Using the Tawny Cow: Vyasa's Ruling to Shuka

Verse 1 (13.125.1)

क्षत्रियाश्चैव शूद्राश्च मन्त्रहीनाश्च ये द्विजाः । कपिलामुपजीवन्ति कथमेतत्पितर्भवेत् ॥

kṣatriyāścaiva śūdrāśca mantrahīnāśca ye dvijāḥ | kapilāmupajīvanti kathametatpitarbhavet

Kshatriyas, Shudras, and those brahmins who have no mantras all make their living from the tawny cow. Father, how can this be right?

Note on the text: The speaker heading `शुक उवाच (13-125-1x) is run into the verse in Wikisource, with a stray backtick; removed from the Sanskrit and made the speaker. Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 91-92 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0091-0092), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 2 (13.125.2)

क्षत्रियाश्चैव शूद्राश्च मन्त्रहीनाश्च ये द्विजाः । कपिलामुपजीवन्ति तेषां वक्ष्यामि निर्णयम् ॥

kṣatriyāścaiva śūdrāśca mantrahīnāśca ye dvijāḥ | kapilāmupajīvanti teṣāṃ vakṣyāmi nirṇayam

As for the Kshatriyas, the Shudras and the brahmins without mantras who live by the tawny cow, I will give you the ruling about them.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 93-94 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0093-0094), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 3 (13.125.3)

कपिलास्तूत्तमा लोके गोषु चैवोत्तमा मताः । तासां दाता लभेत्स्वर्गं विधिना यश्च सेवते ॥

kapilāstūttamā loke goṣu caivottamā matāḥ | tāsāṃ dātā labhetsvargaṃ vidhinā yaśca sevate

Tawny cows are the best in the world, and among cows they are reckoned the foremost. One who gives them, and one who keeps them by the rule, gains heaven.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 95-96 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0095-0096), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 4 (13.125.4)

स्पृशेत कपिलां यस्तु दण्डेन चरणेन वा । स तेन स्पर्शमात्रेण नरकायोपपद्यते ॥

spṛśeta kapilāṃ yastu daṇḍena caraṇena vā | sa tena sparśamātreṇa narakāyopapadyate

Whoever touches a tawny cow with a stick or with his foot goes to hell for that mere touch.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 97-98 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0097-0098), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 5 (13.125.5)

मन्त्रेण युञ्ज्यात्कपिलां मन्त्रेणैव प्रमुञ्चते । मन्त्रहीनं तु यो युञ्जात्कृमियोनौ प्रसूयते ॥

mantreṇa yuñjyātkapilāṃ mantreṇaiva pramuñcate | mantrahīnaṃ tu yo yuñjātkṛmiyonau prasūyate

If he yokes the tawny cow with a mantra, by the mantra itself he is set free of fault; but whoever yokes her without a mantra is born in the womb of a worm.

Note on the text: Corrected मन्त्रिहीनं → मन्त्रहीनं (misprint in Wikisource; wrong vowel sign; the critical edition reads mantrahīnaṃ, and the sense requires 'without a mantra'). Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 99-100 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0099-0100), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 6 (13.125.6)

प्रहाराहतमर्माङ्गा दुःखेन च जडीकृता । पदानि यावद्गच्छेत तावल्लोकान्कृमिर्भवेत् ॥

prahārāhatamarmāṅgā duḥkhena ca jaḍīkṛtā | padāni yāvadgaccheta tāvallokānkṛmirbhavet

Struck on her vital parts and dazed with pain, for as many steps as she walks, for that many worlds he becomes a worm.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 101-102 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0101-0102), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 7 (13.125.7)

यावन्तो बिन्दवस्तस्याः शोणितस्य क्षितिं गताः । तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि नरकं प्रतिपद्यते ॥

yāvanto bindavastasyāḥ śoṇitasya kṣitiṃ gatāḥ | tāvadvarṣasahasrāṇi narakaṃ pratipadyate

For as many drops of her blood as fall upon the ground, for that many thousands of years he goes to hell.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 103-104 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0103-0104), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 8 (13.125.8)

मन्त्रेण युञ्ज्यात्कपिलां मन्त्रेण विनियोजयेत् । मन्त्रहीनैरनुयुतो मज्जयेत्तमसि प्रभो ॥

mantreṇa yuñjyātkapilāṃ mantreṇa viniyojayet | mantrahīnairanuyuto majjayettamasi prabho

One should yoke the tawny cow with a mantra and employ her with a mantra. One who is accompanied by those without mantras will be plunged into darkness, O lord.

Note on the text: Corrected मञ्जयेत् → मज्जयेत् (misprint in Wikisource; the conjunct ञ्ज is not valid here; the critical edition reads majjayet). Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 105-106 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0105-0106), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 9 (13.125.9)

कपिलां येऽपि जीवन्ति बुद्धिमोहान्विता नराः । तेऽपि वर्षसहस्राणि पतन्ति नरके नृप ॥

kapilāṃ ye'pi jīvanti buddhimohānvitā narāḥ | te'pi varṣasahasrāṇi patanti narake nṛpa

And those men who, deluded in mind, live by the tawny cow also fall into hell for thousands of years, O king.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 107-108 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0107-0108), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 10 (13.125.10)

अथ न्यायेन ये विप्राः कपिलामुपयुञ्जते । तस्मिंल्लोके प्रमोदन्ते लोकाश्चैषामनामयाः ॥

atha nyāyena ye viprāḥ kapilāmupayuñjate | tasmiṃlloke pramodante lokāścaiṣāmanāmayāḥ

But brahmins who make use of the tawny cow in the proper way rejoice in that world, and their worlds are free of affliction.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 109-110 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0109-0110), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 11 (13.125.11)

विधिना ये न कुर्वन्ति शूद्रांस्तानुपधारय ॥

vidhinā ye na kurvanti śūdrāṃstānupadhāraya

Those who do not do it by the rule: know them to be Shudras.

Note on the text: Stray quote mark and doubled danda (।।') after the last word removed; verse-end mark normalised. Corrected शूद्रास्तानुपधारय → शूद्रांस्तानुपधारय (misprint in Wikisource; the anusvara is dropped; the object of उपधारय needs the accusative, and the critical edition reads śūdrāṃs tān). Not in the critical edition's constituted text: line 111 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0111), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension. The page prints this as a single line (13-125-11a), as does the CE.