Matsya Purana 207: adhyāyaḥ 207

207.1

vṛṣotsargavidhivarṇanam.
manuruvāca.
bhagavaṃcchrotumicchāmi vṛṣabhasya ca lakṣaṇam.
vṛṣotsargavidhiñcaiva tathā puṇyaphalaṃ mahat .. 207.1 ..

Manu said —"Lord! I am desirous of knowing the qualities of a bull that ought to be set at liberty as mentioned in the previous chapters as well as the great merits resulting therefrom. Pray also tell me the ways of performing Vṛṣotsarga"—1

207.2

matsya uvāca.
dhenumādau parīkṣeta suśīlāñca guṇānvitām.
avyaṅgāmaparikliṣṭāṃ jīvavatsāmarogiṇīm .. 207.2 ..

Matsya said —'King! first of all the cow is to be examined, there should be a cow of gentle temper free from ailment and disease, strong of nice colour, having beautiful hoofs and horns, well built, of middle height, giving good milk having curls on the body (especially curls turning to the left on the right side and turning to the right on the left side having all the lucky signs, with extensive thighs, red lips neck and tongue, with eyes clear and beautiful (not red or having many hair) and hoofs large, having eyes of the lustre of Vaidûrya, with lovely eye corners, having seven and seven teeth and bright palate with lovely sides and thighs with six parts elevated, five parts level and eight parts capacious and wide A cow having these qualifications is said to have auspicious signs"—2 8

207.3

snigdhavarṇāṃ snigdhakhurāṃ snigdha śrṛṅgīṃ tathaiva ca.
manoharākṛtiṃ saumyāṃ supramāṇāmanuddhatām .. 207.3 ..

207.4

āvartairdakṣiṇāvartairyuktāṃ dakṣiṇatastathā.
vāmāvartairvāmataśca vistīrṇa jaghanāṃ tathā .. 207.4 ..

207.5

mṛdusaṃhatatāmroṣṭhīṃ raktagrīvāsuśobhitām.
aśyāmadīrghāsphuṭitā raktajihvā tathā ca yā .. 207.5 ..

207.6

visrāvāmalanetrā ca śaphairaviralairdṛr̤haiḥ.
vaidūryamadhuvarṇaiśca jalabudbudasannibhaiḥ .. 207.6 ..

207.7

raktasnigdhaiśca nayanaistathā raktakanīnikaiḥ.
sapta caturdaśadantā ca tathā vā śyāmatālukā .. 207.7 ..

207.8

ṣaḍunnatā supārśvoruḥ pṛthupañcasamāyatā.
aṣṭāyataśirogrīvā yā rājan! sā sulakṣaṇā .. 207.8 ..

207.9

manuruvāca.
ṣaḍunnatāḥ ke bhagavan! ke ca pañcasamāyatāḥ.
āyātāśca tathaivāṣṭau dhenūnāṅke śubhāvahāḥ .. 207.9 ..

Manu said —"Which six parts should be elevated? which five parts should be level? and which eight parts are to be capacious and wide?"—9

207.10

matsya uvāca.
uraḥ pṛṣṭhaṃ śiraḥ kukṣī śroṇī ca vasudhādhipa!.
ṣaḍunnatāni dhenūnāṃ pūjayanti vicakṣaṇāḥ .. 207.10 ..

Matsya said —'The following six parts of the cow's body should be elevated, *viz*—chest, back, head, belly, loins."—10

207.11

karṇau netre lalāṭañca pañcabhāskaranandana!.
samāyatāni śasyante pucchaṃ sāsnā ca sakthinī .. 207.11 ..

"A cow with the following level parts of the body is said to be a fine one *viz*—ears, eyes forehead, and the following eight parts should capacious viz.,—tail dewlap, udders, thighs, and extensive head and neck are also desirable—11-12

207.12

catvāraścastanā rājan! jñeyā hyaṣṭau manīṣibhiḥ.
śirogrīvāyatāścaite bhūmipāla! daśasmṛtāḥ .. 207.12 ..

207.13

tasyāḥ sutaṃ parīkṣeta vṛṣabhaṃ lakṣaṇānvitam.
unnataskandhakakudaṃ ṛjulāṅgūlakambalam .. 207.13 ..

The calf of such a cow should be also examined It should have also auspicious signs It should have elevated shoulders and hump, with a soft and straight tail, having tender cheeks, broad back, eyes shining like Vaidûryagem, sharp horns, and long and thick hairs on the tail having nine, nine, i e eighteen nice teeth and eyes like Atallikâ flowers If such a fine bull is set free, it increases the domestic pelf—13 15

207.14

mahākaṭitaṭaskandhaṃ vaiḍhūryamaṇilocanam.
pravālagarbhaśrṛṅgāgraṃ sudīrgha pṛthubāladhim .. 207.14 ..

