स्वमेतदछायन्ति यद्वशां ब्राह्मणा अभि । यथैनान् अन्यस्मिन् जिनीयादेवास्या निरोधनम्
They seek their own, when the Brahmins approach the cow; as if another would conquer them, that is her restraint.
चरेदेवा त्रैहायणादविज्ञातगदा सती । वशां च विद्यान् नारद ब्राह्मणास्तर्ह्येष्याः
Let her move, unrecognized, for three years, bearing an unknown disease; O Narada, let the Brahmins know the cow, then she will come.
य एनामवशामाह देवानां निहितं निधिम् । उभौ तस्मै भवाशर्वौ परिक्रम्येषुमस्यतः
Whoever declares her, the cow, as the treasure placed for the gods, both Bhava and Sharva circle around him, aiming at him.
यो अस्या ऊधो न वेदाथो अस्या स्तनान् उत । उभयेनैवास्मै दुहे दातुं चेदशकद्वशाम्
Who does not know her udder or her teats, yet wishes to milk her, if he is able, he milks the cow with both.
दुरदभ्नैनमा शये याचितां च न दित्सति । नास्मै कामाः समृध्यन्ते यामदत्त्वा चिकीर्षति
He lies far from her, and does not give to the one who asks; his desires are not fulfilled, though he wishes to give after receiving.
देवा वशामयाचन् मुखं कृत्वा ब्राह्मणम् । तेषां सर्वेषामददद्धेडं न्येति मानुषः
The gods requested the cow, making the Brahmin her mouth; to all of them, he gave the cry 'heḍa', but the human did not.
{२०} हेडं पशूनां न्येति ब्राह्मणेभ्योऽददद्वशाम् । देवानां निहितं भागं मर्त्यश्चेन् निप्रियायते
He gave the cry 'heḍa' to the cattle, but gave the cow to the Brahmins; if a mortal appropriates the portion placed for the gods, he is not dear.
यदन्ये शतं याचेयुर्ब्राह्मणा गोपतिं वशाम् । अथैनां देवा अब्रुवन्न् एवं ह विदुषो वशा
If other Brahmins ask for a hundred cows from the master of cattle, then the gods said to her: 'Thus, the cow belongs to the wise.'
य एवं विदुषेऽदत्त्वाथान्येभ्यो ददद्वशाम् । दुर्गा तस्मा अधिष्ठाने पृथिवी सहदेवता
Who, not giving to the wise, gives the cow to others, upon him the earth with its deities establishes difficulties.
देवा वशामयाचन् यस्मिन्न् अग्रे अजायत । तामेतां विद्यान् नारदः सह देवैरुदाजत
The gods requested the cow, in whom she was first born; let Narada know her, together with the gods he raised her.
अनपत्यमल्पपशुं वशा कृणोति पूरुषम् । ब्राह्मणैश्च याचितामथैनां निप्रियायते
The cow makes a man without offspring and with few cattle; and when asked by Brahmins, she becomes not dear to him.
अग्नीषोमाभ्यां कामाय मित्राय वरुणाय च । तेभ्यो याचन्ति ब्राह्मणास्तेष्वा वृश्चतेऽददत्
For desire, to Agni and Soma, to Mitra and Varuna, the Brahmins ask; among them, he prospers who gives.
यावदस्या गोपतिर्नोपशृणुयादृचः स्वयम् । चरेदस्य तावद्गोषु नास्य श्रुत्वा गृहे वसेत्
As long as the master of cattle does not himself listen to the verse, let him wander among the cows; after hearing, he should not dwell in the house.
यो अस्या ऋच उपश्रुत्याथ गोष्वचीचरत्। आयुश्च तस्य भूतिं च देवा वृश्चन्ति हीडिताः
Who, having heard the verse, wanders among the cows, the gods, invoked, take away his life and prosperity.
वशा चरन्ती बहुधा देवानां निहितो निधिः । आविष्कृणुष्व रूपाणि यदा स्थाम जिघांसति
The cow, wandering in many ways, is the treasure placed for the gods; reveal your forms when the master intends to kill.
