Shloka 9
गवां लोकवर्णनं तथा गोप्रदानफलश्रुतिः
Description of the ‘World of Cows’ and the Stated Fruits of Cow-Gift
प्रचोदनं देवकृतं गवां कर्मसु वर्तताम् । पूर्वमेवाक्षरं चान्यदभिधेयं तत: परम्
bhīṣma uvāca | pracodanaṃ devakṛtaṃ gavāṃ karmasu vartatām | pūrvam evākṣaraṃ cānyad abhidhēyaṃ tataḥ param |
ビーシュマは言った。「牛を促し駆るという行いは、もとより神々が、聖なる務めに従事する牛のために定めたものである。ゆえに第一の規範はこうだ。祭祀のために牡牛を轭につなぎ、導き駆ることは称賛される。しかし祭祀にあらざる用のために、つなぎ、打ち、追い立てることは非難される。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma distinguishes between sanctioned and unsanctioned use of force toward animals: driving/yoking cattle is justified only within divinely sanctioned sacrificial duty, while doing so for other ends is blameworthy.
In his instruction on dharma, Bhishma explains the origin and proper scope of goading cattle: the gods first employed it for sacrificial work, establishing a precedent that limits such treatment to ritual necessity.