The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 13.81: ekāśītitamo'dhyāyaḥ

13.81.1

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
mayā gavāṃ purīṣaṃ vai śriyā juṣṭamiti śrutam |
etadicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ saṃśayo'tra hi me mahān || 1 ||

"Yudhishthira said, 'I have heard that the dung of the cow is endued with Sree. I desire to hear how this has been brought about. I have doubts, O grandsire, which thou shouldst dispel.'

13.81.2

bhīṣma uvāca |
atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam |
gobhirnṛpeha saṃvādaṃ śriyā bharatasattama || 2 ||

"Bhishma said, 'In this connection is cited the old story, O monarch, of the conversation between kine and Sree, O best of the Bharatas! Once on a time the goddess Sree, assuming a very beautiful form, entered a herd of kine. The kine, beholding her wealth of beauty, became filled with wonder.'

13.81.3

śrīḥ kṛtveha vapuḥ kāntaṃ gomadhyaṃ praviveśa ha |
gāvo'tha vismitāstasyā dṛṣṭvā rūpasya saṃpadam || 3 ||

13.81.4

gāva ūcuḥ |
kāsi devi kuto vā tvaṃ rūpeṇāpratimā bhuvi |
vismitāḥ sma mahābhāge tava rūpasya saṃpadā || 4 ||

"The kine said, 'Who art thou, O goddess? Whence hast thou become unrivalled on earth for beauty? O highly blessed goddess, we have been filled with wonder at thy wealth of beauty. We desire to know who thou art. Who, indeed, art thou? Whither wilt thou proceed? O thou of very superior splendour of complexion, do tell us in detail all we wish to know.'

13.81.5

icchāmastvāṃ vayaṃ jñātuṃ kā tvaṃ kva ca gamiṣyasi |
tattvena ca suvarṇābhe sarvametadbravīhi naḥ || 5 ||

13.81.6

śrīruvāca |
lokakāntāsmi bhadraṃ vaḥ śrīrnāmneha pariśrutā |
mayā daityāḥ parityaktā vinaṣṭāḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ || 6 ||

"Sri said, 'Blessed be ye, I am dear unto all creatures. Indeed, I am known by the name of Sri. Forsaken by me, the Daityas have been lost for ever. The deities, viz., Indra, Vivaswat, Soma, Vishnu, Varuna, and Agni, having obtained me, are sporting in joy and will do so for ever. Verily, the Rishis and the deities, only when they are endued with me, have success. Ye kine, those beings meet with destruction into whom I do not enter. Religion, wealth, and pleasure, only when endued with me, become sources of happiness. Ye kine who are givers of happiness, know that I am possessed of even such energy! I wish to always reside in every one of you. Repairing to your presence, I solicit you. Be all of you endued with Sri.

13.81.7

indro vivasvānsomaśca viṣṇurāpo'gnireva ca |
mayābhipannā ṛdhyante ṛṣayo devatāstathā || 7 ||

13.81.8

yāṃśca dviṣāmyahaṃ gāvaste vinaśyanti sarvaśaḥ |
dharmārthakāmahīnāśca te bhavantyasukhānvitāḥ || 8 ||

13.81.9

evaṃprabhāvāṃ māṃ gāvo vijānīta sukhapradām |
icchāmi cāpi yuṣmāsu vastuṃ sarvāsu nityadā |
āgatā prārthayānāhaṃ śrījuṣṭā bhavatānaghāḥ || 9 ||

13.81.10

gāva ūcuḥ |
adhruvāṃ cañcalāṃ ca tvāṃ sāmānyāṃ bahubhiḥ saha |
na tvāmicchāmi bhadraṃ te gamyatāṃ yatra rocate || 10 ||

"The kine said, 'Thou art fickle and restless. Thou sufferest thyself to be enjoyed by many persons. We do not desire to have thee. Blessed be thou, go wheresoever thou pleasest. As regards ourselves, all of us are possessed of good forms. What need have we with thee? Go wheresoever thou likest. Thou hast already (by answering our questions) gratified us exceedingly.'

13.81.11

vapuṣmantyo vayaṃ sarvāḥ kimasmākaṃ tvayādya vai |
yatreṣṭaṃ gamyatāṃ tatra kṛtakāryā vayaṃ tvayā || 11 ||

13.81.12

śrīruvāca |
kimetadvaḥ kṣamaṃ gāvo yanmāṃ nehābhyanandatha |
na māṃ saṃprati gṛhṇītha kasmādvai durlabhāṃ satīm || 12 ||

"Sri said, 'Is it proper with you, ye kine that you do not welcome me? I am difficult of being attained. Why then do you not accept me? It seems, ye creatures of excellent vows, that the popular proverb is true, viz., that it is certain that when one come to another of one's own accord and without being sought, one meets with disregard. The Gods, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the Uragas, the Rakshasas and human beings succeed in obtaining me only after undergoing the severest austerities. You who have such energy, do ye take me. Ye amiable ones, I am never disregarded by any one in the three worlds of mobile and immobile creatures.'

