Shloka 20
Suvarṇa-dāna: Kārttikeya’s Origin and the Defeat of Tāraka (सुवर्णदान-प्रसङ्गे कार्त्तिकेय-उत्पत्ति तथा तारकवधः)
पयोदधिधघृतं चैव पुण्याश्चैता: सुराधिप । वहन्ति विविधान् भारान् क्षुत्तष्णापरिपीडिता:,“उन्हींसे यज्ञ सम्पन्न होते और हव्य-कव्यका भी सर्वथा निर्वाह होता है। सुरेश्वर! इन्हीं गौओंसे दूध, दही और घी प्राप्त होते हैं। ये गौएँ बड़ी पवित्र होती हैं। बैल भूख-प्याससे पीड़ित होकर भी नाना प्रकारके बोझ ढोते रहते हैं
bhīṣma uvāca | payo dadhighṛtaṃ caiva puṇyāś caitāḥ surādhipa | vahanti vividhān bhārān kṣut-tṛṣṇā-paripīḍitāḥ |
Bhishma said: “O lord of the gods, from these cows come milk, curd, and ghee; they are indeed holy. Even when tormented by hunger and thirst, the oxen continue to carry burdens of many kinds.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the sanctity and social-ritual value of cows (as sources of milk-products essential for sustenance and sacrificial life) and underscores an ethical duty of compassion: animals that serve humans—especially oxen laboring under hardship—deserve protection and considerate treatment.
Bhishma, in his instruction on dharma, addresses “Suradhipa” and praises cows as holy and materially indispensable (milk, curd, ghee). He also points to the strenuous service of oxen, who keep carrying diverse loads despite being afflicted by hunger and thirst, strengthening the argument for their care and non-cruelty.