Shloka 8

Adhyāya 138: Vāyu’s Exempla on Brāhmaṇa-Prabhāva and a Cosmological Clarification

Devanagari script

महाप्रभावा वरदा वरं दद्युरुपासिता: । ता गावोअस्यानुमन्यन्ते सर्वकर्मसु यत्‌ फलम्‌

Transliteration

mahāprabhāvā varadā varaṁ dadyur upāsitāḥ | tā gāvo ’syānumanyante sarvakarmasu yat phalam ||

Translation

ພຣະມະເຫສະວະຣະກ່າວວ່າ: «ງົວມີອຳນາດທາງຈິດວິນຍານອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ ແລະເປັນຜູ້ປະທານພອນ. ເມື່ອຖືກນົບນ້ອມບູຊາ ແລະຮັບໃຊ້ ພວກນາງຈະປະທານພອນຕາມປາຖະໜາ. ໃນການງານທຸກຢ່າງ ຜົນໃດທີ່ຜູ້ຄົນປາຖະໜາ ງົວເຫຼົ່ານັ້ນຈະອະນຸມັດ—ປະທານຄວາມເກື້ອກູນໃຫ້ຜົນນັ້ນສຳເລັດ»។

Word by Word

• महाप्रभावाः: of great power/effect
• महाप्रभावाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभाव
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• वरदाः: boon-giving
• वरदाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरद
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दद्युः: would/should give
• दद्युः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (ददाति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• उपासिताः: worshipped/served
• उपासिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-आस् (उपासते) / उपासित
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त)

• ताः: those (they)
• ताः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• अस्य: of him/of this (person)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अनुमन्यन्ते: approve/assent to
• अनुमन्यन्ते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-मन्य (मन्यते)
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

• सर्वकर्मसु: in all actions/rites
• सर्वकर्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वकर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• यत्: whatever/that which
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

महेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Maheshvara (Śiva)
• cows (gāvaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Reverent service to cows (go-sevā/upāsanā) is presented as a dharmic act with strong spiritual efficacy: it brings divine approval and helps one’s righteous aims bear fruit, emphasizing gratitude, non-violence, and charitable care.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maheshvara is explaining the extraordinary power attributed to cows: when honored and served, they ‘sanction’ a person’s endeavors and grant boons so that desired results in one’s actions are successfully attained.