Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 13.123
हिन्दी · தமிழ் · తెలుగు · ಕನ್ನಡ · മലയാളം · বাংলা · मराठी · ગુજરાતી · ਪੰਜਾਬੀ · ଓଡ଼ିଆ · اردو · English · Español · Français · Deutsch · Português · Русский · 中文 · 日本語 · العربية · Bahasa Indonesia · ไทย
13.123.1
ता गावो रन्तिदेवस्य गत्वा यज्ञं मनीषिणः ।
आत्मानं ज्ञापयामासुर्महर्षीणां समक्षतः ॥ १३.१२३.१ ॥
Having gone to the sacrifice of Rantideva, those cows made themselves known in the presence of the wise great sages.
13.123.2
रन्तिदेवस्ततो राजा प्रयतः प्राञ्जलिः शुचिः ।
उवाच गावः प्रणतः किमागमनमित्यपि ॥ १३.१२३.२ ॥
Then King Rantideva, pure and self-controlled, with palms joined and bowing, said to the cows: "What is the reason for your coming?"
13.123.3
इच्चामस्तव राजेन्द्र सत्रेऽस्मिन्विनियोजनम् ।
पशुत्वमुपसम्प्राप्तुं प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ १३.१२३.३ ॥
O lord of kings, we wish to be offered as sacrifice in this sacrifice; you should do us the favor of conferring animal status.
13.123.4
नास्ति शक्तो गवां घातं कर्तुं शतसहस्रशः ।
घातयित्वा त्वहं युष्मान्कथमात्मानमुत्तरे ॥ १३.१२३.४ ॥
I am not able to kill cows by the hundreds of thousands; having caused you to be killed, how could I see myself in the hereafter?
13.123.5
यः पशुत्वेन संयोज्य युष्मान्स्वर्गं नयेदिह ।
आत्मानं चैव तपसा गावः समुपगम्यताम् ॥ १३.१२३.५ ॥
Whoever, having bound you in the state of animals, would lead you here to heaven, and himself attain it through austerity — let him come to you, O cows.
13.123.6
अस्माकं तारणे युक्तो धर्मात्मा तपसि स्थितः ।
श्रुतोऽस्माभिर्भवान्राजंस्ततस्तु स्वयमागताः ॥ १३.१२३.६ ॥
O king, we have heard that you are righteous in soul, established in austerity, and fit for our deliverance; therefore we have come to you of our own accord.
13.123.7
मम सत्रे पशुत्वं वो यद्येवं हि मनीषितम् ।
समयेनाहमेतेन जुहुयां वो हुताशने ॥ १३.१२३.७ ॥
If this is what you desire, that you be the sacrificial animals in my rite, then on this condition I shall offer you into the fire.
13.123.8
कदाचिद्यदि वः काचिदकामा विनियुज्यते ।
तदा समाप्तिः सत्रस्य गवां स्यादिति नैष्ठिकी ॥ १३.१२३.८ ॥
If at some time any one of you is unwillingly put to this use, then the completion of this cow-sacrifice will be assured.
13.123.9
एवमस्तु महाराज यथा त्वं प्रब्रवीषि नः ।
अकामाः स्युर्यदा गावस्तदा सत्रं समाप्यताम् ॥ १३.१२३.९ ॥
So be it, great king, as you declare to us: when the cows are unwilling, let the sacrifice be completed.
13.123.10
ततः प्रवृत्ते गोसत्रे रन्तिदेवस्य धीमतः ।
गोसहस्राण्यहरहर्नियुज्यन्ते शमीतृभिः ॥ १३.१२३.१० ॥
Then, when the cow-sacrifice of the wise Rantideva had begun, thousands of cows were assigned each day to the slaughterers.
13.123.11
एवं बहनि वर्षाणि व्यतीतानि नराधिप ।
गवां वै वध्यमानानां न चान्तः प्रत्यदृश्यत ॥ १३.१२३.११ ॥
Thus, O lord of men, many years passed, and no end was seen to the cows being slaughtered.
