Shloka 45
Suvarṇa-dāna: Kārttikeya’s Origin and the Defeat of Tāraka (सुवर्णदान-प्रसङ्गे कार्त्तिकेय-उत्पत्ति तथा तारकवधः)
न ते परिभव: कार्यो गवामसुरसूदन,असुरसूदन शक्र! इस प्रकार तुम्हारे पूछनेके अनुसार मैंने सारी बातें बतलायी हैं। अब तुम्हें गौओंका कभी तिरस्कार नहीं करना चाहिये
na te paribhavaḥ kāryo gavām asurasūdana | asurasūdana śakra! iti prakāraṁ tava pṛcchānusāreṇa mayā sarvāḥ kathāḥ kathitāḥ | idānīṁ tvayā gavāṁ kadācit tiraskāro na kartavyaḥ ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Ó matador dos Asuras—ó Śakra (Indra)—, jamais deves mostrar desprezo pelas vacas. Assim, conforme a tua pergunta, relatei tudo por inteiro. Portanto, não voltes a difamar as vacas.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that showing contempt toward cows is adharma; even a powerful ruler like Indra is instructed to maintain reverence and restraint, treating cows as worthy of protection rather than scorn.
Bhīṣma concludes his response to Śakra (Indra), stating that he has answered according to the question asked and ends with a direct ethical injunction: Indra should never again disparage cows.