Shloka 13
Chapter 84: Brahmā’s Counsel on Tāraka, the Search for Agni, and the Genesis of Skanda
Kārttikeya
व्यासजी बोले--बेटा! गौएँ सम्पूर्ण भूतोंकी प्रतिष्ठा हैं। गौएँ परम आश्रय हैं। गौएँ पुण्यमयी एवं पवित्र होती हैं तथा गोधन सबको पवित्र करनेवाला है ।।
vyāsa uvāca—putra! gāvaḥ samasta-bhūtānāṃ pratiṣṭhāḥ. gāvaḥ paramāśrayāḥ. gāvaḥ puṇyamayyāḥ pavitrāś ca; godhanaṃ sarvaṃ pavitrīkaroti. pūrvam āsan na-śṛṅgā vai gāva iti anuśuśrumaḥ. śṛṅgārthe samupāsanta tāḥ kila prabhum avyayam brahmāṇam.
Vyasa disse: “Meu filho, as vacas são o fundamento de todos os seres. São o refúgio supremo. As vacas são meritórias e puras, e a riqueza em gado (godhāna) purifica a todos. Ouvimos dizer que, nos tempos antigos, as vacas eram de fato sem chifres. Em busca de chifres, conta-se que adoraram o Senhor imperecível, Brahmā.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates the cow as a dharmic support of life—symbolizing sustenance, purity, and merit—and presents cattle-wealth (godhana) as socially and ritually purifying. It also frames divine worship (upāsanā) as a means to obtain legitimate needs, linking prosperity and protection to reverence for cosmic order.
Vyāsa instructs his listener by praising cows as the refuge and foundation of beings, then introduces a traditional account: in ancient times cows were hornless and, desiring horns, worshipped the imperishable Lord Brahmā to obtain them.