Anushasana Parva

Chapter 196: Mahadev teaches the daily gift to cows

इति श्रीमन्महाभारते अनुशासनपर्वणि दानधर्मपर्वणि षण्णवत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः ॥

9 verses · 196 of 274

What happens in this chapter

Mahadev teaches the daily gift to cows

Mahadev praises the secrets already spoken and adds his own, meant only for the faithful. A man who, untroubled, gives cows their daily portion of fodder for a month while himself eating once a day earns great merit. Cows are the highest purifiers and sustain the three worlds of devas, asuras and men; serving them bears rich fruit. Mahadev recalls that in the Krita age he had given his leave to the cows, and that Brahma later appeased him. That is why his bull stands above him in the cow-pen and why he delights among cows. Worshipped, they grant boons, and the giver of their daily portion receives a quarter of the merit of every rite.

[महेश्वर उवाच

196.1

सारमुद्धृत्य युष्माभिः साधुधर्म उदाहृतः ।
धर्मगुह्यमिदं मत्तः शृणुध्वं सर्व एव ह

sāramuddhṛtya yuṣmābhiḥ sādhudharma udāhṛtaḥ |
dharmaguhyamidaṃ mattaḥ śṛṇudhvaṃ sarva eva ha

196.2

येषां धर्माश्रिता बुद्धिःक श्रद्दधानाश्च ये नराः ।
तेषां स्यादुपदेष्टव्यः सरहस्यो महाफलः

yeṣāṃ dharmāśritā buddhiḥka śraddadhānāśca ye narāḥ |
teṣāṃ syādupadeṣṭavyaḥ sarahasyo mahāphalaḥ

196.3

निरुद्विग्नस्तु यो दद्यान्मासमेकं गवाह्निकम् ।
एकभक्तं तथाऽश्नीयाच्छ्रूयतां तस्य यत्फलम्

nirudvignastu yo dadyānmāsamekaṃ gavāhnikam |
ekabhaktaṃ tathā'śnīyācchrūyatāṃ tasya yatphalam

196.4

इमा गावो महाभागाः पवित्रं परमं स्मृताः ।
त्रीन्लोकान्धानयन्ति स्म सदेवासुरमानुपान्

imā gāvo mahābhāgāḥ pavitraṃ paramaṃ smṛtāḥ |
trīnlokāndhānayanti sma sadevāsuramānupān

196.5

तासु चैव महापुण्यं शुश्रूषा च महाफलम् ।
अहन्यहनि धर्मेण युज्यते वै गवाह्निकः

tāsu caiva mahāpuṇyaṃ śuśrūṣā ca mahāphalam |
ahanyahani dharmeṇa yujyate vai gavāhnikaḥ

196.6

मया ह्येता ह्यनुज्ञाताः पूर्वमासन्कृते युगे ।
ततोऽहमनुनीतो वै ब्रह्मणा पद्मयोनिना

mayā hyetā hyanujñātāḥ pūrvamāsankṛte yuge |
tato'hamanunīto vai brahmaṇā padmayoninā

196.7

तस्माद्व्रजस्थानगतस्तिष्ठत्युपरि मे वृषः ।
रमेऽहं सह गोभिश्च तस्मात्पूज्याः सदैव ताः

tasmādvrajasthānagatastiṣṭhatyupari me vṛṣaḥ |
rame'haṃ saha gobhiśca tasmātpūjyāḥ sadaiva tāḥ

196.8

महाप्रभावा वरदा वरं दद्युरुपासिताः ।
ता गावोऽस्यानुमन्यन्ते सर्वकर्मसु युत्फलम्

mahāprabhāvā varadā varaṃ dadyurupāsitāḥ |
tā gāvo'syānumanyante sarvakarmasu yutphalam

196.9

तस्य तत्र चतुर्भागो यो ददाति गवाह्निकम् ॥]

tasya tatra caturbhāgo yo dadāti gavāhnikam ||]

Text source: Wikisource · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription of a public-domain text)