Shloka 1
गोमहात्म्य-प्रश्नोत्तरम्
Saudāsa–Vasiṣṭha on the Purifying Power of Cows
ऑपन--#ह< बक। हक २ >> चतु:सप्ततितमो< ध्याय: दूसरोंकी गायको चुराकर देने या बेचनेसे दोष
indra uvāca | jānan yo gām apahared vikrīyāccārthakāraṇāt | etad eva vijñātum icchāmi kva nu tasya gatir bhavet ||
Indra berkata: “Wahai Grandsire, bila seseorang dengan sadar mencuri sapi milik orang lain dan, karena dorongan mencari keuntungan, bahkan menjualnya—ke manakah ia akan menuju setelah mati? Inilah yang ingin aku ketahui.”
इन्द्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames cow-theft and profiteering from it as a grave ethical breach, prompting inquiry into its karmic and post-mortem consequences; it sets up a dharma-discussion on the sanctity of the cow, the seriousness of theft, and the moral weight of exploiting sacred or socially vital property.
Indra addresses the Grandsire (within the Anuśāsana-parvan’s instruction setting) and asks a pointed question: if a person knowingly steals someone else’s cow and sells it for money, what destiny awaits him in the next world—inviting an authoritative dharma-based reply.