Shloka 24
Suvarṇa-dāna: Kārttikeya’s Origin and the Defeat of Tāraka (सुवर्णदान-प्रसङ्गे कार्त्तिकेय-उत्पत्ति तथा तारकवधः)
सुरभ्य: पुण्यकर्मिण्य: पावना: शुभलक्षणा: । यदर्थ गां गताश्चैव सुरभ्य: सुरसत्तम
surabhyaḥ puṇyakarmiṇyaḥ pāvanāḥ śubhalakṣaṇāḥ | yadarthaṃ gāṃ gatāś caiva surabhyaḥ surasattama ||
Bhīṣma disse: “As vacas Surabhī são praticantes de mérito, purificadoras por sua própria natureza e marcadas por sinais auspiciosos. Ó melhor entre os deuses, com que propósito vieram aqui estas Surabhīs, tendo a vaca como objeto de sua preocupação?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the Surabhī cows as inherently purifying and auspicious, reinforcing the ethical-religious valuation of the cow as a sanctifying presence and a locus of merit (puṇya) within dharma-oriented discourse.
Bhīṣma addresses a divine figure (“best of the gods”) and, seeing the Surabhīs described as virtuous and auspicious, asks why they have come—specifically in connection with ‘the cow’—setting up an explanation about their purpose and significance.