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 ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Deve-se banhar regularmente após aplicar esterco de vaca no corpo, e também sentar-se ou deitar-se sobre esterco de vaca já seco. Deve-se abster de cuspir catarro sobre ele, de urinar ou defecar ali, e de qualquer ato de desprezo ou agressão contra as vacas.”
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.