Shloka 9
Adhyāya 138: Vāyu’s Exempla on Brāhmaṇa-Prabhāva and a Cosmological Clarification
तस्य तत्र चतुर्भागो यो ददाति गवाद्विकम्
tasya tatra caturbhāgo yo dadāti gavādvikam
Maheśvara disse: “Neste assunto, quem oferece alimento regularmente a uma vaca alcança um quarto do mérito obtido pelo serviço continuamente prestado às vacas. Pois as vacas possuem imensa potência espiritual e são benfazejas, doadoras de dádivas; quando adoradas, concedem os resultados desejados, aprovando e sustentando o cumprimento do fruto das ações.”
महेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Regularly feeding and serving cows is presented as a dharmic act that yields spiritual merit; even the specific act of giving food to a cow grants a defined share—one quarter—of the merit associated with ongoing cow-service, emphasizing disciplined, compassionate giving.
Maheśvara is explaining the religious efficacy of honoring cows: cows are described as powerful and boon-giving, and he quantifies the merit gained by a person who habitually feeds cows, linking the practice to the attainment of desired fruits of action.