are the Future and the Past, and
Sacrifice rest on them. Morning and evening kine yield unto the Rishis, O
foremost of men, Havi for use in Homa, O thou of great effulgence. They
who make gift of kine succeed in transcending all sins which they may
have committed and all kinds of calamities into which they may fall, O
thou of great puissance. The man possessing ten kine and making a gift of
one cow, he possessing a hundred kine and making a gift of ten kine, and
he possessing a thousand kine and making a gift of a hundred kine, all
earn the same measure of merit. The man who, though possessed of hundred
kine, does not establish a domestic fire for daily worship, that man who
though possessed of a thousand kine does not perform sacrifices, and that
man who though possessed of wealth acts as a miser (by not making gift
and discharging the duties of hospitality), are all three regarded as not
worthy of any respect. Those men who make gift of Kapila kine with their
calves and with vessel of white brass for milking them,--kine, that is,
which are not vicious and which while given away, are wrapped round with
cloths,--succeed in conquering both this and the other world. Such
persons as succeed in making gift of a bull that is still in the prime of
youth, that has all its senses strong, and that may be regarded as the
foremost one among hundreds of herds, that has large horns adorned with
ornaments (of gold or silver), unto a Brahmana possessed of Vedic
learning, succeed, O scorcher of foes, in attaining to great prosperity
and affluence each time they take birth in the world. One should never go
to bed without reciting the names of kine. Nor should one rise from bed
in the morning without a similar recitation of the names of kine. Morning
and evening one should bend one's head in reverence to kine. As the
consequence of such acts, one is sure to attain to great prosperity. One
should never feel any repugnance for the urine and the dung of the cow.
One should never eat the flesh of kine. As the consequence of this, one
is sure to attain to great prosperity. One should always take the names
of kine. One should never show any disregard for kine in any way. If evil
dreams are seen, men should take the names of kine. One should always
bathe, using cow-dung at the time. One should sit on dried cowdung. One
should never cast one's urine and excreta and other secretions on
cowdung. One should never obstruct kine in any way. One should