नास्य क्षत्ता निष्कग्रीवः सूनानामेत्यग्रतः । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या
No one with a necklace of coins, acting as a servant, comes before his sons, in that kingdom where the Brahmin's wife is held in captivity.
नास्य श्वेतः कृष्णकर्णो धुरि युक्तो महीयते । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या
No white ox with black ears, yoked to the plough, is made to toil in that kingdom where the Brahmin's wife is held in captivity.
नास्य क्षेत्रे पुष्करिणी नाण्डीकं जायते बिसम् । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या
No lotus pond, nor lotus stalk, is produced in his field, in that kingdom where the Brahmin's wife is held in captivity.
नास्मै पृश्निं वि दुहन्ति येऽस्या दोहमुपासते । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या
No one milks a speckled cow for him, those who attend to her milking, in that kingdom where the Brahmin's wife is held in captivity.
नास्य धेनुः कल्याणी नानड्वान्त्सहते धुरम् । विजानिर्यत्र ब्राह्मणो रात्रिं वसति पापया
His fine cow does not endure the yoke with the bull, in that place where the Brahmin spends the night in sin.
5.18 नैतां ते देवा अददुस्तुभ्यं नृपते अत्तवे । मा ब्राह्मणस्य राजन्य गां जिघत्सो अनाद्याम्
The gods did not give her to you, O king, nor to you in the wilderness; do not desire to seize the Brahmin's ancient cow, O Kṣatriya.
अक्षद्रुग्धो राजन्यः पाप आत्मपराजितः । स ब्राह्मणस्य गामद्यादद्य जीवानि मा श्वः
The Kṣatriya who, blinded by dice, anger, or evil, and defeated by himself, seeks to take the Brahmin's cow—let him die today, not tomorrow.
आविष्टिताघविषा पृदाकूरिव चर्मणा । सा ब्राह्मणस्य राजन्य तृष्टैषा गौरनाद्या
She is covered with the poison of sin, as with a fresh hide; that cow of the Brahmin, O Kṣatriya, is fierce and not to be eaten.
निर्वै क्षत्रं नयति हन्ति वर्चोऽग्निरिवारब्धो वि दुनोति सर्वम् । यो ब्राह्मणं मन्यते अन्नमेव स विषस्य पिबति तैमातस्य
He leads away the power of the warrior, destroys brilliance, like fire when kindled he burns up everything; whoever thinks the Brahmin is merely food, he drinks poison, he is ruined by that very act.
य एनं हन्ति मृदुं मन्यमानो देवपीयुर्धनकामो न चित्तात्। सं तस्येन्द्रो हृदयेऽग्निमिन्धे उभे एनं द्विष्टो नभसी चरन्तम्
Whoever kills him, thinking him gentle, desiring wealth like one who eats what belongs to the gods without thought, Indra kindles fire in his heart; both heaven and earth hate him as he moves about.
न ब्राह्मणो हिंसितव्योऽग्निः प्रियतनोरिव । सोमो ह्यस्य दायाद इन्द्रो अस्याभिशस्तिपाः
A Brahmin must not be harmed, just as one would not harm fire cherished in the home; Soma is his heir, Indra is his protector from curses.
शतापाष्ठां नि गिरति तां न शक्नोति निःखिदम् । अन्नं यो ब्रह्मणां मल्वः स्वाद्वद्मीति मन्यते
He throws down one with a hundred bones, yet cannot subdue him completely; whoever thinks the Brahmin’s food is sweet, saying, 'I will eat it,' is a fool.
जिह्वा ज्या भवति कुल्मलं वाङ्नाडीका दन्तास्तपसाभिदिग्धाः । तेभिर्ब्रह्मा विध्यति देवपीयून् हृद्बलैर्धनुर्भिर्देवजूतैः
His tongue becomes a bowstring, his speech a reed, his teeth are sharpened by austerity; with these, the Brahmin strikes down those who consume what belongs to the gods, with the strength of his heart, with bows guided by the gods.
तीक्ष्णेषवो ब्राह्मणा हेतिमन्तो यामस्यन्ति शरव्यां न सा मृषा । अनुहाय तपसा मन्युना चोत दूरादव भिन्दन्त्येनम्
The Brahmins are sharp-arrowed, armed with weapons; their missiles do not miss, like arrows shot; by austerity and anger, even from afar, they pierce him.
ये सहस्रमराजन्न् आसन् दशशता उत । ते ब्राह्मणस्य गां जग्ध्वा वैतहव्याः पराभवन्
O king, those who were a thousand, even ten hundred, after eating the Brahmin’s cow, the Vaitahavyas, were destroyed.
