13.077
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said;
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु वसिष्ठमृषिसत्तमम्। इक्ष्वाकुवंशजो राजा सौदासो ददतां वरः ॥१३-७७-१॥
At that very time, King Saudāsa of the Ikṣvāku lineage, a chief among donors, granted a boon to Vasiṣṭha, the foremost of sages. (13-77-1)
सर्वलोकचरं सिद्धं ब्रह्मकोशं सनातनम्। पुरोहितमिदं प्रष्टुमभिवाद्योपचक्रमे ॥१३-७७-२॥
Having saluted the priest, who is accomplished, eternal, the repository of Brahman and pervades all worlds, he began to ask him. (13-77-2)
सौदास उवाच॥
Saudāsa said.
त्रैलोक्ये भगवन्किं स्वित्पवित्रं कथ्यतेऽनघ। यत्कीर्तयन्सदा मर्त्यः प्राप्नुयात्पुण्यमुत्तमम् ॥१३-७७-३॥
O Lord, in all the three worlds, O sinless one, what is said to be the most purifying (thing), by praising which always a mortal may attain the highest merit? (13-77-3)
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said;
तस्मै प्रोवाच वचनं प्रणताय हितं तदा। गवामुपनिषद्विद्वान्नमस्कृत्य गवां शुचिः ॥१३-७७-४॥
Then, the pure one, knower of the Upaniṣad of the cows, having bowed to the cows, spoke a beneficial word to him who had bowed. (13-77-4)
गावः सुरभिगन्धिन्यस्तथा गुग्गुलुगन्धिकाः। गावः प्रतिष्ठा भूतानां गावः स्वस्त्ययनं महत् ॥१३-७७-५॥
Cows, scented with sweet and guggulu fragrances, are the foundation of all beings and a great source of wellbeing. (13-77-5)
गावो भूतं भविष्यच्च गावः पुष्टिः सनातनी। गावो लक्ष्म्यास्तथा मूलं गोषु दत्तं न नश्यति ॥ अन्नं हि सततं गावो देवानां परमं हविः ॥१३-७७-६॥
Cows are the past and the future; cows are eternal nourishment. Cows are also the root of Lakṣmī, and what is given to cows is never destroyed. Food always comes from cows and is the foremost offering to the gods. (13-77-6)
स्वाहाकारवषट्कारौ गोषु नित्यं प्रतिष्ठितौ। गावो यज्ञस्य हि फलं गोषु यज्ञाः प्रतिष्ठिताः ॥१३-७७-७॥
The invocations 'svāhā' and 'vaṣaṭ' are always established in cows. Cows are truly the fruit of sacrifice, and within cows, all sacrifices are established. (13-77-7)
सायं प्रातश्च सततं होमकाले महामते। गावो ददति वै होम्यमृषिभ्यः पुरुषर्षभ ॥१३-७७-८॥
O best among men, O great-minded one, at the time of the oblation, both in the evening and in the morning, the cows always indeed give the offering (homya) to the sages. (13-77-8)
कानिचिद्यानि दुर्गाणि दुष्कृतानि कृतानि च। तरन्ति चैव पाप्मानं धेनुं ये ददति प्रभो ॥१३-७७-९॥
O lord, those who give a cow indeed cross over whatever difficulties and evil deeds they may have committed, and also sin. (13-77-9)
एकां च दशगुर्दद्याद्दश दद्याच्च गोशती। शतं सहस्रगुर्दद्यात्सर्वे तुल्यफला हि ते ॥१३-७७-१०॥
One should give ten times the value for one; for ten, he should also give the value of a hundred cows; for a hundred, he should give a thousand times as much. All these indeed yield equal results. (13-77-10)
अनाहिताग्निः शतगुरयज्वा च सहस्रगुः। समृद्धो यश्च कीनाशो नार्घ्यमर्हन्ति ते त्रयः ॥१३-७७-११॥
One who has not kindled the sacred fire, the performer of a hundred or a thousand sacrifices, and a prosperous ploughman—these three do not deserve (to receive) the ritual offering of water. (13-77-11)
कपिलां ये प्रयच्छन्ति सवत्सां कांस्यदोहनाम्। सुव्रतां वस्त्रसंवीतामुभौ लोकौ जयन्ति ते ॥१३-७७-१२॥
