अमूषु पूजयेद्यस्तु सितैश्चित्रादिभिर्नरः। कज्जलैः कुसुमैस्तैलैः सोक्षयं स्वर्गमश्नुते
Whoever worships cows on these occasions with white and colorful substances, with lampblack, flowers, and oils, attains heaven without decay.
घासमुष्टिं परगवे यो ददाति सदाह्निकम्। सर्वपापक्षयस्यस्य स्वर्गं चाक्षयमश्नुते
Whoever daily gives a handful of grass to another's cow, attains the destruction of all sins and enjoys eternal heaven.
यथा विप्रस्तथा गौश्च द्वयोः पूजाफलं समम्। विचारे ब्राह्मणो मुख्यो नृणां गावः पशौ तथा
Just as the priest, so too the cow; the fruit of worship is equal for both. In consideration, the Brahmin is chief among men, and the cow among animals.
नारद उवाच-। विप्रो ब्रह्ममुखे जातः कथितो मे त्वयानघ। कथं गोभिः समो नाथ विस्मयो मे विधे ध्रुवम्
Narada said: O sinless one, you have told me that the priest was born from the mouth of Brahma; how is it that cows are equal to him, O Lord? Surely, I am amazed.
ब्रह्मोवाच-। शृणु चात्र यथातथ्यं ब्राह्मणानां गवां यथा। एकपिंडक्रियैक्यं तु पुरुषैर्निर्मितं पुरा
Brahma said: Listen here to the truth about the unity of priests and cows; the ritual of offering a single lump was established by men in ancient times.
पुरा ब्रह्ममुखोद्भूतं कूटं तेजोमयं महत्। चतुर्भागप्रजातं तद्वेदोग्निर्गौर्द्विजस्तथा
In ancient times, a great mass, radiant and born from Brahma's mouth, appeared; from its four parts arose the Veda, fire, cow, and priest.
प्राक्तेजः संभवो वेदो वह्निरेव तथैव च। परतो गौस्तथा विप्रो जातश्चैव पृथक्पृथक्
First, the Veda and fire arose from the mass of energy; afterwards, separately, the cow and the priest were born.
तत्र सृष्टा मया चादौ वेदाश्चत्वार एकशः। स्थित्यर्थं सर्वलोकानां भुवनानां समंततः
There, I created the four Vedas, each individually, at the beginning, for the maintenance of all worlds and realms everywhere.
अग्निर्हव्यानि भुंजीत देवहेतोस्तथा द्विजः। आज्यं गोप्रभवं विद्धि तस्मादेते प्रसूतकाः
Fire consumes offerings for the gods, and so too does the priest; know that clarified butter comes from the cow, and thus these are all produced from her.
न संति यदि लोकेषु चत्वारोमी महत्तराः। तदाखिलं च भुवनं नष्टं स्थावरजंगमम्
If these four great sources do not exist in the worlds, then all realms, both immobile and mobile, are destroyed.
एभिर्धृताः सदा लोकाः प्रतिष्ठंति स्वभावतः। स्वभावो ब्रह्मरूपोसावेते ब्रह्ममयाः स्मृताः
Supported by these, the worlds always remain established by their own nature; this nature is of the form of Brahman, and these are remembered as pervaded by Brahman.
तस्माद्गौः पूजनीयोसौ विप्र देवासुरैरपि। उदारः सर्वकार्येषु जातस्तथ्यो गुणाकरः
Therefore, the cow is to be worshipped, even by Brahmins, gods, and asuras; she is noble, born for all purposes, true, and a repository of virtues.
सर्वदेवमयः साक्षात्सर्वसत्वानुकंपकः। अस्य कार्यं मया सृष्टं पुरैव पोषणं प्रति
She is verily composed of all the gods, directly compassionate to all beings; her purpose was created by me long ago, indeed for nourishment.
अतएव मया दत्तं वरं चातिसुशोभनम्। एकजन्मनि ते मोक्षस्तवास्त्विति विनिश्चितम्
Therefore, I have granted a most excellent boon: it is certain that you shall attain liberation in a single birth.
अत्रैव ये मृता गावस्त्वागच्छंति ममालयम्। पापस्य कणमात्रं तु तेषां देहेन तिष्ठति
Here itself, those cows who die come to my abode; only a particle of sin remains in their bodies.
