Shloka 1
गोमहात्म्य-प्रश्नोत्तरम्
Saudāsa–Vasiṣṭha on the Purifying Power of Cows
ऑपन--#ह< बक। हक २ >> चतु:सप्ततितमो< ध्याय: दूसरोंकी गायको चुराकर देने या बेचनेसे दोष
indra uvāca | jānan yo gām apahared vikrīyāccārthakāraṇāt | etad eva vijñātum icchāmi kva nu tasya gatir bhavet ||
قال إندرا: «يا أيها الجدّ الأكبر، إنْ كان أحدٌ يعلم ثم يسرق بقرةَ غيره، وبدافع الطمع في الكسب يبيعها أيضًا، فأيَّ مصيرٍ يناله بعد الموت؟ هذا ما أودّ أن أفهمه.»
इन्द्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames cow-theft and profiteering from it as a grave ethical breach, prompting inquiry into its karmic and post-mortem consequences; it sets up a dharma-discussion on the sanctity of the cow, the seriousness of theft, and the moral weight of exploiting sacred or socially vital property.
Indra addresses the Grandsire (within the Anuśāsana-parvan’s instruction setting) and asks a pointed question: if a person knowingly steals someone else’s cow and sells it for money, what destiny awaits him in the next world—inviting an authoritative dharma-based reply.