गवां लोकवर्णनं तथा गोप्रदानफलश्रुतिः
Description of the ‘World of Cows’ and the Stated Fruits of Cow-Gift
प्रचोदनं देवकृतं गवां कर्मसु वर्तताम् । पूर्वमेवाक्षरं चान्यदभिधेयं तत: परम्
bhīṣma uvāca | pracodanaṃ devakṛtaṃ gavāṃ karmasu vartatām | pūrvam evākṣaraṃ cānyad abhidhēyaṃ tataḥ param |
毗湿摩说:“驱策之举,最初乃诸天为从事圣业之牛所制定。故先行之法则在此:为祭祀而套轭驱使公牛,称为可嘉;若为非祭之事而套轭,或击打驱赶,则当受谴责。”
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma distinguishes between sanctioned and unsanctioned use of force toward animals: driving/yoking cattle is justified only within divinely sanctioned sacrificial duty, while doing so for other ends is blameworthy.
In his instruction on dharma, Bhishma explains the origin and proper scope of goading cattle: the gods first employed it for sacrificial work, establishing a precedent that limits such treatment to ritual necessity.