Matsya Purana 205: adhyāyaḥ 205

205.1

dhenudānavidhivarṇanam.
manuruvāca.
prasūyamānā dātavyā dhenurbrāhmaṇapuṅgave.
vidhinā kena dharmajña! dānaṃ dadyācca kiṃ phalam .. 205.1 ..

Manu said:—"O Knower of Dharma! pray tell me how under what prescribed rules should a calving cow be given to a Brāhmaṇa and what are the benefits of such a charity?"—1

Manu said — "O Knower of Dharma! pray tell me how under what prescribed rules should a calving cow be given to a Brāhmaṇa and what are the benefits of such a charity?"—1

205.2

matsya uvāca.
svarṇaśrṛṅgī raupyakhurāṃ muktālāḍgūlabhūṣitām.
kāṃsyopadohanāṃ rājan savatsāṃ dvijapuṅgave .. 205.2 ..

Matsya said — "King! Its horns should be covered with gold, hoofs with silver, tail end with pearls It should be given away along with her calf and utensils made of kânsâ, bell metal The giving away of such a cow begets immense good merits The cow is like the earth with its mountains forests &c, till it bears her calf in her womb One who gives it away at that time undoubtedly gets the benefits of having given away the land girt with four oceans.—2-5

205.3

prasūyamānāṃ gāṃ datvā mahatpuṇyaphalaṃ labhet.
yāvad vatso yonigato yāvad garbhaṃ na muñcati .. 205.3 ..

205.4

tāvadvai pṛthivī jñeyā saśailavanakānanā.
prasūyamānāṃ yo dadyāddhenuṃ draviṇasaṃyutām .. 205.4 ..

205.5

sasamudraguhā tena saśailavanakānanā.
caturantā bhaveddattā pṛthivī nātra saṃśayaḥ .. 205.5 ..

205.6

yāvanti dhenuromāṇi vatsyasya ca narādhipa.
tāvatsaṅkhyaṃ yugagaṇaṃ devaloke mahīyate .. 205.6 ..

O King! the donor remains in heaven with great respect for as many years as there are hairs on the body of the calf and the cow —6

205.7

pitṝn pitāmahāṃścaiva tathaiva prapitāmahān.
uddhariṣyatyasaṃdehānnarakād bhūridakṣiṇaḥ .. 205.7 ..

Lots of fees (gifts) should be paid in this case Thus the donor undoubtedly liberates his father grandfather and great-grandfather from hell He goes to the region where flow the rivers of clarified butter and milk and the land abounds with the mud of curds and milk and there are trees that give the desired fruits He easily gets access to Goloka and Brahmaloka —7-8

205.8

ghṛtakṣīravahāḥ kulyā dadhipāyasakardamāḥ.
yatra tatra gatistasya drumāścepsitakāmadāḥ .
golakaḥ sulabhastasya brahmalokaśca pārthiva .. 205.8 ..

205.9

striyaśca taṃ candrasamānavaktrāḥ prataptajāmbūnadatulyarūpāḥ.
mahānitambāstanuvṛttamadhyā bhajantyajasraṃ nalinābhanetrāḥ .. 205.8 ..

He gets a lady whose face is like the moon and whose colour is like burnished gold, her breasts are bloated, waist slender, and eyes are like lotus"—9