13.123.12
गवां चर्मसहस्रैस्तु राशयः पर्वतोपमाः ।
बभूवुः कुरुशार्दूल बहुधा मेघसंनिभाः ॥ १३.१२३.१२ ॥
And heaps of cowhides, thousands upon thousands, became like mountains, O tiger of the Kurus, appearing in many forms like clouds.
13.123.13
मेदःक्लेदवहा चैव प्रावर्तत महानदी ।
अद्यापि भुवि विख्याता नदी चर्मण्वती शुभा ॥ १३.१२३.१३ ॥
And a great river began to flow, carrying fat and moisture; even today on earth it is renowned as the auspicious river Carmaṇvatī.
13.123.14
ततः कदाचित्स्वं वत्सं गौरुपामन्त्र्य दुःखिता ।
एहि वत्स स्तनं पाहि मा त्वं पश्चात्क्षुदार्दितः ॥ १३.१२३.१४ ॥
Then, at one time, the grieving cow called to her own calf: 'Come, my child, drink from my teat, lest you later be tormented by hunger.'
13.123.15
तप्स्यसे विमना दुःखं घातितायां मयि ध्रुवम् ।
एते ह्यायान्ति चण्डालाः सशस्त्रामां जिघांसवः ॥ १३.१२३.१५ ॥
When I am slain you will surely grieve in your heart; for these outcastes are coming, armed, desiring to kill me.
13.123.16
अथ शुश्राव तां वाणीं मानुषीं समुदाहृताम् ।
रन्तिदेवो महाराज ततस्तां समवारयत् ॥ १३.१२३.१६ ॥
Then, O great king, Rantideva heard that human voice that had been uttered, and at once he restrained her.
13.123.17
स्थापयामास गोसत्रमथ तं पार्तिवर्षभ ।
सत्रोत्सृष्टाः परित्यक्ता गावोऽन्याः समुपाश्रिताः ॥ १३.१२३.१७ ॥
Then, O bull among kings, he established that cow-sacrifice; and the other cows, released from the sacrifice and abandoned, took shelter with him.
13.123.18
यास्तस्य राज्ञो निहता गावो यज्ञे महात्मनः ।
ता गोलोकमुपाजग्मुः प्रेक्षिता ब्रह्मवादिभिः ॥ १३.१२३.१८ ॥
The cows that were slain at the sacrifice of that great-souled king went to the world of cows, seen by the speakers of Brahman.
13.123.19
रन्तिदेवोपि राजर्षिरिष्ट्वा यज्ञं यथाविधि ।
ततः सख्यं सुरपतेस्त्रिदिवं चाक्षयं ययौ ॥ १३.१२३.१९ ॥
King-sage Rantideva too, having duly performed a sacrifice, gained the friendship of the lord of the gods and went to imperishable heaven.
13.123.20
फेनपो दिवि गोलोके मुमुदे शाश्वतीः समाः ।
अवशिष्टश्च या गवस्ता बभूवुर्वनेचराः ॥ १३.१२३.२० ॥
Phenapa rejoiced for eternal years in heaven, in the cow-world; and the cows that remained became forest-dwellers.
13.123.21
फेनपाख्यानमेतत्ते गवां माहात्म्यमेव च ।
कथितं पावनं पुण्यं कृष्णद्वैपायनेरितम् ॥ १३.१२३.२१ ॥
This tale of Phenapa and the greatness of cows has been told to you; it is purifying and meritorious, spoken by Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana.
13.123.22
नारायणोऽपि भगवान्दृष्ट्वा गोषु परं यशः ।
शुश्रूषां परमां चक्रे भक्तिं च भरतर्षभ ॥ १३.१२३.२२ ॥
The blessed Nārāyaṇa too, seeing the supreme glory in cows, rendered them the highest service and devotion, O bull of the Bharatas.
13.123.23
तस्मात्त्वमपि राजेन्द्र गा वै पूजय भारत ।
द्विजेभ्यश्चैव सततं प्रयच्छ कुरुसत्तम ॥ १३.१२३.२३ ॥
Therefore, O lord of kings, you too should honor cows, O Bhārata, and constantly give gifts to the twice-born, O best of the Kurus.