Shloka 17
Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ
Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers
स गतस्तस्य तृप्तिं तु गन्धं सुरभिमुद्विरन् । ददर्शोद्वारसंवृत्तां सुरभिं मुखजां सुताम्
sa gatastasyāḥ tṛptiṁ tu gandhaṁ surabhim udviran | dadarśa udvāra-saṁvṛttāṁ surabhīṁ mukhajāṁ sutām ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Lorsqu’il eut bu le nectar et fut pleinement rassasié, un parfum suave et délicieux se mit à s’exhaler de sa bouche. Avec cette fragrance enchanteresse se manifesta la vache nommée Surabhī, que Prajāpati vit comme une fille née de sa propre bouche.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames auspicious creation as arising from purity and fulfillment: after the nectar brings complete satiation, a beneficent manifestation (Surabhī) emerges, symbolizing nourishment, abundance, and the sacred value of the cow within dharmic order.
After drinking amṛta and becoming fully satisfied, a fragrant scent issues from Prajāpati’s mouth; with that fragrance, the divine cow Surabhī appears, regarded as his mouth-born daughter.