History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.387.2

v5.c71.s1.387.2

Śaṅkha provides²⁴⁶ that the killer of a cow should fast for 25 days and nights subsisting on pañcagavya, should tonsure his head together with the top-knot, should wear as an upper garment cow-hide and should follow cows, lie down in a cow-pen and donate a cow. Some of the smṛtis and digests declare that the penance differed according as the cow that was killed belonged to a learned brāhmaṇa or to a mere brāhmaṇa by caste, to a kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra For example, Devala (q. by Pr. V. p 202) states that if a cow belonging to a brāhmaṇa were killed, then the sinner should wear as upper garment that cow's hide for sıx months, should bring fodder for cows, should imitate cows, should subsist on barley gruel, should move among cows and then he becomes free fiom the sin. Śātātapa (q. by Pr V. p 203) states that one killing the cow of a vaiśya should subsist on pañcagavya for a month, should recite the Gomatī-vidyā²⁴⁷ and stay in a cowpen for a month. Viśvāmitra (Pr. V. p 203) says about the killer of a cow belonging to a śūdra that he should undergo four kṛcchras if he kills intentionally and two if unintentionally. The *Gomatī-vidyā* as quoted by Aparārka (p. 1102), the Madana-pārijāta (p. 862) and Pr T.