देवी गौर्धेनुका देवाश्चादिदेवी त्रिशक्तिका। प्रसादाद्यस्य यज्ञानां प्रभवो हि विनिश्चितः
The goddess is Gauri, the cow is Dhenuka, and the gods are the primeval goddess of triple power; by her grace, the origin of sacrifices is indeed established.
गवां सर्वपवित्राणि पुनंति सकलं जगत्। मूत्रं गोर्गोमयं क्षीरं दधिसर्पिस्तथैव च
All the purifying substances of cows sanctify the entire world: their urine, dung, milk, curd, and ghee as well.
अमीषां भक्षणे पापं न तिष्ठति कलेवरे। तस्माद्घृतं दधि क्षीरं नित्यं खादंति धार्मिकाः
By consuming these, sin does not remain in the body; therefore, the righteous always eat ghee, curd, and milk.
विशिष्टं सर्वद्रव्येषु गव्यमिष्टं परं शुभम्। यस्यास्ये भोजनं नास्ति तस्य मूर्तिस्तु पूतिका
Among all substances, those from the cow are especially esteemed and supremely pure; one who does not partake of her food has a foul body.
अन्नाद्यं पंचरात्रेण सप्तरात्रेण वै पयः। दधि विंशतिरात्रेण घृतं स्यान्मासमेककम्
Food and drink are digested in five nights, milk in seven nights, curd in twenty nights, and ghee in one month.
अगव्यैर्यस्तु भुंक्ते वै मासमेकं निरंतरम्। भोजने तस्य मर्त्यस्य प्रेताः खादंति चैव हि
But whoever eats non-cow products continuously for one month, for that mortal, the spirits indeed consume his food.
परमान्नं परं शुद्धं स्विन्नं चातपतण्डुलैः। भुक्त्वा तु यत्कृतं पुण्यं कोटिकोटिगुणं भवेत्
The highest food, supremely pure, cooked with well-washed rice—by eating this, the merit gained becomes multiplied by crores upon crores.
अन्यच्चापि च यद्द्रव्यं हविष्यं शास्त्रनिर्मितम्। तद्भुक्तवा यत्कृतं कर्म सर्वं लक्षगुणं भवेत्
And whatever other substance is prescribed by scripture as an offering—by eating that, all actions performed yield a hundred thousand times the merit.
निरामिषं च यत्किंचित्तस्माद्यद्यत्फलं लभेत्। तस्माद्गौः सर्वकार्येषु शस्त एको युगेयुगे
Whatever result is obtained from any non-animal food, from that alone—therefore, the cow alone is praiseworthy in all acts, in every age.
सर्वदा सर्वकामेषु धर्मकामार्थमोक्षदः। नारद उवाच-। केषु किं वा प्रयोगेण परं पुण्यं प्रकीर्तितं
Always, in all desires, she grants dharma, desire, wealth, and liberation. Narada said: In what acts, and by what means, is the highest merit declared?
वद तत्सर्वलोकेश यथा जानामि तत्वतः। ब्रह्मोवाच। सकृत्प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा गोधनं चाभिवंदयेत्
Tell me that, O Lord of all worlds, so that I may know it truly. Brahma said: By making a single circumambulation and bowing to the herd of cows—
सर्वपापैर्विनिर्मुक्तः स्वर्गं चाक्षयमश्नुते। सुराचार्यो यथा वंद्यः पूज्योसौ माधवो यथा
One becomes freed from all sins and attains imperishable heaven; just as the teacher of the gods is to be revered, just as Madhava is to be worshipped.
सप्तप्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा चैश्वर्यात्पाकशासनः। कल्य उत्थाय गोमध्ये पात्रं गृह्य सहोदकम्
By making seven circumambulations, one attains the lordship of wealth; rising early, taking a vessel with water, and standing among the cows—
निषिंचेद्यो गवां शृंगं मस्तकेनैव तज्जलम्। प्रतीच्छेत निराहारस्तस्य पुण्यं निबोधत
He who, with his own head, receives the water that drips from a cow's horn and accepts it while fasting—know the merit that accrues to him.
श्रूयंते यानि तीर्थानि त्रिषु लोकेषु नारद। सिद्धचारणयुक्तानि सेवितानि महर्षिभिः
O Nārada, all the sacred bathing places that are renowned in the three worlds, frequented by perfected beings and celestial sages, and visited by great seers—