Shloka 25
Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ
Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers
न दुष्यत्यनिलो नाग्निर्न सुवर्ण न चोदथधि:
na duṣyaty anilo nāgnir na suvarṇaṁ na codadhiḥ | āsām aiśvaryam icchanti sarve ’mṛtamayaṁ śubham ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Le vent n’est point souillé, ni le feu ; l’or n’est point souillé, ni l’océan. De même, ces vaches ne deviennent pas impures par ce qui reste après que leurs veaux ont bu. Tous souhaitent que ces vaches possèdent une abondance de bon augure, pareille au nectar—afin que, par leur lait et leur ghee, elles soutiennent le monde entier.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that certain life-sustaining and sacred substances are intrinsically pure and not defiled by contact; likewise, cows—sources of milk and ghee that nourish society—should not be treated as impure due to remnants from their calves. The ethical thrust supports reverence for cows and the social good arising from their protection.
In Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma and meritorious conduct, Bhishma explains norms of purity connected with cows and their produce. Using analogies (wind, fire, gold, ocean), he argues that cows remain undefiled, and he emphasizes the collective wish that their auspicious, ‘nectar-like’ abundance endure for the welfare of the world.