Shloka 31
Cyavana’s Yogic Display and Kuśika’s Recognition of Tapas (च्यवन-योगप्रभावः कुशिकस्य तपःप्रशंसा च)
तेजसा वपुषा चैव गावो वह्लिसमा भुवि | गावो हि सुमहत् तेज: प्राणिनां च सुखप्रदा:,इस पृथ्वीपर गौएँ अपनी काया और कान्तिसे अग्निके समान हैं। वे महान् तेजकी राशि और समस्त प्राणियोंको सुख देनेवाली हैं
tejasā vapuṣā caiva gāvo vahlisamā bhuvi | gāvo hi sumahat tejaḥ prāṇināṃ ca sukhapradāḥ ||
On this earth, cows—by their radiance and by their very form—are like fire. Indeed, cows embody a vast store of spiritual and vital brilliance, and they are givers of well-being and comfort to all living creatures. In this teaching, reverence toward cows is presented as an ethical duty, grounded in their life-sustaining and auspicious presence.
व्यवन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that cows are inherently auspicious and life-supporting: they embody great tejas (vital/spiritual brilliance) and confer sukha (well-being) upon living beings. Therefore, honoring and protecting cows is framed as a dharmic ethical obligation.
In the Anushasana Parva’s discourse on dharma, the speaker Vyavana praises the sanctity and beneficence of cows, describing their radiance and form as comparable to fire, to establish their exceptional status and the merit of serving them.