Those who give a tawny-colored cow, along with its calf, with a bronze milking vessel, of good vows and clothed with cloth, they conquer both worlds. (13-77-12)
युवानमिन्द्रियोपेतं शतेन सह यूथपम्। गवेन्द्रं ब्राह्मणेन्द्राय भूरिशृङ्गमलङ्कृतम् ॥१३-७७-१३॥
A young, powerful, and adorned king of bulls, having many horns and accompanied by a hundred herd-mates, was offered to the chief among Brāhmaṇas. (13-77-13)
वृषभं ये प्रयच्छन्ति श्रोत्रियाय परन्तप। ऐश्वर्यं तेऽभिजायन्ते जायमानाः पुनः पुनः ॥१३-७७-१४॥
O chastiser of foes, those who give a bull to a learned Brahmin are born again and again endowed with prosperity. (13-77-14)
नाकीर्तयित्वा गाः सुप्यान्नास्मृत्य पुनरुत्पतेत्। सायं प्रातर्नमस्येच्च गास्ततः पुष्टिमाप्नुयात् ॥१३-७७-१५॥
Without reciting the praise of cows, one should not rise from sleep without remembering them; in the evening and morning, one should also bow to the cows; thereby, one gains nourishment. (13-77-15)
गवां मूत्रपुरीषस्य नोद्विजेत कदाचन। न चासां मांसमश्नीयाद्गवां व्युष्टिं तथाश्नुते ॥१३-७७-१६॥
One should never be disturbed by the urine and dung of cows. Nor should one eat the flesh of these cows, nor consume a dead cow. (13-77-16)
गाश्च सङ्कीर्तयेन्नित्यं नावमन्येत गास्तथा। अनिष्टं स्वप्नमालक्ष्य गां नरः सम्प्रकीर्तयेत् ॥१३-७७-१७॥
One should always repeatedly praise cows and never disrespect cows in any way. Having seen an inauspicious dream involving a cow, a man should proclaim praise for the cow. (13-77-17)
गोमयेन सदा स्नायाद्गोकरीषे च संविशेत्। श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषाणि प्रतिघातं च वर्जयेत् ॥१३-७७-१८॥
One should always bathe with cow-dung, sleep on cow-dung ash, and avoid phlegm, urine, faeces, and defilement. (13-77-18)
सार्द्रचर्मणि भुञ्जीत निरीक्षन्वारुणीं दिशम्। वाग्यतः सर्पिषा भूमौ गवां व्युष्टिं तथाश्नुते ॥१३-७७-१९॥
By eating on a wet hide, facing west, in silence, with ghee, and seated on the ground, one thereby attains abundance of cows. (13-77-19)
घृतेन जुहुयादग्निं घृतेन स्वस्ति वाचयेत्। घृतं दद्याद्घृतं प्राशेद्गवां व्युष्टिं तथाश्नुते ॥१३-७७-२०॥
With clarified butter, one should perform fire offerings; with clarified butter, one should pronounce blessings. One should give butter, consume butter, and thus attains the prosperity of cows. (13-77-20)
गोमत्या विद्यया धेनुं तिलानामभिमन्त्र्य यः। रसरत्नमयीं दद्यान्न स शोचेत्कृताकृते ॥१३-७७-२१॥
He who, with auspicious knowledge, consecrates a cow of sesame seeds and gives one filled with nectar and gems, should not grieve for what has been done or not done. (13-77-21)
गावो मामुपतिष्ठन्तु हेमशृङ्गाः पयोमुचः। सुरभ्यः सौरभेयाश्च सरितः सागरं यथा ॥१३-७७-२२॥
Let the cows, golden-horned and milk-giving, fragrant and descended from Surabhi, approach me just as rivers approach the ocean. (13-77-22)
गावः पश्यन्तु मां नित्यं गावः पश्याम्यहं तदा। गावोऽस्माकं वयं तासां यतो गावस्ततो वयम् ॥१३-७७-२३॥
Let the cows always see me, and I too will see the cows then. The cows are ours, we are theirs; because wherever the cows are, there we are. (13-77-23)
एवं रात्रौ दिवा चैव समेषु विषमेषु च। महाभयेषु च नरः कीर्तयन्मुच्यते भयात् ॥१३-७७-२४॥
Thus, whether at night or by day, in equal or adverse circumstances, and even in great dangers, a man who chants (this) is freed from fear. (13-77-24)
