तन्न दत्तं त्वया राजन्स्तोकं मत्वा नराधिपः। श्वेत उवाच॥ अदत्तस्य च संभूतिर्यथा भवति मे गुरो
O King, you did not give that, thinking it was insignificant, O lord of men. Shveta said: And how does the result of what is not given arise, O my teacher?
वसिष्ठ त्वत्प्रसादेन तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः। वसिष्ठ उवाच॥ अस्त्येकं कारणं येन जायते नात्र संशयः
O Vasiṣṭha, by your grace, please tell me as I ask. Vasiṣṭha said: There is one cause by which it arises; there is no doubt about this.
तच्छृणुष्व नरव्याघ्र कथ्यमानं मया तव। आसीद्राजा पुरा कल्पे विनीताश्वेति कीर्तितः
Hear this from me, O tiger among men, as I tell it to you: In a former age, there was a king known as Vinītāśva.
स चाश्वमेधमारेभे यज्ञं कर्तुं वरं नृपः। यजनांते द्विजेंद्रेभ्यो दत्तं गोऽश्वादि याचितम्
That excellent king undertook an Aśvamedha sacrifice; at the end of the sacrifice, he gave cows, horses, and other things requested by the best of the twice-born.
नान्नं दत्तं तेन किंचित्स्वल्पं मत्वा यथा त्वया। ततः कालेन महता मृतोऽसौ जाह्नवी तटे
But he did not give any food at all, thinking it was insignificant, just as you did. After a long time, he died on the bank of the Jāhnavī.
मायापुर्यां विनीताश्वः सार्वभौमोऽभवन्नृपः। स्वर्गं च गतवान्सोऽपि यथा राजा भवान्प्रभो
In Māyāpurī, Vinītāśva became a universal sovereign, O King; and he too went to heaven, just as you, O lord, have.
असावपि क्षुधाविष्ट एवमेवागतोऽभवत्। मर्त्यलोके नदीतीरे गंगायां नीलपर्वते
But even he, seized by hunger, came to be in this very way—on earth, by the riverbank of the Gaṅgā, on the Nīla mountain.
विमानेनार्कवर्णेन भास्वता देववन्नृप। ददर्श तत्स्वकं देहं तथा स्वं च पुरोहितम्
In a radiant, sun-colored celestial chariot, shining like a god, O King, he saw his own body there, as well as his family priest.
होतारं ब्राह्मणं नाम यजंतं जाह्नवी तटे। तं दृष्ट्वाऽसावपि पुनः पर्यपृच्छदिद्वजोत्तमम्
He saw the priest, a brāhmaṇa named Hotā, performing a sacrifice on the bank of the Jāhnavī; seeing him, he too again questioned that best of twice-born.
क्षुधायाः कारणं राजन्स होता तमुवाच ह। तिलधेनुं च वै राजन्घृतधेनुं च सत्तम
O King, the priest told him the reason for his hunger: 'O best of kings, give a sesame-cow and a ghee-cow.'
जलधेनुं च धेनुं च रसधेनुं च पार्थिव। देहि शीघ्रं येन भवांस्तृट्क्षुधावर्जितो दिवि
'And give a water-cow, a milk-cow, and a juice-cow, O ruler of men, quickly, so that you may be freed from thirst and hunger in heaven.'
रमे तयावदादित्यस्तपते दिवि चंद्रमाः। एवमुक्तस्ततो राजा तं पुनः पृष्टवानिदम्
'As long as the sun shines in the sky and the moon in heaven, you will enjoy with her.' Thus addressed, the king again asked him this:
तिलधेनुस्थितिं ब्रूहि तथा कृत्वा ददाम्यहम्। पुरोहित उवाच॥ विधानं तिलधेनोस्तु तच्छृणुष्व नराधिप
'Tell me the procedure for the sesame-cow; having done so, I will give it.' The priest said: 'Hear the procedure for the sesame-cow, O lord of men.'
धेनुस्स्यात्षोडशाढक्य चतुर्भिर्वत्सको भवेत्। इक्षुदंडमयाः पादा दन्ताः पुष्पमयाः शुभाः
The cow should be of sixteen measures, with a calf of four; its legs made of sugarcane, its teeth beautifully made of flowers.
नासा गंधमयी तस्या जिह्वा गुडमयी तथा। पुच्छे स्रक्कल्पनीयास्याद्घंटाभरणभूषिता
Its nose should be made of fragrance, its tongue of jaggery; a garland should be fashioned for its tail, adorned with bell ornaments.