207.15

navāṣṭādaśasaṅkhyairvā tīkṣṇāgrairdarśanaiḥ śubhaiḥ.
mallikākṣaśca moktavyo gṛhe'pi dhanadhānyadaḥ .. 207.15 ..

207.16

varṇatastāmrakapilo brāhmaṇasya praśasyate.
śvetoraktaśca kṛṣṇaśca gauraḥ pāṭaka eva ca .. 207.16 ..

The Brâhmaṇas should set free the following class of bulls, viz—red tawny or reddish, white or black in colour, tawny reddish back, of variegated colours, with long ears and shoulders with glossy hair, red eyes or having nutbrown colour near the horns with white stomach or black sides The Kshatriyas should set free a bull of red and beautiful colour, the Vaiśyas of golden colour and the Śudras of black colour The bull with its horns pointing forward towards the eyebrows, ought to be set free by men of all classes The bull having its feet like those of the white cat, with tawny or reddish in colour, with eyes shining like a jewel having white feet or with only two feet white, or of the colour of a pigeon or a partridge, is also said to be a good one It is called Karat—16 22

207.17

śrṛṅgiṇastāmrapṛṣṭhaśca śabalaḥ pañcabālakaiḥ.
pṛthukarṇau mahāskandhaḥ ślakṣṇaromā ca yo bhavet
raktākṣaḥ kapilo yaśca raktaśrṛṅgatalo bhavet .. 207.17 ..

207.18

śvetodaraḥ kṛṣṇapārśvo brāhmaṇasya tu śasyate.
snigdhā raktena varṇena kṣatriyasya praśasyate .. 207.18 ..

207.19

kācanābhena vaiśyasya kṛṣṇenāpyantyajanmanaḥ.
yasya prāgāyate śṛṅge bhrūmukhābhimukhe sadā .. 207.19 ..

207.20

sarveṣāmeva varṇānāṃ sarvaḥ sarvārthasādhakaḥ.
mārjārapādaḥ kapilo dhanyaḥ kapila piṅgalaḥ .. 207.20 ..

207.21

śveto mārjārapādastu dhanyo maṇi nibhekṣaṇaḥ.
karaṭaḥ piṅgalaścaiva śvetapādastathaiva ca .. 207.21 ..

207.22

sarvāpādasito yaśca dvipādaḥ satya eva ca.
kapiñjalanibho dhanyastathā tittirisannibhaḥ .. 207.22 ..

207.23

ākarṇamūlaśvetantu mukhaṃ yasya prakāśate.
nandīmukhaḥ sa vijñeyo raktavarṇo viśeṣataḥ .. 207.23 ..

The bull whose face is white or reddish up to the ears and whose body is especially of red colour is called Nandîmukha cow—23

207.24

śvetantu jaṭharaṃ yasya bhavet pṛṣṭhaṃ ca gopateḥ.
vṛṣabhaḥ sa samudrākhyaḥ satataṃ kulavardhanaḥ .. 207.24 ..

The bull whose stomach and back are white is called Samudra and increases the progeny of the family The bull of the colour of jasmin or having variegated circular spots is considered to increase the wealth of the donor—24 25

207.25

mallikāpuṣpacitraśca dhanyo bhavati puṅgavaḥ.
kamalairmaṇḍalaiścāpi citro bhavati bhāgyadaḥ .. 207.25 ..

207.26

atasīpuṣpavarṇaśca tathā dhanyataraḥ smṛtaḥ.
ete dhanyāstathā dhanyān kīrtayiṣyāmi te nṛpa! .. 207.26 ..

The bull having circles like lotus increase the fortune, the one of the colour of Atasî flower increases prosperity All these kinds of bulls are good Now I shall tell you the kinds of bulls that are of bad signs and should neither be set at liberty nor kept in the house Those are the bulls that have black palate lips and mouth, and rugged horns and hoofs indistinct colour, mouth resembling that of a wolf or a tiger, and colour, like that of a crow, vulture or a form like that of a rat, weak, having no teeth squint eyed, one-eyed, lame, with half of the white feet, and having restive eyes—26 29

207.27

kṛṣṇa tālvoṣṭhavadanā rūkṣaśrṛṅga śaphāśca ye.
avyaktavarṇa hrasvāśca vyāghrasiṃha-nibhāśca ye.. 207.27 ..

