that are strong, endowed with good character and vigour, and fragrant. As the Gaṅgā is the best of rivers, so the tawny cow is the best of the white cows.
13.112.9
कस्मात्समाने बहुलाप्रदाने ।
सद्भिः प्रशस्तं कपिलाप्रदानम्।
विशेषमिच्छामि महाप्रभावं ।
श्रोतुं समर्थोस्मि भवान्प्रवक्तुम् ॥ १३.११२.९ ॥
When giving many cows is equal, why have good men especially praised the gift of a tawny cow? I wish to hear the distinction of her great power, and you are able to tell it.
13.112.10
वृद्धानां ब्रुवतां श्रुत्वा कपिलानामथोद्भवम् ।
वक्ष्यामि तदशेषेण रोहिण्यो निर्मिता यथा ॥ १३.११२.१० ॥
Having heard what the elders have said, I shall tell the whole origin of the tawny cows, and how the Rohiṇī cows were created.
13.112.11
प्रजाः सृजेति चादिष्टः पूर्वं दक्षः स्वयंभुवा ।
नासृजद्वृत्तिमेवाग्रे प्रजानां हितकाम्यया ॥ १३.११२.११ ॥
Long ago the self-existent one commanded Dakṣa, "Create creatures." Desiring the welfare of creatures, Dakṣa first created their livelihood.
13.112.12
यथा ह्यमृतमाश्रित्य वर्तयन्ति दिवौकसः ।
तथा वृत्तिं समाश्रित्य वर्तयन्ति प्रजा विभो ॥ १३.११२.१२ ॥
Just as the dwellers of heaven sustain themselves by resorting to nectar, so, O mighty one, do creatures sustain themselves by resorting to livelihood.
13.112.13
अचरेभ्यश्च भूतेभ्यश्चराः श्रेष्ठास्ततो नराः ।
ब्राह्मणाश्च ततः श्रेष्ठास्तषु यज्ञाः प्रतिष्ठिताः ॥ १३.११२.१३ ॥
Among the immovable beings, the movable are superior; among the movable, men are superior; among men, the brahmins are superior; and in them the sacrifices are established.
13.112.14
यज्ञैराप्यायते सोमः स च गोषु प्रतिष्ठितः ।
ताभ्यो देवाः प्रमोदन्ते प्रजानां वृत्तिरासु च ॥ १३.११२.१४ ॥
Soma is nourished by sacrifices, and he is established in cows. From them the gods rejoice, and the livelihood of creatures also lies in them.
13.112.15
ततः प्रजासु सृष्टासु दक्षाद्यैः क्षुधिताः प्रजाः ।
प्रजापतिमुपाधावन्विनिश्चित्य चतुर्मखम् ॥ १३.११२.१५ ॥
Then, when creatures had been brought into being by Dakṣa and the others, the hungry creatures, having resolved to do so, ran to Prajāpati, the four-faced one.
13.112.16
प्रजातान्येव भूतानि प्राक्रोशन्वृत्तिकाङ्क्षया ।
वृत्तिदं चान्वपद्यन्त तृषिताः पितृमातृवत् ॥ १३.११२.१६ ॥
The creatures that had been born cried out, desiring livelihood; and, thirsty, they went after the giver of livelihood as children go after father and mother.
13.112.17
इतीदं मनसा गत्वा प्रजासर्गार्थमात्मनः ।
प्रजापतिर्बलाधानममृतं प्रापिबत्तदा।
शंसतस्तस्य तृप्तिं तु गन्धात्सुरभिरुत्थिता ॥ १३.११२.१७ ॥
Having thus considered it in his mind, for the sake of creating creatures for himself, Prajāpati drank the nectar that gives strength; and as he was praised for his satisfaction, Surabhi arose from his fragrance.
13.112.18
मुखजा साऽसृजद्धातुः सुरभिर्लोकमातरम् ।
दर्शनीयरसं वृत्तिं सुरभिं मुखजां सुताम् ॥ १३.११२.१८ ॥
Surabhi, born from the mouth of the Creator, mother of the worlds, created her daughter, Surabhi born from the mouth, pleasing to behold, a sustenance full of essence.
13.112.19
साऽसृजत्सौरभेयीस्तु सुरभिर्लोकमातृकाः ।
सुवर्णवर्णाः कपिलाः प्रजानां वृत्तिधेनवः ॥ १३.११२.१९ ॥
Surabhi created the Saurabheyī cows, mothers of the worlds, golden-hued, tawny kapilā cows, the milch-cows that sustain living beings.
13.112.20
तासाममृतवृत्तीनां क्षरन्तीनां समन्ततः ।
बभूवामृतजः फेनः स्रवन्तीनामिवोर्मिजः ॥ १३.११२.२० ॥
Around those cows, flowing with nectar-like milk on all sides, there arose foam born of nectar, as foam arises from the waves of flowing rivers.
13.112.21
स वत्समुखविभ्रष्टो भवस्य भुवि तिष्ठतः ।
शिरस्यवापतत्क्रुद्धः स तदैक्षत च प्रभुः।
ललाटप्रभवेणाक्ष्णा रोहिणीं प्रदहन्निव ॥ १३.११२.२१ ॥
That foam, falling from the calf's mouth, fell upon the head of Bhava, who stood on the ground. Then the angered lord looked with the eye born of his forehead, as if to burn the cow Rohiṇī.
13.112.22
तत्तेजस्तु ततो रौद्रं कपिलां गां विशाम्पते ।
नानावर्णत्वमनयन्मेघानिव दिवाकरः ॥ १३.११२.२२ ॥
O lord of men, then that fierce radiance turned the tawny cow Kapilā into many colours, as the sun gives many hues to the clouds.
