Shloka 19
गोशकृन्माहात्म्य-प्रश्नः (On the Merit of Cow-Dung and the Abode of Śrī) / Inquiry into the Sanctity of Cow-Dung
गोमयेन सदा स्नायात् करीषे चापि संविशेत् । श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषाणि प्रतिघातं च वर्जयेत्
gomayena sadā snāyāt karīṣe cāpi saṁviśet | śleṣma-mūtra-purīṣāṇi pratighātaṁ ca varjayet ||
ビーシュマは言った。「常に牛糞を身に塗って沐浴し、また乾いた牛糞の上に坐し、あるいは臥すべきである。その上に痰を吐いてはならず、そこで小便・大便をしてはならない。さらに、牛を侮り傷つける一切の行いを避けよ。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse prescribes disciplined conduct that treats cow-related substances as ritually and ethically significant: maintain bodily cleanliness using gomaya, keep places associated with it free from spitting and excretion, and avoid any act that harms or insults cows—framing reverence and non-harm as part of dharma.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma through practical rules of conduct. Here he gives specific behavioral injunctions connected with purity practices and respectful treatment of cows and cow-dung, emphasizing restraint and avoidance of disrespect.