Shloka 28

Cyavana’s Yogic Display and Kuśika’s Recognition of Tapas (च्यवन-योगप्रभावः कुशिकस्य तपःप्रशंसा च)

Devanagari script

गावो लक्ष्म्या: सदा मूलं गोषु पाप्मा न विद्यते । अन्नमेव सदा गावो देवानां परमं हवि:

Transliteration

gāvo lakṣmyāḥ sadā mūlaṃ goṣu pāpmā na vidyate | annam eva sadā gāvo devānāṃ paramaṃ haviḥ ||

Translation

ਚ੍ਯਵਨ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—ਗਾਂਵਾਂ ਸਦਾ ਲਕਸ਼ਮੀ ਦੀ ਜੜ੍ਹ ਹਨ; ਗਾਂਵਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਾਪ ਦਾ ਲੇਸ਼ ਵੀ ਨਹੀਂ। ਗਾਂਵਾਂ ਹੀ ਮਨੁੱਖਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਿਰੰਤਰ ਅੰਨ ਦਿੰਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ ਲਈ ਪਰਮ ਹਵਿਸ (ਯਜ੍ਞ-ਅਰਪਣ) ਹਨ।

Word by Word

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

• लक्ष्म्याः: of Lakṣmī / of prosperity
• लक्ष्म्याः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• मूलम्: root, source
• मूलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• गोषु: among/in cows
• गोषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• पाप्मा: sin, evil
• पाप्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु) (लट्, आत्मनेपद; 'विद्यते' = 'exists')
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• अन्नम्: food, grain
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

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

• देवानाम्: of the gods / for the gods
• देवानाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• परमम्: supreme, highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हविः: oblation (havis)
• हविः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

व्यवन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyavana
• cows (gāvaḥ)
• Lakṣmī (prosperity)
• devas (gods)
• havis (sacrificial oblation)
• anna (food)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates the cow as a symbol and practical source of prosperity and purity: cows sustain society through food and sustain ritual order through offerings, thus supporting dharma in both household and sacrificial life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused discourse, Vyavana is praising the religious and ethical significance of cows, asserting their purity and their role in nourishing humans and enabling divine worship through havis.