Maheshvara Praises the Daily Gift to Cows

Verse 1 (13.196.1)

सारमुद्धृत्य युष्माभिः साधुधर्म उदाहृतः । धर्मगुह्यमिदं मत्तः शृणुध्वं सर्व एव ह ॥

sāramuddhṛtya yuṣmābhiḥ sādhudharma udāhṛtaḥ | dharmaguhyamidaṃ mattaḥ śṛṇudhvaṃ sarva eva ha

You have drawn out the essence and well declared dharma. Hear from me this secret of dharma, all of you.

Note on the text: Removed the opening bracket and the speaker heading "महेश्वर उवाच ।" printed inside the verse text (it is the speaker); the page brackets this whole passage as an interpolation. Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0510-0511); ce_ref left null.

Verse 2 (13.196.2)

येषां धर्माश्रिता बुद्धिः श्रद्दधानाश्च ये नराः । तेषां स्यादुपदेष्टव्यः सरहस्यो महाफलः ॥

yeṣāṃ dharmāśritā buddhiḥ śraddadhānāśca ye narāḥ | teṣāṃ syādupadeṣṭavyaḥ sarahasyo mahāphalaḥ

It should be taught to those whose minds rest on dharma and who have faith; its secret brings great reward.

Note on the text: Corrected बुद्धिःक → बुद्धिः (misprint in Wikisource; stray footnote letter क; CE buddhiḥ). Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0512-0513); ce_ref left null.

Verse 3 (13.196.3)

निरुद्विग्नस्तु यो दद्यान्मासमेकं गवाह्निकम् । एकभक्तं तथाऽश्नीयाच्छ्रूयतां तस्य यत्फलम् ॥

nirudvignastu yo dadyānmāsamekaṃ gavāhnikam | ekabhaktaṃ tathā'śnīyācchrūyatāṃ tasya yatphalam

One who, free of anxiety, gives the daily gavahnika for the cows for one month, and eats only one meal a day: hear his reward.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0514-0515); ce_ref left null.

Verse 4 (13.196.4)

इमा गावो महाभागाः पवित्रं परमं स्मृताः । त्रीन्लोकान्धारयन्ति स्म सदेवासुरमानुषान् ॥

imā gāvo mahābhāgāḥ pavitraṃ paramaṃ smṛtāḥ | trīnlokāndhārayanti sma sadevāsuramānuṣān

These cows are glorious and are held to be supremely pure; they sustain the three worlds, with their gods, asuras and humans.

Note on the text: Corrected धानयन्ति → धारयन्ति (misprint in Wikisource; न for र; धारयन्ति "they sustain", CE dhārayanti). Corrected मानुपान् → मानुषान् (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष; मानुष "human", CE mānuṣān). Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0516-0517); ce_ref left null.

Verse 5 (13.196.5)

तासु चैव महापुण्यं शुश्रूषा च महाफलम् । अहन्यहनि धर्मेण युज्यते वै गवाह्निकः ॥

tāsu caiva mahāpuṇyaṃ śuśrūṣā ca mahāphalam | ahanyahani dharmeṇa yujyate vai gavāhnikaḥ

In them lies great merit, and serving them gives great reward. One who practises the daily gavahnika is joined to dharma day after day.

Note on the text: WS वै गवाह्निकः against CE 519b vā gavāhnike: a recension variant, kept. Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0518-0519); ce_ref left null.

Verse 6 (13.196.6)

मया ह्येता ह्यनुज्ञाताः पूर्वमासन्कृते युगे । ततोऽहमनुनीतो वै ब्रह्मणा पद्मयोनिना ॥

mayā hyetā hyanujñātāḥ pūrvamāsankṛte yuge | tato'hamanunīto vai brahmaṇā padmayoninā

These cows were released by me long ago, in the Krita age; then I was appeased by Brahma, the lotus-born.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0520-0521); ce_ref left null.

Verse 7 (13.196.7)

तस्माद्व्रजस्थानगतस्तिष्ठत्युपरि मे वृषः । रमेऽहं सह गोभिश्च तस्मात्पूज्याः सदैव ताः ॥

tasmādvrajasthānagatastiṣṭhatyupari me vṛṣaḥ | rame'haṃ saha gobhiśca tasmātpūjyāḥ sadaiva tāḥ

Therefore my bull has gone to dwell in the cow-pen and stands above me. I take delight with the cows, and so they are always to be revered.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0522-0523); ce_ref left null.

Verse 8 (13.196.8)

महाप्रभावा वरदा वरं दद्युरुपासिताः । ता गावोऽस्यानुमन्यन्ते सर्वकर्मसु यत्फलम् ॥

mahāprabhāvā varadā varaṃ dadyurupāsitāḥ | tā gāvo'syānumanyante sarvakarmasu yatphalam

Of great power and granting boons, the cows when honoured grant a boon; and in all rites they sanction its fruit.

Note on the text: Corrected युत्फलम् → यत्फलम् (misprint in Wikisource; conjunct misprint; the relative यत् with फलम्, CE yat phalam). WS वरं दद्युः against CE 524b varān dadyuḥ: a recension variant, kept. Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0524-0525); ce_ref left null.

Verse 9 (13.196.9)

तस्य तत्र चतुर्भागो यो ददाति गवाह्निकम् ॥

tasya tatra caturbhāgo yo dadāti gavāhnikam

A fourth part of that fruit is his there who gives the gavahnika.

Note on the text: Removed the closing "।।]" bracket (end of the bracketed passage) and kept the verse-end mark. The CE places Skanda's label before this line (13.125.038d@014_0526); the page keeps Maheshvara's heading to the end, and so do we. Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0526); ce_ref left null.