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:
bhīṣma uvāca | payo dadhighṛtaṃ caiva puṇyāś caitāḥ surādhipa | vahanti vividhān bhārān kṣut-tṛṣṇā-paripīḍitāḥ |
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô seigneur des dieux, de ces vaches viennent le lait, le caillé et le ghee ; elles sont véritablement saintes. Même tourmentés par la faim et la soif, les bœufs continuent de porter des fardeaux de toutes sortes.»
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.