History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.387.1

v5.c71.s1.387.1

*Govadha* stands at the head of upapātakas in Manu, Yāj., the Agnipurāṇa (168 29-37). Several smṛtis provide different penances for the sin of killing a cow. Gaut. 22. 18 prescribes²⁴⁴ the same penance for *govadha* as for killing a vaiśya (Gaut. 22. 15) viz. staying for three years in a forest, subsisting on alms, observing celibacy and donating one hundred cows together with a bull. In Āp. Dh. S. I. 9. 26. 1 for killing a milch cow or a full grown ox the penance is said to be the same as for killing a śūdra Vas. 21. 18 provides that if a man kills a cow he should cover himself with the raw hide of the cow (that is killed) and should observe Kṛcchra or Atikṛcchra for six months. Manu ²⁴⁵ XI. 108-116, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 50. 16-24, Saṃvarta 130-135, Parāśara VIII. 31-41 (q. in Smṛtimuktāphala p. 875, prāyaścitta section) prescribe elaborate observances as penances for *govadha* Yāj. (III. 263-264) provides four separate prāyaścittas, viz (1) the killer of a cow should control his senses for a month, should subsist on *pañcagavya* (cow's urine, cow-dung, milk, curds and ghee), should sleep in a cowpen, should follow the cows so penned (by day) and at the end of a month donate a cow; (2) or he should perform Kṛcchra penance while sleeping in a cow-pen and following cows by day; (3) or should perform an *atikṛcchra* in the same way; (4) or should fast for three days and donate ten cows together with one bull.