Suvarṇa-dāna: Kārttikeya’s Origin and the Defeat of Tāraka (सुवर्णदान-प्रसङ्गे कार्त्तिकेय-उत्पत्ति तथा तारकवधः)
भीष्म उवाच एतच्छूत्वा सहस्राक्ष: पूजयामास नित्यदा । गाश्षक्रे बहुमानं च तासु नित्यं युधिष्ठिर
bhīṣma uvāca: etac chrutvā sahasrākṣaḥ pūjayāmāsa nityadā | gāś cakre bahumānaṃ ca tāsu nityaṃ yudhiṣṭhira ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Yudhishthira, setelah mendengar sabda Brahmā itu, Indra yang bermata seribu mulai memuja sapi-sapi setiap hari. Ia senantiasa menunjukkan penghormatan yang besar kepada mereka.”
भीष्म उवाच
When a dharmic principle is taught by a revered authority (here, Brahmā), even the king of gods (Indra) models obedience through daily practice—showing that reverence and consistent conduct are central to dharma.
Bhishma tells Yudhishthira that after hearing Brahmā’s words, Indra began performing daily worship of cows and continually treated them with great respect, illustrating the elevated status of cows in this discourse.