How Agni Made the Tawny Cows the Best

Verse 1 (13.126.1)

नानावर्णैरुपेतानां गवां किं मुनिसत्तम । कपिलाः सर्ववर्णेषु वरिष्ठत्वमवाप्नुवन् ॥

nānāvarṇairupetānāṃ gavāṃ kiṃ munisattama | kapilāḥ sarvavarṇeṣu variṣṭhatvamavāpnuvan

O best of sages, among cows of every colour, how did the tawny ones come to be the foremost?

Note on the text: The speaker heading `शुक उवाच (13-126-1x) 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 112-113 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0112-0113), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 2 (13.126.2)

शृणु पुत्र यथा गोषु वरिष्ठाः कपिलाः स्मृताः । कपिलत्वं च सम्प्राप्ताः पूज्याश्च सततं नृषु ॥

śṛṇu putra yathā goṣu variṣṭhāḥ kapilāḥ smṛtāḥ | kapilatvaṃ ca samprāptāḥ pūjyāśca satataṃ nṛṣu

Listen, my son, to how the tawny cows came to be counted the best of cows, and how, having become tawny, they are always held in reverence among men.

Note on the text: Corrected पूज्याश्चि → पूज्याश्च (misprint in Wikisource; wrong vowel sign; च is required). Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 114-115 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0114-0115), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 3 (13.126.3)

अग्निः पुरापचक्राम देवेभ्य इति नः श्रुतम् । देवेभ्यो मां छादयत शरण्याः शरणं गतम् ॥

agniḥ purāpacakrāma devebhya iti naḥ śrutam | devebhyo māṃ chādayata śaraṇyāḥ śaraṇaṃ gatam

Long ago, as we have heard, Agni went away from the gods. He said to the cows, "Hide me from the gods, you who give shelter; I have come to you for refuge."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 116-117 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0116-0117), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 4 (13.126.4)

ऊचुस्ताः सहितास्तत्र स्वागतं तव पावकः । इह गुप्तस्त्वमस्माभिर्न देवैरुपलप्स्यसे ॥

ūcustāḥ sahitāstatra svāgataṃ tava pāvakaḥ | iha guptastvamasmābhirna devairupalapsyase

Together they answered him, "Welcome to you, O Purifier. Hidden here by us, you will not be found by the gods."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 118-119 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0118-0119), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 5 (13.126.5)

अथ देवा विवित्सन्तः पावकं परिचक्रमुः । गोषु गुप्तं च विज्ञाय ताः क्षिप्रमुपतस्थिरे ॥

atha devā vivitsantaḥ pāvakaṃ paricakramuḥ | goṣu guptaṃ ca vijñāya tāḥ kṣipramupatasthire

Then the gods, wishing to find Agni, searched all about; and learning that he was hidden among the cows, they quickly came to them.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 120-121 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0120-0121), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 6 (13.126.6)

युष्मासु निवसत्यग्निरिति गाः समचूचुदन् । प्रकाश्यतां हुतवहो लोकान्न च्छेत्तुमर्हथ ॥

yuṣmāsu nivasatyagniriti gāḥ samacūcudan | prakāśyatāṃ hutavaho lokānna cchettumarhatha

"Agni dwells in you," they urged the cows. "Let the carrier of oblations be revealed; you must not cut the worlds off from him."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 122-123 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0122-0123), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 7 (13.126.7)

एवमस्त्वित्युनुज्ञाय पावकं समदर्शयन् ॥

evamastvityunujñāya pāvakaṃ samadarśayan

Saying "So be it," they consented and showed Agni to them.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: line 124 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0124), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension. The page prints this as a single line (13-126-7a), as does the CE.

Verse 8 (13.126.8)

अधिगम्य पावकं तुष्टास्ते देवाः सद्य एव तु । अग्निं प्रचोदयामासुः क्रियतां गोष्वनुग्रहः ॥

adhigamya pāvakaṃ tuṣṭāste devāḥ sadya eva tu | agniṃ pracodayāmāsuḥ kriyatāṃ goṣvanugrahaḥ

Having found Agni, the gods were pleased, and at once urged him, "Show your favour to the cows."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 125-126 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0125-0126), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 9 (13.126.9)

गवां तु यासां गात्रेषु पावकः समवस्थितः । कपिलत्वमनुप्राप्ताः सर्वश्रेष्ठत्वमेव च ॥

gavāṃ tu yāsāṃ gātreṣu pāvakaḥ samavasthitaḥ | kapilatvamanuprāptāḥ sarvaśreṣṭhatvameva ca

The cows in whose bodies Agni had settled became tawny, and supreme above all.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 127-128 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0127-0128), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 10 (13.126.10)

महाफलत्वं लोके च ददौ तासां हुताशनः । तस्माद्धि सर्ववर्णानां कपिलां गां प्रदापय । श्रोत्रियाय प्रशान्ताय प्रयतायाग्निहोत्रिणे ॥

mahāphalatvaṃ loke ca dadau tāsāṃ hutāśanaḥ | tasmāddhi sarvavarṇānāṃ kapilāṃ gāṃ pradāpaya | śrotriyāya praśāntāya prayatāyāgnihotriṇe

Agni bestowed on them the power to give great fruit in the world. Therefore, among cows of every colour, have a tawny cow given to a learned brahmin who is tranquil, self-controlled and keeps the sacred fire.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 129-131 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0129-0131), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.

Verse 11 (13.126.11)

यावन्ति रोमाणि भवन्ति धेन्वा । युगानि तावन्ति पुनाति दातॄन् । प्रतिग्रहीतॄंश्च पुनाति दत्ता । शिष्टे तु गौर्वै प्रतिपादनेन ॥

yāvanti romāṇi bhavanti dhenvā | yugāni tāvanti punāti dātṝn | pratigrahītṝṃśca punāti dattā | śiṣṭe tu gaurvai pratipādanena

For as many ages as the cow has hairs, she purifies those who give her; given, she also purifies those who receive her. Given to a worthy person, the cow does this by the very act of giving.

Note on the text: Corrected भन्ति → भवन्ति (misprint in Wikisource; a syllable is dropped; the critical edition reads bhavanti). Not in the critical edition's constituted text: lines 132-135 of the CE's inline Appendix I No. 9B (13,080.045d@009B_0132-0135), printed after 13.80.45; vulgate recension.