Shloka 25
Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ
Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers
न दुष्यत्यनिलो नाग्निर्न सुवर्ण न चोदथधि:
na duṣyaty anilo nāgnir na suvarṇaṁ na codadhiḥ | āsām aiśvaryam icchanti sarve ’mṛtamayaṁ śubham ||
ビーシュマは言った。「風は汚れず、火も汚れない。黄金も汚れず、海もまた汚れない。同じく、子牛が飲んだ後に残るものによって、これらの牝牛は不浄とはならない。人々は皆、これらの牝牛が吉祥なる甘露のごとき豊穣を備え、その乳とギー（澄ましバター）によって全世界を養うことを願うのだ。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that certain life-sustaining and sacred substances are intrinsically pure and not defiled by contact; likewise, cows—sources of milk and ghee that nourish society—should not be treated as impure due to remnants from their calves. The ethical thrust supports reverence for cows and the social good arising from their protection.
In Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma and meritorious conduct, Bhishma explains norms of purity connected with cows and their produce. Using analogies (wind, fire, gold, ocean), he argues that cows remain undefiled, and he emphasizes the collective wish that their auspicious, ‘nectar-like’ abundance endure for the welfare of the world.