The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4: Books 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18
General
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4: Books 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18
Epic literature, Sanskrit
calves and with vessel of white brass for milking them,--kine, that is,
which are not vicious and which while given away, are wrapped round with
cloths,--succeed in conquering both this and the other world. Such
persons as succeed in making gift of a bull that is still in the prime of
youth, that has all its senses strong, and that may be regarded as the
foremost one among hundreds of herds, that has large horns adorned with
ornaments (of gold or silver), unto a Brahmana possessed of Vedic
learning, succeed, O scorcher of foes, in attaining to great prosperity
and affluence each time they take birth in the world. One should never go
to bed without reciting the names of kine. Nor should one rise from bed
in the morning without a similar recitation of the names of kine. Morning
and evening one should bend one's head in reverence to kine. As the
consequence of such acts, one is sure to attain to great prosperity. One
should never feel any repugnance for the urine and the dung of the cow.
One should never eat the flesh of kine. As the consequence of this, one
is sure to attain to great prosperity. One should always take the names
of kine. One should never show any disregard for kine in any way. If evil
dreams are seen, men should take the names of kine. One should always
bathe, using cow-dung at the time. One should sit on dried cowdung. One
should never cast one's urine and excreta and other secretions on
cowdung. One should never obstruct kine in any way. One should eat,
sitting on a cowhide purified by dipping it in water, and then cast one's
eyes towards the west. Sitting with restrained speech, one should eat
ghee, using the bare earth as one's dish. One reaps, in consequence of
such acts, that prosperity of which kine are the source[375]. One should
pour libations on the fire, using ghee for the purpose. One should cause
Brahmanas to utter blessings upon one, by presents of ghee. One should
make gift of ghee. One should also eat ghee. As the reward of such acts
one is sure to attain to that prosperity which kine confer. That man who
inspires a vaccine form made of sesame seeds by uttering the Vedic
Mantras called by the name of Gomati, and then adorns that form with
every kind of gems and makes a gift of it, has never to suffer any grief
on account of all his acts of omission and commission,--"Let kine that
yield copious measures of milk and that have horns adorned with
gold,--kine viz., that are Surabhis or the daughters of
Surabhis.--approach me even as rivers approach the ocean! I always look
at kine. Let kine always look at me. Kine are ours. We are theirs.
Ourselves are there where kine are!"--Even thus, at night or day, in
happiness or woe, verily, at times of even great fear,--should a man
exclaim. By uttering such words he is certain to become freed from every
fear.'"'"
SECTION LXXIX
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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