January Month

From Gavopaniñada

Saudäsa uväca

trailakya bhagavan kinsvit

pavitram kathyate’ nagha
yat kirtayan sadä martyaù
präpnuyät punyam uttamam

Saudasa said, “O my lord! O sinless sage, what is that pure

object within the three worlds that simply by taking its
name, human beings can accumulate great piety?”

Vaistha uvaca

Text One

gävaù surabhi gandhinyas

tathä guggulu gandhayaù
gävaù pratiñöhä bhütänäà
gävaù svastyanam mahat

The great sage Vasistha said, “O King, many varieties of

aroma emanate from the body of a cow. As such, many cows
are as fragrant as guggula resin. The cow is the support of
all living entities, and the ocean of auspiciousness.”

February Month
Text Two

gävo bhütäm ca bhävyaà ca

gävah pustih sanätané
gävo laksmäs tathä mülaà
goñu dattam na naçyati

“The cow is the past and future. She nourishes the health
of all living entities, and she is the root of prosperity.
The piety one achieves by feeding a cow in never destroyed.
 Text Three

annaà hy paramam gävo

devänäà paramaà haviù
svähakära vañaö kärau
goñu nityaà pratiñöhitau

“The cow is the cause of one’s accumulation of food grains.

She awards the best sacrificial ingredients to the
demigods. The sacrifice of the demigods and the sacrifice
of Indra are both performed on the basis of the cow.”

March Month
Text Four

gävo yajïasya hy phalaà

goñu yajnah pratiñöhitah
gävo bhaviçyaà bhütaà ca
goñu -yajïäù pratiñöhitaù

“It is the cow which awards the result of sacrifice. The

performance of sacrifice is dependent upon her. She is the
past and future. All sacrifices are based upon her.”

Text Five

säyaà prätaçca satataà

homa käle mahädyute
gävo dadati vai homyam
åñibhyaù puruñarsabha

“O greatly powerful King, every morning and evening when

the sages perform fire sacrifices, it is the cow who
supplies them the essential ingredients, in the form of
ghee, etc.”

April Month

Text Six

yäni käni ca durgäni

 duñkåtäni kåtäni ca
taranti caiva papmänaà
dhenuà ye dadati prabho

“My dear King, those who give milk cows in charity become
liberated from all types of danger, and also become free
from all sinful reactions.”

Text Seven

ekäm ca dañugurdadyät
daça dadyätcca goçati
çatam sahasra purdadyät
sarve tulya phalä hy te

“One who has ten cows should donate one cow, one who has
one hundred cows should donate ten cows, and one who has
one thousand cows should donate one hundred cows. All these
persons are eligible to achieve the same amount of piety.”

May Month
Text Eight

anähitägniù satagur
yajvä ca sahasra guù
samåddho yaçca kinaço
närdhyamarhanti te traya

“A person who does not perform agnihotra sacrifices, even

after keeping one hundred cows, a person who does not
perform fire sacrifices, despite possessing one thousand
cows, and a person who does not give up miserliness, are
not fit to be shown any respect.’

Text Nine
 kapiläà ye prayacchanti
sa vatsäà kämsya dohanäm
subratäà vastra samvitäm
ubhau lokau jayanti te

“A person who donates a brown cow that is full of

auspicious symptoms, along with her calf, and also donates
a pot made of bell metal for milking the cow, conquers both
this world and the next.”

June Month
Text Ten

yuvänäm indriyopetäà
çatena çata yuöhapaà
gavendram brähmanendräya
bhuri çåìgam alaìkåtäà

vrsabhaà ye prayacchanti
çrotriyäya paraìtapa
aiçvaryaà te’ dhigacchanti
jäya mänäù punaù punaù

“O destroyer of the enemy, those who donate one hundred

healthy, strong, nicely decorated bulls, that have strong
horns, along with one hundred cows, to a qualified
brahmana, who is expert in the knowledge of the Vedas,
certainly achieve great wealth in this life and in future
lives as well.”

July Month
Text Eleven

nä kértayitvä gäha supyät

täsäà saàsmrtyä cotpatet
säyäà prätar namasye ca
gästataù pustimäpnuyät
 “Do not go to bed at night without praising cows. Do not
get up in the morning without remembering the cow. Offer
respect to the cow daily, in the morning. By doing so, a
human being achieves strength and nourishment.”

Text Twelve

gaväà mütra purisasya

nodvijeta kathaïcana
na cäsäà mäàsa maçnéyäd
gaväà pustià tathäpnuyät

“Do not hate cow urine and cow dung. Never eat cow meat. By
following this advice, human beings can become prosperous.”

August Month
Text Thirteen

gäçca sankértaye nityaà

näva manyeta tästathä
anistaà svapramälaksya
gäà naraù samprakértayet

“Chant the name of the cow daily and never insult her. If
one sees a bad dream, one should immediately remember the
cow.”

Text Fourteen

gomayena sadä snäyät

karése cäpi saàviçot
çlesma mütra purisäni
pratighätaà ca varjayet

“Before taking a daily bath, apply cow dung. Sit down on a

place smeared with cow dung. Do not spit, urinate and pass
stool upon cow dung. Always avoid hitting cows.”
 September Month
Text Fifteen

ghåtena juhuyädagni
ghåtena svasti väcayet
ghåtaà dadyät ghåtaà präçod
gaväà pustià sadäçnute

“Use ghee in fire sacrifices. Use ghee in all auspicious

activities. Donate ghee and also us it for personal
necessities. By doing this, the human beings will always
support the cows and understand their value.
Text Sixteen

gomatyä vidyayä dhenuà

télänäà abhimantrya yaù
sarva ratra mayià daddyätra
sa çocet kåtäkåte

“A person who donates a cow to a qualified brahmana, along

with sesame seed, after duly performing the necessary
ritual, does not have to suffer the consequences of his
pious and sinful activities.”

October Month
Text Seventeen

gävo maàupatisthantu
hema çrìgyäh payo mucah
surahu saurabhe yaçca
saritah sägaraà yathä

“As the rivers flow into the ocean, may Surabhi and
Saurabheyi cows that give milk and have horn covered with
gold, come to me.”
Text Eighteen

gävai paçyäàyahaà nityaà

gävah paçyantu mäà sadä
 gävo’ smäkaà vayaà täsäà
yato gävastato vayaà

“May I always see the cow and may the cow always see me.
The cow belongs to me and I belong to the cow. I wish to
live in a place where cows live.”

November Month
Text Nineteen

evaà rätrau divä cäpi

samesu visamesu ca
mahäbhayeçu can narah
kértayan mucchyate bhayät

“A person who, either during the day or at night, either in

happiness or at a time of fearful conditions, remembers or
glorifies the cow, certainly becomes freed from all fearful
conditions.”

December Month
Text Twenty

gaväà dåñövä namaskåtya

kuryäcciva pradakñinaà
pradakiñné kåtä tena
saptadvipä vasundharä

mätarah sarva bhütänäà

gävah sarva sukha pradäh
våddhià äkaàçatä nityaà
gävah käryäh pradakñinäh

“One should see, offer obeisances, and circumambulate the

cow. By doing so, one is suppose to have circumambulated
the entire earth, with its seven islands. The cow is the
mother of all. She gives happiness to everyone. People who
desire prosperity should daily circumambulate the cow.”