ईदृशीं कल्पयित्वा तु स्वर्णशृंगीं तु कल्पयेत्। रौप्यखुरां कांस्यदोहां पूर्वधेनुविधानतः
Having fashioned such a cow, one should make its horns of gold, its hooves of silver, its udder of bronze, according to the earlier procedure for the cow.
कृत्वा तां ब्राह्मणायाशु दापयेन्मंत्रतो नृप। स्थितां कृष्णाजिने धेनुं वासोभिर्गोपितां शुभाम्
Having made it thus, one should promptly give it to a brāhmaṇa, with mantras, O King—the cow placed on a black antelope skin, covered with cloths, auspicious.
सूत्रेणासूत्रितां कृत्वा पंचरत्नसमन्विताम्। सर्वौषधिसमायुक्तां मंत्रपूतां तु दापयेत्
Having tied it with a thread, endowed with five gems, and filled with all herbs, purified by mantras, it should be given.
अन्नम्मे जायतां सद्यः पानं सर्वरसास्तथा। कामान्संपादयास्माकं तिलधेनो द्विजेर्पिता
Let food be produced at once, and all kinds of drink as well; fulfill our desires, O sesame-cow, offered by the twice-born.
गृह्णामि देवि त्वां भक्त्या कुटुम्बार्थे विशेषतः। देहि कामान्वितान्सर्वांस्तिलधेनो नमोस्तु ते
O goddess, I receive you with devotion, especially for the sake of my family; grant all the desired wishes, O sesame-cow, I bow to you.
एवं विधानतो दत्ता तिलधेनुर्नृपोत्तम। सर्वकामसमावाप्तिं कुरुते नात्र संशयः
Thus, when the sesame-cow is given according to this procedure, O best of kings, it brings the attainment of all desires—of this there is no doubt.
जलधेनुस्तथैवेह कुंभैरेव प्रकल्पिता। दत्ता तु विधिना कामान्सद्यः सर्वान्प्रयच्छति
Similarly, the water-cow is here established with pots; when given according to the rite, it immediately bestows all desires.
धेनुशतं तथा दत्तं पूर्णिमा नियमेन हि। सावित्री इव वै स्वर्गे सर्वकामप्रदा भवेत्
Likewise, when a hundred cows are given on the full moon, according to rule, it becomes a bestower of all desires in heaven, like Sāvitrī herself.
घृतधेनुस्तथा दत्ता विधानेन विचक्षणैः। सर्वकामसमावाप्तिं कुरुते कांतिदा भवेत्
So too, when the ghee-cow is given by the wise according to the rite, it brings the attainment of all desires and grants radiance.
रसधेनुस्तथा दत्ता कार्तिके मासि पार्थिव। सर्वान्कामान्प्रयच्छेत्तु नित्यं सा गतिदा भवेत्
In the same way, when the juice-cow is given in the month of Kārtika, O king, it always grants all desires and becomes a giver of liberation.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं समासाद्बहुविस्तरम्। अपारं फलमुद्दिष्टं ब्रह्मणा सर्वकर्मणा
All this has been explained to you, both briefly and in detail; the boundless fruit has been declared by Brahmā for all actions.
तृष्णया क्षुधया यद्वा पीडितो राजसत्तम। तद्दानं कार्तिके देयं पूर्वं देहि नराधिप
Whatever is afflicted by thirst or hunger, O best of kings, that should be given as charity in Kārtika; give it first, O lord of men.
ब्रह्मांडं सर्वसंपन्नं भूतरत्नौषधीयुतम्। देवदानवयक्षैश्च युक्तमेतत्सदा विभो
The cosmic egg, endowed with all wealth, precious stones, and herbs, and always joined with gods, demons, and yakṣas—this, O mighty one.
एतत्तु सकलं कृत्वा सर्वतो रजतान्वितम्। सुरत्नसूर्यचंद्राढ्यं कार्तिके द्वादशी दिने
Having made all this, entirely adorned with silver on all sides, and filled with divine gems, the sun, and the moon, on the twelfth day of Kārtika—
अथवा पंचदश्यां तु कार्तिकस्यैव नान्यतः। पुरोहिताय गुरवे दापयेद्भक्तिमान्नरः
Or else, on the fifteenth day of Kārtika, and not otherwise, a devoted man should give it to his priest or teacher.