Shloka 4
गोमहात्म्य-प्रश्नोत्तरम्
Saudāsa–Vasiṣṭha on the Purifying Power of Cows
घातक: खादको वापि तथा यश्चानुमन्यते । यावन्ति तस्या रोमाणि तावद् वर्षाणि मज्जति
ghātakaḥ khādako vāpi tathā yaścānumanyate | yāvanti tasyā romāṇi tāvad varṣāṇi majjati ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Maging siya man ang pumatay, ang kumain ng laman nito, o kahit ang pumayag sa ginawa—siya’y lulubog sa impiyerno sa loob ng kasingdaming taon ng bilang ng balahibo sa katawan ng bakang iyon.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that grave harm (here, cow-killing) carries severe karmic consequence, and that moral culpability includes not only the direct killer but also the consumer and the one who endorses or permits the act.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma (the grandsire) is delivering ethical guidance, emphasizing the seriousness of certain transgressions and the extended chain of responsibility—action, participation, and approval.