207.28

dhvāṅkṣa gṛdhra savarṇāśca tathā mūṣakasannibhāḥ.
kuṇṭhāḥ kāṇāstathā khañjāḥ kekarākṣāstathaiva ca .. 207.28 ..

207.29

viṣamaśvetapādāśca udbhrāntanayanāstathā.
naite vṛṣāḥ pramoktavyā na ca dhāryāstathā gṛhe .. 207.29 ..

207.30

moktavyānāñca dhāryāṇāṃ teṣāṃ vakṣyāmi lakṣaṇam.
svastikākāraśrṛṅgāśca tathā meghaughanisvanāḥ .. 207.30 ..

I shall also tell you the kind of bulls that ought to be set at liberty or kept in the household Those should be well built, roaring like the thunder clouds high in stature walking like an infuriated elephant, with broad chest and very powerful—30 31

207.31

mahāpramāṇāśca tathā mattamātaṅgagāminaḥ.
mahoraskā mahocchrāyā mahābalaparākramāḥ .. 207.31 ..

207.32

śiraḥ karṇau lalāṭañca bāladhiścaraṇāstathā.
netre pārśve ca kṛṣṇāni śasyante candrabhāsinām .. 207.32 ..

The white bull having its head, ears, forehead, tuft of hair at the tail end, feet and eyes black, is described to be very excellent,—32

207.33

śvetānyetāni śasyante kṛṣṇasya tu viśeṣataḥ.
bhūmau karṣati lāṅgūlaṃ pralambasthūlabāladhīḥ .. 207.33 ..

Similarly a black bull having all those things white is said to be the same The bull whose tuft of hair at the tail end may be long enough touching the ground, and the hairs of the tail long and thick, such a Nîla bull is said to be specially good The bulls having the signs of a pearl, a banner, etc, are exceptionally good They are the givers of wonderful Siddhis and victory The bulls when obstructed in their motion stop, and whose head and neck are elevated, are excellent. Those that have their forepart of the horns and the eyes red, body white, hoofs resplendent like coral, are said to be the best of all These are to be kept in the house or set at liberty These increase grains and wealth The bulls should always be examined before being set at liberty or kept in the household The bull whose four feet, face and tail are white, and whose colour is red like the juice of lac or red dye is known as Nīla vṛiṣabha It should be set free, it should never be kept in the household It is a saying amongst the household that one should desire many sons for even if one son out of a many goes to Gayā or offers a Gaurī (virgin) or sets a Nīla Vṛiṣabha at liberty his family is blessed—33-41

207.34

purastādudyato nīlo vṛṣabhaśca praśasyate.
śaktidhvajapatākāḍhyā yeṣāṃ rājī virājate .. 207.34 ..

207.35

anaḍvāhastu te dhanyāścitrasiddhijayāvahāḥ.
pradakṣiṇaṃ nivartante svayaṃ ye vinivartitāḥ .. 207.35 ..

207.36

samunnataśirogrīvā dhanyāste yūthavarddhanāḥ.
raktaśrṛṅgāgranayanaḥ śvetavarṇo bhavedyadi .. 207.36 ..

207.37

śaphaiḥ pravālasadṛśairnāsti dhanyatarastataḥ.
ete dhāryyāḥ prayatnena moktavyā yadi vā vṛṣāḥ.. 207.37 ..

207.38

dhāritāśca tathā muktā dhanadhānyapravarddhanāḥ.
caraṇāni mukhaṃ pucchaṃ yasya śvetāni gopateḥ .. 207.38 ..

207.39

lākṣārasa-savarṇaśca taṃ nīlamiti nirdiśet.
vṛṣa eṣa sa moktavyo na sandhāryo gṛhe bhavet .. 207.39 ..

207.40

tadarthameṣā carati loke gāthā purātanī.
eṣṭavyā bahavaḥ putrā yadyeko'pi gayāṃ vrajet .. 207.40 ..

207.41

gaurīñcāpyudvahetkanyāṃ nīlaṃ vā vṛṣamutsṛjet .. 207.41 ..

207.42

evaṃ vṛṣaṃ lakṣaṇasaṃprayuktaṃ gṛhodbhavaṃ krītamathāpi rājan!
muktā na śocenmaraṇaṃ mahātmā mokṣaṃ gataścāhamato'bhidhāsye .. 207.42 ..

King! the qualities of the bulls have thus been described One who sets at liberty such a bull as described heretofore, should not worry himself about sorrow or death He is bound to attain emancipation"—42