गौरेव तान् हन्यमाना वैतहव्यामवातिरत्। ये केसरप्राबन्धायाश्चरमाजामपेचिरन्
Like a cow being slaughtered, the Vaitahavyas were swept away; those who cut off the last tuft of her mane perished.
एकशतं ता जनता या भूमिर्व्यधूनुत । प्रजां हिंसित्वा ब्राह्मणीमसंभव्यं पराभवन्
Of that people, only one hundred remained, the earth shook them off; having harmed the Brahmin’s offspring, they met with destruction.
देवपीयुश्चरति मर्त्येषु गरगीर्णो भवत्यस्थिभूयान् । यो ब्राह्मणं देवबन्धुं हिनस्ति न स पितृयाणमप्येति लोकम्
He who consumes what belongs to the gods moves among mortals, becomes swollen with poison, turns to bone; whoever harms the Brahmin, the friend of the gods, does not reach the world of the ancestors.
अग्निर्वै नः पदवायः सोमो दायाद उच्यते । हन्ताभिशस्तेन्द्रस्तथा तद्वेधसो विदुः
Agni is our guide, Soma is called our heir; Indra is the destroyer of curses—thus the wise know.
इषुरिव दिग्धा नृपते पृदाकूरिव गोपते । सा ब्राह्मणस्येषुर्घोरा तया विध्यति पीयतः
Like a poisoned arrow, O king, like a sharp goad, so is the Brahmin’s arrow, terrible; with it he strikes down the one who consumes.
अतिमात्रमवर्धन्त नोदिव दिवमस्पृशन् । भृगुं हिंसित्वा सृञ्जया वैतहव्याः पराभवन्
They grew beyond measure, did not touch the sky; having harmed Bhrigu, the Sṛñjayas and Vaitahavyas were destroyed.
ये बृहत्सामानमाङ्गिरसमार्पयन् ब्राह्मणं जनाः । पेत्वस्तेषामुभयादमविस्तोकान्यावयत्
Those people who handed over the Brahmin, the singer of the great Sāman, fell; both their elders and their children perished.
ये ब्राह्मणं प्रत्यष्ठीवन् ये वास्मिञ्छुल्कमीषिरे । अस्नस्ते मध्ये कुल्यायाः केशान् खादन्त आसते
Those who expelled the Brahmin, those who sought a price for him, now sit in the middle of the watercourse, eating their own hair.
ब्रह्मगवी पच्यमाना यावत्साभि विजङ्गहे । तेजो राष्ट्रस्य निर्हन्ति न वीरो जायते वृषा
As long as the Brahmin’s cow is being cooked, so long does she wander; her energy destroys the kingdom, no strong hero is born there.
क्रूरमस्या आशसनं तृष्टं पिशितमस्यते । क्षीरं यदस्याः पीयते तद्वै पितृषु किल्बिषम्
Her curse is fierce, her flesh is tough to eat; the milk that is drunk from her becomes sin among the ancestors.
उग्रो राजा मन्यमानो ब्राह्मणं यो जिघत्सति । परा तत्सिच्यते राष्ट्रं ब्राह्मणो यत्र जीयते
The king who, thinking himself mighty, seeks to harm the Brahmin, his kingdom is cast away, wherever the Brahmin lives.
अष्टापदी चतुरक्षी चतुःश्रोत्रा चतुर्हनुः । द्व्यास्या द्विजिह्वा भूत्वा सा राष्ट्रमव धूनुते ब्रह्मज्यस्य
With eight feet, four eyes, four ears, four jaws, two mouths, and two tongues, she, the slayer of the Brahman, shakes the kingdom.
तद्वै राष्ट्रमा स्रवति नावं भिन्नामिवोदकम् । ब्रह्माणं यत्र हिंसन्ति तद्राष्ट्रं हन्ति दुछुना
That kingdom flows away like water from a broken boat; where the Brahman is harmed, that kingdom is destroyed by evil.
तं वृक्षा अप सेधन्ति छायां नो मोप गा इति । यो ब्राह्मणस्य सद्धनमभि नारद मन्यते
The trees drive him away, saying, 'Let not his shadow come near us,'—whoever covets the wealth of a Brahman, O Nārada.
विषमेतद्देवकृतं राजा वरुणोऽब्रवीत्। न ब्राह्मणस्य गां जग्ध्वा रास्त्रे जागार कश्चन
This is poison made by the gods, said King Varuṇa: No one who has eaten the cow of a Brahman ever prospers in the kingdom.