Shloka 17
गोशकृन्माहात्म्य-प्रश्नः (On the Merit of Cow-Dung and the Abode of Śrī) / Inquiry into the Sanctity of Cow-Dung
गवां मूत्रपुरीषस्य नोद्विजेत कथंचन । न चासां मांसमश्रीयाद् गवां पुष्टिं तथाप्लुयात्
gavāṁ mūtrapurīṣasya nodvijet kathaṁcana | na cāsāṁ māṁsam aśrīyād gavāṁ puṣṭiṁ tathāpluyāt ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Qu’on n’éprouve aucune répulsion, d’aucune manière, pour l’urine et la bouse des vaches, et qu’on ne mange pas leur chair. Par une telle conduite, l’homme gagne nourriture et bien-être.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Maintain reverence and non-aversion toward cows and their by-products, and abstain from eating cow flesh; this is presented as a dharmic discipline that supports personal well-being (puṣṭi) and aligns with non-violence and purity.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and right conduct. Here he gives a specific rule of conduct regarding cows—how one should relate to them and what one should avoid.