Shloka 5
Gavāṃ Māhātmya — Go-dāna, Yajña-ādhāra, and Goloka
Brahmā–Indra–Surabhi Itihāsa
वसिष्ठजी कहते हैं--मानद परंतप! प्राचीन कालमें जब गौओंकी सृष्टि हुई थी, तब उन गौओंने एक लाख वर्षोतक बड़ी कठोर तपस्या की थी। उनकी तपस्याका उद्देश्य यह था कि हम श्रेष्ठता प्राप्त करें। इस जगतमें जितनी दक्षिणा देने योग्य वस्तुएँ हैं, उन सबमें हम उत्तम समझी जायाँ। किसी दोषसे लिप्त न हों। हमारे गोबरसे स्नान करनेपर सदा सब लोग पवित्र हों। देवता और मनुष्य पवित्रताके लिये हमेशा हमारे गोबरका उपयोग करें। समस्त चराचर प्राणी भी हमारे गोबरसे पवित्र हो जायेँ और हमारा दान करनेवाले मनुष्य हमारे ही लोक (गोलोकधाम) में जाया ।। ताभ्यो वरं ददौ ब्रह्मा तपसोडचन्ते स्वयं प्रभु: । एवं भवव्विति प्रभुलोंकांस्तारयतेति च,जब उनकी तपस्या समाप्त हुई, तब साक्षात् भगवान ब्रह्माने उन्हें वर दिया--“गौओ! ऐसा ही हो--तुम्हारे मनमें जो संकल्प है, वह परिपूर्ण हो। तुम सम्पूर्ण जगत्के जीवोंका उद्धार करती रहो”
vasiṣṭha uvāca—mānadā parantapa! prācīne kāle yadā gāvaḥ sṛṣṭāḥ, tadā tā gāvaḥ lakṣaṃ varṣāṇi ghoraṃ tapaś cakruḥ. tāsāṃ tapasaḥ prayojanam idaṃ āsīt—vayaṃ śreṣṭhatāṃ prāpnuyāma; asmin jagati yāvatyo dakṣiṇā-yogyā vastavaḥ santi, tāsu sarvāsu vayam uttamāḥ syāma; kenacid doṣeṇa na lipyema; asmākaṃ gomayena snāne kṛte sadā sarve janāḥ pavitrāḥ syuḥ; devā manuṣyāś ca śaucārthaṃ nityaṃ asmākaṃ gomayam upayuñjīran; sarvaṃ carācaraṃ jagad api asmākaṃ gomayena pavitraṃ bhavet; asmākaṃ dānaṃ kurvāṇā manuṣyā asmākam eva lokaṃ (golokaṃ) yāyuḥ. tataḥ teṣāṃ tapasi samāpte svayaṃprabhuḥ brahmā tābhyo varaṃ dadau—“evaṃ bhavatu; yuṣmākaṃ manogatasaṅkalpaḥ paripūrṇaḥ syāt; yūyaṃ ca sarvajagajjīvān uddharata” iti.
Vasiṣṭha said: “O honored one, O scorcher of foes! In ancient times, when the cows were first brought into being, they undertook a severe austerity for a hundred thousand years. Their aim was this: ‘May we attain preeminence. Among all things fit to be given as sacred gifts, may we be regarded as the best. May no fault cling to us. By bathing with our cow-dung, may people always become pure. Let gods and humans continually use our cow-dung for purification. Let all moving and unmoving beings be purified by it, and let those who gift cows attain our own world—Goloka.’ When their austerity was completed, Brahmā himself granted them a boon: ‘So be it. Let the resolve in your hearts be fulfilled. Continue to uplift and deliver the beings of the entire world.’”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage elevates the cow as a supreme object of dāna and a vehicle of ritual and moral purification: through tapas the cows become instruments for the world’s śauca (purity) and for the spiritual uplift of beings, and go-dāna is linked with attaining a higher realm (Goloka).
Vasiṣṭha recounts an origin-story: newly created cows perform a long, severe austerity with specific wishes—preeminence among gifts, freedom from fault, and universal purifying power through gomaya. Brahmā appears at the completion of their tapas and grants the boon, commissioning them to continue uplifting all creatures.