Anushasanika Parva — The glory of kine

Bhishma said on They who make gifts of kine, and who live upon the remnants of things offered as libations the sacred fire, are considered, O Yudhishthira as always performing sacrifices of kind.

No sacrifice can be performed without the help of curds and clarified butter. The very character as sacrifice which sacrifices have, depends upon clarified butter. Hence clarified butter is considered as the very root of sacrifice.

Of all kinds of gifts, the gift of kine is spoken highest of. Kine are the foremost of all things. Themselves sacred, they are the best of purifier.

People should cherish kine for getting prosperity and even peace. The milk, curds, and clarified butter that kine yield are capable of purifying one from every kind of sin.

Kine are said to represent the highest energy both in this world and the next. There is nothing that is more sacred or purifying than kine, O chief of the Bharatas.

Regarding it is recited the ancient discourse between the Grandfather and chief of the celestials.

After the demons had been defeated and Shakra had become the lord of the three worlds, all creatures grew prosperous and became devoted to the true religion.

Then, on one occasion, the Rishis, the Gandharvas, the Kinnaras, the Uragas, the Rakshasas, the Deities, the Asuras, the winged crcatures, and the Prajapatis, O you of Kuru's race, ali assembled together and worshipped the Grandfather. There were Narada and Parvata and Vishvavasu and HahaHuhu, who sang celestial songs for worshipping that powerful lord of all creatures. The god of wind bore there the fragrance of celestial flowers.

The Seasons also, in their embodied forms, bore the fragrance of flowers peculiar to each, to that assemblage of celestials, that gathering of all creatures of the universe, where celestial maidens danced and sang in accompaniment with celestial music. In the midst of that assembly, Indra, saluting the Lord of all the celestial and bowing his head to him with respect, asked him, saying, I wish, O Grandfather, to know why the region of kine is higher, O holy one, than the region of the celestials themselves who are the lords of all the worlds.

What austerities, what Brahmacharya, O lord, did kine perform on account of which they are able to live happily in a region that is even above that of the celestials.

Thus addressed by Indra, Brahman said to the destroyer of Bala, You have always, O destroyer of Bala, disregarded kine.

Hence, you are not acquainted with glorious pereminence of kine. Listen now to me, o powerful one, as I explain to you the great energy and glorious pereminence of kine, O king of the celestials.

Kine have been said to be the limbs of sacrifice. They represent sacrifice itself, O Vasava! Without them there can be no sacrifice.

With their milk and the Havi produced therefrom, they sustain all creatures. Their male children are engaged in helping the cultivation and thereby produce various kinds of paddy and other seeds.

From them originate sacrifices and Havya and Kavya, and milk and curds and clarified butter. Hence, O chief of the celestials, kine are sacred. Stricken with hunger and thirst, they carry various burthens.

Kine support ascetics. They sustain all creatures by various acts. O Vasava, kine are guileless in their conduct on account of such conduct and of many wellperformed acts, they are able to live always in regions that are even above ours.

I have thus explained to you today, O you of a hundred sacrifices, the reason, O Shakra, of kine living in a place that is high above that of the celestials.

Kine got many excellent forms, O Vasava, and are themselves givers of boons. They are called Surabhis. Of sacred deeds and gifted with many auspicious marks they are highly purifying.

Listen to me also, O destroyer of Bala, as I tell you in full the reason why kine, the children of Surabhi, have descended on the Earth, O best of the celestials.

Formerly , O son, when in the golden age the great Danavas became lords of the three worlds, Aditi performed the severest austerities and got Vishnu within her womb. Indeed, O chief of the celestials, she had stood upon one leg for many long years, desirous of having a son.

Seeing the great goddess Aditi thus practising the severest austerities, the daughter of Daksha, viz., the illustrious Surabhi, herself given to virtue likewise practised very severe austerities upon the breast of the charming mountains of Kailasa that are resorted to by both the celestials and the Gandharvas. Established on the highest Yoga, she also stood upon the leg for eleven thousand years. The celestials with the Rishis and the great Nagas all became scorched with the severity of her penances. Going there with me, all of them began of worship that auspicious goddess.

I then addressed that goddess gifted with penances, and said, O goddess, O you of faultless conduct, for what purpose do you practise such severe austerities,

O highlyblessed one, I am pleased with your penances, O beautiful one! Do you, O goddess, beg what boon you wish to have. I shall grant you whatever, you may ask! These were my words to her, O Purandara.

Thus addressed by me, Surabhi answered me, saying, I have no need O grandfather of boons. O sinless one, that you have been pleased with me is a great boon to me. To the illustrious Surabhi, O chief of the celestials, who said so to me, O lord of Sachi, I answered thus, O goddess, I have been highly pleased with this your freedom from cupidity and desire, and with these penances of yours, O you of beautiful face. I therefore, grant you the boon of immortality.

You will live in a region that is higher than the three worlds, through my favour. That region shall be known to all by the name of Goloka.

Your offspring, ever engaged in doing good deeds, will live in the world of men, In fact, O highly blessed one, your daughters will live there.

You will readily get all kinds of enjoyment, celestial and human, that you may think of. You will get whatever happiness exists in the celestial region, O blessed one! The regions, O you of a hundred eyes, that are Surabhi's are replete with means for the satisfaction of every desire, Neither Death, nor Decrepitude, nor fire, can overcome its inhabitants.

No illluck, O Vasava exists there, many charining forests and delightful ornaments and objects of beauty may be seen there.

There may be seen many beautiful cars, all excellently equipt and which move at the will of the rider, O Vasava. O you having eyes like lotus petals, it is only by celibacy, by penances, by Truth, by self-control, by gifts, by various kinds of righteous deeds, by sojourns lo sacred waters, in fact, by severe austerities and righteous deeds well-performed, that one can attain to Goloka.

You had asked me, O Shakra and I have answered you in full. O destroyer of Asuras, you should never disregard kine!

Bhishma said learing these words of the self-creale Brahman, O Yudhishthira, Shakra of a thousand eyes began from that time to adore kine every day and to show them the greatest respect.

I have thus told you everything about the purifying character of kine, O you of great splendour. I have expounded to you the sacred and high pre-eminence and glory of kine, that is capable of purifying one from every sin, O chief of men. That man who with senses withdrawn from every other object will recite this account to Brahmanas, on occasions when Havya and Kavya are offered, or at sacrifices, or on occasions of worshipping the departed in succeeds conferring upon his ancestors an endless happiness fraught with the fruition of every desire.

The man who is devoted to kine succeeds in getting the fruition of every desire of his. Indeed, even those women who are devoted 10 kine succeed in securing the fulfilment of every desire of theirs.

He who wishes for sons obtains them. He who desires daughters obtains them. He who desires riches succeeds in acquiring wealth, and he who desires religions merit succeeds in winning it.

He who desires knowledge acquires it, and he who desires happiness succeeds in acquiring happiness. Indeed, O Bharata, there is nothing which one devoted to kine cannot obtain. l at