Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 42
नान्यदा गच्छते यस्तु ब्रह्मचर्य च तत् स्मृतम् । अमृतं ब्राह्मणा गाव इत्येतत् त्रयमेकत: । तस्माद् गोब्राद्मणं नित्यमर्चयेत यथाविधि
bhīṣma uvāca | nānyadā gacchate yas tu brahmacaryaṃ ca tat smṛtam | amṛtaṃ brāhmaṇā gāva ity etat trayam ekataḥ | tasmād gobrāhmaṇaṃ nityam arcayet yathāvidhi |
Wika ni Bhishma: Ang hindi lumalapit sa babae sa anumang oras maliban sa wastong panahon ay sinasabing tumutupad ng brahmacarya (pagpapanatili ng kalinisan at pagpipigil). Ang amṛta (nektar), ang Brāhmaṇa, at ang baka—ang tatlong ito’y ipinahahayag na nagmula sa iisang pinagmulan. Kaya nararapat na laging parangalan ang baka at ang Brāhmaṇa, at sambahin sila ayon sa itinakdang mga ritwal.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links personal discipline (regulated sexual conduct termed brahmacarya) with social-religious duty: honoring the cow and the Brāhmaṇa as sacred supports of dharma, to be revered according to prescribed norms.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he defines a form of brahmacarya in practical terms and then grounds a duty of worship: since amṛta, the Brāhmaṇa, and the cow are treated as sharing a single sacred origin, one should continually venerate the cow and the Brāhmaṇa.