13.81.13

satyaśca lokavādo'yaṃ loke carati suvratāḥ |
svayaṃ prāpte paribhavo bhavatīti viniścayaḥ || 13 ||

13.81.14

mahadugraṃ tapaḥ kṛtvā māṃ niṣevanti mānavāḥ |
devadānavagandharvāḥ piśācoragarākṣasāḥ || 14 ||

13.81.15

kṣamametaddhi vo gāvaḥ pratigṛhṇīta māmiha |
nāvamanyā hyahaṃ saumyāstrailokye sacarācare || 15 ||

13.81.16

gāva ūcuḥ |
nāvamanyāmahe devi na tvāṃ paribhavāmahe |
adhruvā calacittāsi tatastvāṃ varjayāmahe || 16 ||

"The kine said, 'We do not disregard thee, O goddess. We do not show thee a slight! Thou art fickle and of a very restless heart. It is for this only that we take leave of thee. What need of much talk? Do thou go wheresoever thou choosest. All of us are endued with excellent forms. What need have we with thee, O sinless one?'

13.81.17

bahunātra kimuktena gamyatāṃ yatra vāñchasi |
vapuṣmatyo vayaṃ sarvāḥ kimasmākaṃ tvayānaghe || 17 ||

13.81.18

śrīruvāca |
avajñātā bhaviṣyāmi sarvalokeṣu mānadāḥ |
pratyākhyānena yuṣmābhiḥ prasādaḥ kriyatāmiti || 18 ||

"Sri said, 'Ye givers of honours, cast off by you in this way, I shall certainly be an object of disregard with all the world. Do ye show me grace. Ye are all highly blessed. Ye are ever ready to grant protection unto those that seek your protection. I have come to you soliciting your protection. I have no fault. Do you rescue me (from this situation). Know that I shall always be devoted to you. I am desirous of residing in any parts, however repulsive, of your bodies. Indeed, I wish to reside in even your rectum. Ye sinless ones, I do not see that ye have any part in your bodies that may be regarded as repulsive, for ye are sacred, and sanctifying, and highly blessed. Do ye, however, grant my prayer. Do ye tell me in which part, of your bodies I shall take up my residence.'

13.81.19

mahābhāgā bhavatyo vai śaraṇyāḥ śaraṇāgatām |
paritrāyantu māṃ nityaṃ bhajamānāmaninditām |
mānanāṃ tvahamicchāmi bhavatyaḥ satataṃ śubhāḥ || 19 ||

13.81.20

apyekāṅge tu vo vastumicchāmi ca sukutsite |
na vo'sti kutsitaṃ kiṃcidaṅgeṣvālakṣyate'naghāḥ || 20 ||

13.81.21

puṇyāḥ pavitrāḥ subhagā mamādeśaṃ prayacchata |
vaseyaṃ yatra cāṅge'haṃ tanme vyākhyātumarhatha || 21 ||

13.81.22

bhīṣma uvāca |
evamuktāstu tā gāvaḥ śubhāḥ karuṇavatsalāḥ |
saṃmantrya sahitāḥ sarvāḥ śriyamūcurnarādhipa || 22 ||

"Bhishma continued, 'Thus addressed by Sri, the kine, always auspicious and inclined to kindness unto all who are devoted to them, took counsel with one another, and then addressing Sri, and unto her, O king, these words.'

13.81.23

avaśyaṃ mānanā kāryā tavāsmābhiryaśasvini |
śakṛnmūtre nivasa naḥ puṇyametaddhi naḥ śubhe || 23 ||

"The kine said, 'O thou of great fame, it is certainly desirable that we should honour thee. Do thou live in our urine and dung. Both these are sacred, O auspicious goddess!

13.81.24

śrīruvāca |
diṣṭyā prasādo yuṣmābhiḥ kṛto me'nugrahātmakaḥ |
evaṃ bhavatu bhadraṃ vaḥ pūjitāsmi sukhapradāḥ || 24 ||

"Sri said, 'By good luck, ye have shown me much grace implying your desire to favour me. Let it be even as ye say! Blessed be ye all, I have really been honoured by you, ye givers of happiness!

13.81.25

bhīṣma uvāca |
evaṃ kṛtvā tu samayaṃ śrīrgobhiḥ saha bhārata |
paśyantīnāṃ tatastāsāṃ tatraivāntaradhīyata || 25 ||

"Bhishma continued, 'Having, O Bharata, made this compact with the kine, Sri, there and then, in the very sight of those kine, rendered herself invisible. I have thus told thee, O son, the glory of the dung of kine, I shall once again discourse to thee on the glory of kine. Do thou listen to me."

13.81.26

etadgośakṛtaḥ putra māhātmyaṃ te'nuvarṇitam |
māhātmyaṃ ca gavāṃ bhūyaḥ śrūyatāṃ gadato mama || 26 ||