Shloka 4
गोमहात्म्य-प्रश्नोत्तरम्
Saudāsa–Vasiṣṭha on the Purifying Power of Cows
घातक: खादको वापि तथा यश्चानुमन्यते । यावन्ति तस्या रोमाणि तावद् वर्षाणि मज्जति,गौकी हत्या करनेवाले, उसका मांस खानेवाले तथा गोहत्याका अनुमोदन करनेवाले लोग गौके शरीरमें जितने रोएँ होते हैं, उतने वर्षोतक नरकमें डूबे रहते हैं
ghātakaḥ khādako vāpi tathā yaścānumanyate | yāvanti tasyā romāṇi tāvad varṣāṇi majjati ||
Bhīṣma said: “Whether one is the killer, the eater of its flesh, or even one who approves of the act—such a person sinks in hell for as many years as there are hairs on that cow’s body.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that grave harm (here, cow-killing) carries severe karmic consequence, and that moral culpability includes not only the direct killer but also the consumer and the one who endorses or permits the act.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma (the grandsire) is delivering ethical guidance, emphasizing the seriousness of certain transgressions and the extended chain of responsibility—action, participation, and approval.