History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c43.136

v3.c43.136

Most of the smṛtis highly extol the gift of a cow or cows. Manu IV. 231 states that the donor of a cow reaches the world of the Sun. Yāj. (I. 204–205), Agnipurāṇa 210. 30 prescribe that when making a gift of a cow, she should have the horns and hoofs tipped with gold and silver respectively, she should be accompanied with a bell metal vessel (for milking her) and she should be covered with cloth, she should be mild in temper and the gift should be accompanied with a money payment and that whoever makes such a gift stays in heaven for as many years as there are hair on the cow's body. Vide Saṁvarta verses 71, 74–75 also. In the Anuśāsana-parva²⁰⁴⁹ (51. 26–34 and chapters 77, 78 and 81) there are frequent eulogies of cows. Anuśāsana 57. 28–29 are just like Yāj. I. 204–205. Anuśāsana (83. 17–18) explains that the cow is a constituent element of sacrifice, that the cow nourishes men (with milk), that their progeny (the oxen) are useful in agriculture and therefore cows deserve the highest praise. Aparārka (p. 295–297) quotes numerous passages from the purāṇas eulogizing cows. Among cows kapilā is the best for gift (Anuśāsana 73. 42 and 77. 8). Anuśāsana (77. 10 ff) explains why the dark-brown cow (kapilā) is the best. Yāj. I. 205 states that if the cow donated is kapilā it saves (from sin) the donor's family up to seven generations (including himself). Aparārka p. 297 quotes Saṁvarta to the effect that the *kapilā* cow is equal to ten ordinary cows. The Varāhapurāṇa chap. 111 deals with the gift of a kapilā cow. The method of giving a cow is briefly as follows²⁰⁵⁰ (Hemādri, Dānakhaṇḍa p. 451 ff, Dānamayūkha pp. 185–186): The cow is made to stand facing the east together with her calf and is worshipped by the donor (after having bathed and tied his top-knot) who sits near the tail and the donee sits facing the north. The donor holds in his hand a vessel containing clarified butter in which a piece of gold is put. The tail of the cow is dipped into the butter and then taken out and placed into the right hand of the donee with the hair turned towards the east and also water, sesame and kuśa grass are placed in the donee's right hand. The donor holds in his hand a vessel full of water from which he sprinkles water with *paurāṇika* mantras, gives dakṣiṇā and then the cow starts with the donee and the donor follows them a few steps and repeats certain verses eulogizing cows. The Agnipurāṇa (210. 34) specially recommends that one who is at the door of death should make the gift of a cow (particularly a dark one) who would enable him to cross the blazing river in the world of Yama called Vaitaraṇī (and hence the cow is also called Vaitaraṇī).