Shloka 28

Cyavana’s Yogic Display and Kuśika’s Recognition of Tapas (च्यवन-योगप्रभावः कुशिकस्य तपःप्रशंसा च)

Devanagari script

गावो लक्ष्म्या: सदा मूलं गोषु पाप्मा न विद्यते । अन्नमेव सदा गावो देवानां परमं हवि:

Transliteration

gāvo lakṣmyāḥ sadā mūlaṃ goṣu pāpmā na vidyate | annam eva sadā gāvo devānāṃ paramaṃ haviḥ ||

Translation

Cyavana said: “Cows are ever the very root of prosperity (Lakṣmī). In cows there is no trace of sin. Indeed, cows continually provide food for human life, and for the gods they are the supreme oblation (havis).”

Word by Word

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• लक्ष्म्याः: of Lakṣmī / of prosperity
• लक्ष्म्याः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• मूलम्: root, source
• मूलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• गोषु: among/in cows
• गोषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• पाप्मा: sin, evil
• पाप्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु) (लट्, आत्मनेपद; 'विद्यते' = 'exists')
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• अन्नम्: food, grain
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• देवानाम्: of the gods / for the gods
• देवानाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• परमम्: supreme, highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हविः: oblation (havis)
• हविः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

व्यवन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyavana
• cows (gāvaḥ)
• Lakṣmī (prosperity)
• devas (gods)
• havis (sacrificial oblation)
• anna (food)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates the cow as a symbol and practical source of prosperity and purity: cows sustain society through food and sustain ritual order through offerings, thus supporting dharma in both household and sacrificial life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused discourse, Vyavana is praising the religious and ethical significance of cows, asserting their purity and their role in nourishing humans and enabling divine worship through havis.