आविरात्मानं कृणुते यदा स्थाम जिघांसति । अथो ह ब्रह्मभ्यो वशा याञ्च्याय कृणुते मनः
She makes herself manifest when the master intends to kill; then she turns her mind to asking from the Brahmins.
{२१} मनसा सं कल्पयति तद्देवामपि गच्छति । ततो ह ब्रह्माणो वशामुपप्रयन्ति याचितुम्
With his mind he forms the intention, and thus he attains that very goddess; then indeed, the Brāhmaṇas come to her power to beg.
स्वधाकारेण पितृभ्यो यज्ञेन देवताभ्यः । दानेन राजन्यो वशाया मातुर्हेडं न गच्छति
By the rite of oblation to the ancestors, by sacrifice to the gods, and by giving gifts, the Kṣatriya approaches the power; but he does not incur his mother's reproach.
वशा माता राजन्यस्य तथा संभूतमग्रशः । तस्या आहुरनर्पणं यद्ब्रह्मभ्यः प्रदीयते
The cow is the mother of the Kṣatriya, thus she is born first; they say that what is given to the Brāhmaṇas from her is not to be withheld.
यथाज्यं प्रगृहीतमालुम्पेत्स्रुचो अग्नये । एवा ह ब्रह्मभ्यो वशामग्नय आ वृश्चतेऽददत्
Just as, having taken clarified butter, one offers it into the ladles for Agni, so indeed the fires draw forth the cow for the Brāhmaṇas, having given her.
पुरोडाशवत्सा सुदुघा लोकेऽस्मा उप तिष्ठति । सास्मै सर्वान् कामान् वशा प्रददुषे दुहे
Like a cake offered in sacrifice, the cow stands in this world as a good milker; she grants and yields to him all desires.
सर्वान् कामान् यमराज्ये वशा प्रददुषे दुहे । अथाहुर्नारकं लोकं निरुन्धानस्य याचिताम्
All desires in the realm of Yama the cow grants and yields; then they say, for one who withholds when asked, a hellish world is secured.
प्रवीयमाना चरति क्रुद्धा गोपतये वशा । वेहतं मा मन्यमानो मृत्योः पाशेषु बध्यताम्
Driven away, the cow moves about angrily for her master; thinking, 'Let him be bound in the nooses of death who drives her away.'
यो वेहतं मन्यमानोऽमा च पचते वशाम् । अप्यस्य पुत्रान् पौत्रांश्च याचयते बृहस्पतिः
Whoever, thinking he is driving her away, slaughters the cow or cooks her, Bṛhaspati himself may beg from him his sons and grandsons.
महदेषाव तपति चरन्ती गोषु गौरपि । अथो ह गोपतये वशाददुषे विषं दुहे
Great indeed is her heat, wandering among the cows, she is truly a cow; and so, for the master of the cows, from the cow they milk out poison.
प्रियं पशूनां भवति यद्ब्रह्मभ्यः प्रदीयते । अथो वशायास्तत्प्रियं यद्देवत्रा हविः स्यात्
What is given to the Brāhmaṇas becomes dear to the cattle; and so, for the cow, that is dear which, as an offering, is for the gods.
{२२} या वशा उदकल्पयन् देवा यज्ञादुदेत्य । तासां विलिप्त्यं भीमामुदाकुरुत नारदः
The cows which the gods prepared, arising from the sacrifice, Nārada made their ointment, terrible, from among them.
तां देवा अमीमांसन्त वशेया३ अवशेति । तामब्रवीन् नारद एषा वशानां वशतमेति
The gods considered her, 'Is she to be enjoyed or not to be enjoyed?' Nārada said to them, 'She is the most enjoyable among cows.'
कति नु वशा नारद यास्त्वं वेत्थ मनुष्यजाः । तास्त्वा पृच्छामि विद्वांसं कस्या नाश्नीयादब्राह्मणः
How many cows, O Nārada, born among men do you know? I ask you, O learned one, of which one should a non-Brāhmaṇa not eat?
विलिप्त्या बृहस्पते या च सूतवशा वशा । तस्या नाश्नीयादब्राह्मणो य आशंसेत भूत्याम्
Of the ointment-cow, O Bṛhaspati, and the charioteer's cow, a non-Brāhmaṇa should not eat, if he desires prosperity.