13.077
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said;
etasminn eva kāle tu vasiṣṭham ṛṣi-sattamam। ikṣvāku-vaṃśa-jaḥ rājā saudāsaḥ dadataṃ varaḥ ॥13-77-1॥
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)
sarvalokacaraṃ siddhaṃ brahmakoshaṃ sanātanam। purohitam idaṃ praṣṭum abhivādya upacakrame ॥13-77-2॥
Having saluted the priest, who is accomplished, eternal, the repository of Brahman and pervades all worlds, he began to ask him. (13-77-2)
saudāsa uvāca॥
Saudāsa said.
trailokye bhagavan kiṁ svit pavitraṁ kathyate 'nagha. yat kīrtayan sadā martyaḥ prāpnuyāt puṇyam uttamam ॥13-77-3॥
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)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said;
tasmai provāca vacanaṃ praṇatāya hitaṃ tadā। gavām upaniṣad-vidvān namaskṛtya gavāṃ śuciḥ ॥13-77-4॥
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)
gāvaḥ surabhi-gandhinyaḥ tathā guggulu-gandhikāḥ। gāvaḥ pratiṣṭhā bhūtānām gāvaḥ svastyayanaṃ mahat ॥13-77-5॥
Cows, scented with sweet and guggulu fragrances, are the foundation of all beings and a great source of wellbeing. (13-77-5)
gāvo bhūtaṃ bhaviṣyacca gāvaḥ puṣṭiḥ sanātanī। gāvo lakṣmyāstathā mūlaṃ goṣu dattaṃ na naśyati॥ annaṃ hi satataṃ gāvo devānāṃ paramaṃ haviḥ॥13-77-6॥
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)
svāhākāravaṣaṭkārau goṣu nityaṃ pratiṣṭhitau। gāvo yajñasya hi phalaṃ goṣu yajñāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ॥13-77-7॥
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)
sāyaṃ prātaśca satataṃ homakāle mahāmate। gāvo dadati vai homyam ṛṣibhyaḥ puruṣarṣabha ॥13-77-8॥
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)
kānicidyāni durgāṇi duṣkṛtāni kṛtāni ca. taranti caiva pāpmānaṁ dhenuṁ ye dadati prabho ॥13-77-9॥
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)
ekāṃ ca daśagur dadyād daśa dadyāc ca gośatī। śataṃ sahasragur dadyāt sarve tulyaphalā hi te ॥13-77-10॥
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)
anāhitāgniḥ śatagurayajvā ca sahasraguḥ। samṛddho yaś ca kīnāśo nārghyam arhanti te trayaḥ॥13-77-11॥
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)
kapilāṃ ye prayacchanti savatsāṃ kāṃsyadohanām। suvratāṃ vastrasaṃvītāmubhau lokau jayanti te॥13-77-12॥
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)
yuvānam indriyopetaṃ śatena saha yūthapam। gavendraṃ brāhmaṇendrāya bhūriśṛṅgam alaṅkṛtam॥13-77-13॥
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)
vṛṣabhaṃ ye prayacchanti śrotriyāya parantapa। aiśvaryaṃ te'bhijāyante jāyamānāḥ punaḥ punaḥ ॥13-77-14॥
O chastiser of foes, those who give a bull to a learned Brahmin are born again and again endowed with prosperity. (13-77-14)
nākīrtayitvā gāḥ supyān nāsmṛtya punar utpatet। sāyaṃ prātar namasyec ca gās tataḥ puṣṭim āpnuyāt॥13-77-15॥
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)
gavāṃ mūtrapurīṣasya nodvijet kadācana. na cāsāṃ māṃsamaśnīyādgavāṃ vyuṣṭiṃ tathāśnute ॥13-77-16॥
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)
gāś ca saṅkīrtayen nityaṁ nāvamanyeta gās tathā। aniṣṭaṁ svapnam ālakṣya gāṁ naraḥ samprakīrtayet ॥13-77-17॥
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)
gomayena sadā snāyād gokarīṣe ca saṁviśet śleṣmamūtrapurīṣāṇi pratighātaṁ ca varjayet ॥13-77-18॥
One should always bathe with cow-dung, sleep on cow-dung ash, and avoid phlegm, urine, faeces, and defilement. (13-77-18)
sārdra-carmaṇi bhuñjīta nirīkṣan vāruṇīṃ diśam. vāg-yataḥ sarpiṣā bhūmau gavāṃ vyuṣṭiṃ tathāśnute ॥13-77-19॥
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)
ghṛtena juhuyād agniṃ ghṛtena svasti vācayet। ghṛtaṃ dadyād ghṛtaṃ prāśed gavāṃ vyuṣṭiṃ tathāśnute॥13-77-20॥
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)
gomatyā vidyayā dhenuṃ tilānām abhimantrya yaḥ। rasaratnamayīṃ dadyān na sa śocet kṛtākṛte॥13-77-21॥
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)
gāvo mām upatiṣṭhantu hemaśṛṅgāḥ payomucaḥ. surabhyaḥ saurabheyāś ca saritaḥ sāgaraṃ yathā ॥13-77-22॥
Let the cows, golden-horned and milk-giving, fragrant and descended from Surabhi, approach me just as rivers approach the ocean. (13-77-22)
gāvaḥ paśyantu māṁ nityaṁ gāvaḥ paśyāmyahaṁ tadā। gāvo'smākaṁ vayaṁ tāsāṁ yato gāvas tato vayam ॥13-77-23॥
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)
evaṁ rātrau divā caiva sameṣu viṣameṣu ca। mahābhayeṣu ca naraḥ kīrtayan mucyate bhayāt॥13-77-24॥
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)
