Shloka 18

Go-mahātmyam: Pavitrāṇāṃ Pavitraṃ

Cows and Ghee as Supreme Purifiers

Devanagari script

सासृजत्‌ सौरभेयीस्तु सुरभिलोकमातृका: । सुवर्णवर्णा: कपिला: प्रजानां वृत्तिधेनव:

Transliteration

sāsṛjat saurabheyīs tu surabhilokamātṛkāḥ | suvarṇavarṇāḥ kapilāḥ prajānāṃ vṛttidhenavaḥ ||

Translation

அச் சுரபி ‘சௌரபேயி’ எனப்படும் பல பசுக்களைப் படைத்தாள்; அவை உலகமெங்கும் தாயெனப் போற்றத்தக்கவை. அவை பொன்னிறம் போல் ஒளிரும் கபில நிறத்துடன், பிரஜைகளின் வாழ்வாதாரமாகப் பால் வழங்கும் தாய்ப் பசுக்களாயின.

Word by Word

• सा: she (Surabhi)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• असृजत्: created, produced
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• सौरभेयीः: Saurabheyī cows (descendants of Surabhi)
• सौरभेयीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौरभेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• तु: indeed, but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सुरभि-लोक-मातृकाः: having Surabhi-world as (their) mother; mother-like for Surabhi’s world
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सुवर्ण-वर्णाः: golden-colored
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• कपिलाः: tawny, reddish-brown (cows)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रजानाम्: of creatures/subjects
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• वृत्ति-धेनवः: cows that are a means of livelihood (milk-giving sustainers)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• Surabhi
• Saurabheyī cows
• Kapilā cows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ethical model of dharmic creation: resources (symbolized by cows) are brought forth to nourish and sustain society. It highlights the ideal of providing livelihood and welfare for all beings, framing the cow as a maternal, sustaining presence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes Surabhi generating many Saurabheyī cows—golden-hued, tawny milch-cows—whose purpose is to support living beings by providing sustenance and livelihood.