Shloka 42
नान्यदा गच्छते यस्तु ब्रह्मचर्य च तत् स्मृतम् । अमृतं ब्राह्मणा गाव इत्येतत् त्रयमेकत: । तस्माद् गोब्राद्मणं नित्यमर्चयेत यथाविधि
bhīṣma uvāca | nānyadā gacchate yas tu brahmacaryaṃ ca tat smṛtam | amṛtaṃ brāhmaṇā gāva ity etat trayam ekataḥ | tasmād gobrāhmaṇaṃ nityam arcayet yathāvidhi |
Bhishma dit : Celui qui n’approche une femme à aucun moment hors de la saison convenable est réputé observer le brahmacarya. Le nectar (amṛta), le Brāhmaṇa et la vache—ces trois-là sont déclarés issus d’une même source. C’est pourquoi il faut toujours honorer la vache et le Brāhmaṇa, en les vénérant selon les rites prescrits.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links personal discipline (regulated sexual conduct termed brahmacarya) with social-religious duty: honoring the cow and the Brāhmaṇa as sacred supports of dharma, to be revered according to prescribed norms.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he defines a form of brahmacarya in practical terms and then grounds a duty of worship: since amṛta, the Brāhmaṇa, and the cow are treated as sharing a single sacred origin, one should continually venerate the cow and the Brāhmaṇa.