Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 7

Gavāṃ Māhātmya — Go-dāna, Yajña-ādhāra, and Goloka

Brahmā–Indra–Surabhi Itihāsa

तपसोअ<न्ते महाराज गावो लोकपरायणा: । तस्माद्‌ गावो महाभागा: पवित्र परमुच्यते

Vasiṣṭha uvāca: tapasānte mahārāja gāvo lokaparāyaṇāḥ | tasmād gāvo mahābhāgāḥ pavitraṃ param ucyate ||

Vasiṣṭha nói: “Hỡi Đại vương, khi khổ hạnh đã viên mãn, đàn bò trở thành nơi nương tựa và chỗ nâng đỡ của toàn thế gian. Vì vậy, những con bò đại phúc ấy được tuyên xưng là tối thượng thanh tịnh.”

तपसःof austerity / of penance
तपसः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootतपस्
FormNeuter, Genitive, Singular
अन्तेat the end
अन्ते:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअन्त
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
महाराजO great king
महाराज:
TypeNoun
Rootमहाराज
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
गावःcows
गावः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगो
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
लोकपरायणाःthe refuge/support of the world
लोकपरायणाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootलोक-परायण
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
तस्मात्therefore / from that
तस्मात्:
Apadana
TypePronoun
Rootतस्मद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular
गावःcows
गावः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगो
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
महाभागाःmost fortunate / greatly blessed
महाभागाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमहाभाग
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
पवित्रम्supremely pure (as a predicate)
पवित्रम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपवित्र
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
परम्highest / supreme
परम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपर
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
उच्यतेis said / is called
उच्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPresent, Passive, Third, Singular
महाराजO great king
महाराज:
TypeNoun
Rootमहाराज
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

वसिष्ठ उवाच

V
Vasiṣṭha
M
Mahārāja (the king addressed)
G
Gāvaḥ (cows)
L
Loka (the world)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches that cows are to be regarded as supremely purifying because they function as the world’s refuge and support; reverence and protection of such life-sustaining beings is presented as a dharmic duty.

Vasiṣṭha addresses a king and explains, in the course of praising the religious-ethical importance of cows, that upon the completion of tapas (austerity), cows came to be viewed as the sustaining refuge of the world, hence their status as ‘supremely pure’.