Shloka 25
Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ
Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers
न दुष्यत्यनिलो नाग्निर्न सुवर्ण न चोदथधि:
na duṣyaty anilo nāgnir na suvarṇaṁ na codadhiḥ | āsām aiśvaryam icchanti sarve ’mṛtamayaṁ śubham ||
قال بهيشما: «الريح لا تتدنّس، ولا النار؛ والذهب لا يتدنّس، ولا المحيط. وكذلك هذه الأبقار لا تصير نجسةً بما يبقى بعد أن يشرب عجولها. إنّ الناس جميعًا يتمنّون أن تمتلك هذه الأبقار وفرةً مباركةً كالرحيق—لكي تُعيلَ العالمَ كلَّه بلبنها وسمنها المصفّى (ghee).»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that certain life-sustaining and sacred substances are intrinsically pure and not defiled by contact; likewise, cows—sources of milk and ghee that nourish society—should not be treated as impure due to remnants from their calves. The ethical thrust supports reverence for cows and the social good arising from their protection.
In Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma and meritorious conduct, Bhishma explains norms of purity connected with cows and their produce. Using analogies (wind, fire, gold, ocean), he argues that cows remain undefiled, and he emphasizes the collective wish that their auspicious, ‘nectar-like’ abundance endure for the welfare of the world.