13.112.23
यास्तु तस्मादपक्रम्य सोममेवाभिसंश्रिताः ।
यथोत्पन्नाः स्ववर्णस्था न नीताश्चान्यवर्णतां ॥ १३.११२.२३ ॥
But those cows that departed from that and took refuge only with Soma, the moon, remained in their own colour as they were born, and were not brought to another colour.
13.112.24
अथ क्रुद्धं महादेवं प्रजापतिरभाषत ।
अमृतेनावसिक्तस्त्वं नोच्छिष्टं विद्यते गवाम् ॥ १३.११२.२४ ॥
Then Prajāpati spoke to the enraged Mahādeva: You have been sprinkled with nectar; the cows have no leftovers.
13.112.25
यथा ह्यमृतमादाय सोमो विष्यन्दते पुनः ।
तथा क्षीरं क्षरन्त्येता रोहिण्योऽमृतसम्भवाः ॥ १३.११२.२५ ॥
Just as Soma, having taken nectar, flows out again, so these Rohiṇī cows, born of nectar, pour forth milk.
13.112.26
न दुष्यत्यनिलो नाग्निर्न सुवर्णं न चोदधिः ।
नामृतेनामृतं पीतं न वत्सैर्दुष्यते पयः ॥ १३.११२.२६ ॥
Neither the wind, nor fire, nor gold, nor the ocean is defiled; nectar drunk with nectar is not defiled; and milk is not defiled by calves.
13.112.27
इमाँल्लोकान्भरिष्यन्ति हविषा प्रस्रवेण च ।
आसामैश्वर्यमिच्छन्ति सर्वेऽमृतमयं शुभम् ॥ १३.११२.२७ ॥
With oblation and streams of milk they will sustain these worlds; all desire the lordship of these, which is made of nectar and auspicious.
13.112.28
वृषभं च ददौ तस्मै भगवाँल्लोकभावनः ।
प्रसादयामास मनस्तेन रुद्रस्य भारत ॥ १३.११२.२८ ॥
The blessed sustainer of the worlds gave him a bull, and by that, O Bhārata, Rudra's mind was appeased.
13.112.29
प्रीतश्चापि महादेवश्चकार वृषभं तदा ।
ध्वजं च वाहनं चैव तस्मात्स वृषभध्वजः ॥ १३.११२.२९ ॥
Pleased, the great god Mahādeva then made the bull both his banner and his vehicle; therefore he became known as the bull-bannered one.
13.112.30
ततो देवैर्महादेवस्तदा पशुपतिः कृतः ।
ईश्वरः स गवां मध्ये वृषभाङ्कः प्रकीर्तितः ॥ १३.११२.३० ॥
Then the gods made the Great God the Lord of Beasts (Paśupati). Among the cows he is the Lord (Īśvara), proclaimed as the one marked with the bull.
13.112.31
एवमव्यग्रवर्णानां कपिलानां महौजसाम् ।
प्रदाने प्रथमः कल्पः सर्वासामेव कीर्तितः ॥ १३.११२.३१ ॥
Thus, in the gift of the tawny cows of unwavering colour and great vigour, this is declared to be the first rite for all of them.
13.112.32
लोकज्येष्ठा लोकवृत्तिप्रवृत्ता ।
रुद्रोद्भूताः सोमविष्यन्दभूताः।
सौम्याः पुण्याः कामदाः प्राणदाश्च ॥ १३.११२.३२ ॥
The eldest of the worlds, engaged in sustaining the life of the world, born of Rudra, made of the flow of Soma; gentle, meritorious, granting desires, and giving life.
13.112.33
गा वै दत्त्वा सर्वकामप्रदः स्यात् ।
इदं गवां प्रभवविधानमुत्तमं
पठन्सदा शुचिरपि मङ्गलप्रियः ।
विमुच्यते कलिकलुषेण मानवः
प्रियान्सुतान्धनपशुमाप्नुयात्सदा ॥ १३.११२.३३ ॥
One who gives cows becomes the granter of all desires. A man who always recites this supreme account of the origin rite of cows, pure and fond of auspiciousness, is freed from the stain of the Kali age and always obtains dear sons, wealth and cattle.
13.112.34
हव्यं कव्यं तर्पणं शान्तिकर्म ।
यानं वासो वृद्धबालस्य तुष्टिः।
एतान्सर्वान्गोप्रदाने गुणान्वै ।
दाता राजन्नाप्नुयाद्वै सदैव ॥ १३.११२.३४ ॥
Oblation, offering to the ancestors, libation, rite of appeasement, conveyance, clothing, the contentment of the old and of children — all these benefits are in the gift of cows. O king, the giver always obtains all of them.
13.112.35
पितामहस्याथ निशम्य वाक्यं ।
राजा सह भ्रातृभिराजमीढः।
सुवर्णवर्णानडुहस्तथा गाः ।
पार्थो ददौ ब्राह्मणसत्तमेभ्यः ॥ १३.११२.३५ ॥
Hearing the words of the grandsire, King Ajamīḍha (Yudhiṣṭhira), together with his brothers, gave golden-hued bulls and cows to the best of brahmins; Pārtha gave them.
13.112.36
तथैव तेभ्योपि ददौ द्विजेभ्यो ।
गवां सहस्राणि शतानि चैव।
यज्ञान्समुद्धिश्य च दक्षिणार्थे ।
लोकान्विजेतुं परमां च कीर्तिम् ॥ १३.११२.३६ ॥
Likewise he gave thousands and hundreds of cows to them and to the twice-born, directed toward sacrifices as sacrificial fees, to conquer the worlds and to win supreme fame.