Gopalacampu 1.35.41

1.35.41

[36] śrī-kṛṣṇa uvāca,- sampraty asmākaṃ bahulāḥ pratyahaṃ saṃkhyādhikaya-pratyataḥ suṣṭhu bahulā jātāḥ | tāsām upa-nagara-vanaṃ kim upa-jīvanaṃ syāt ? gāvaś cāsmākaṃ kula-devya iti tā eva sevyatām arhanti | yadi vā mad-arthaṃ sarvaṃ bhavatām, māṃ vinā tu byartham iti samarthanīyam, tarhi ca mat-prāṇā eva tā iti tā eva prāṇanīyāḥ |

[36] Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, ‘Presently our cows have become exceedingly numerous due to their numbers increasing day by day. How could the forests bordering a city sustain them? Moreover, cows are our family deities, so they alone deserve to be served. Or, if it is maintained that everything of yours is for my sake, but without me it is useless, then indeed they are my very life-breaths, and so they must be kept alive.’