Shloka 19
Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ
Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers
तासाममृतवर्णानां क्षरन्तीनां समन्ततः । बभूवामृतज: फेन: स्रवन्तीनामिवोर्मिज:
tāsām amṛta-varṇānāṁ kṣarantīnāṁ samantataḥ | babhūvāmṛta-jaḥ phenaḥ sravantīnām ivormijaḥ ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Daquelas vacas, cujo brilho era como o do néctar (dourado e radiante), o leite corria por toda parte. Desse leite que jorrava ergueu-se espuma—tal como a espuma nasce das ondas dos rios.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse heightens the auspicious, merit-bearing nature of cows through vivid imagery: their abundant milk is so pure and plentiful that it foams like river-waves. In the Anushasana Parva’s ethical frame, such descriptions support teachings on dharma—especially the sanctity of cows and the spiritual value of honoring and giving them.
Bhishma describes cows of radiant, nectar-like hue whose milk flows in all directions; from that streaming milk, foam rises, compared to foam produced by the waves of rivers.