Atharva Veda 12.5

śrameṇa tapasā sṛṣṭā brahmaṇā vittarte śritā

The Brahman's cow

By toil, by penance [is she] created, acquired by bráhman, supported (çritá) on righteousness.

satyenāvṛtā śriyā prāvṛtā yaśasā parīvṛtā

Covered with truth, enclosed with fortune, enveloped with glory.

svadhayā parihitā śraddhayā paryūḍhā dīkṣayā guptā yajñe pratiṣṭhitā loko nidhanam

Set about with svadhā́, surrounded with faith, guarded by consecration, standing firm in the offering, the world her post (nidhána).

brahma padavāyaṃ brāhmaṇo 'dhipatiḥ

Bráhman her guide, the Brahman her over-lord.

tām ādadānasya brahmagavīṃ jinato brāhmaṇaṃ kṣatriyasya

Of the Kshatriya who takes to himself that Brahman-cow, who scathes the Brahman,—

apakrāmati sūnṛtā vīryaṃ puṇyā lakṣmīḥ

There departs the happiness (sunṛ́tā), the heroism, the good luck.

ojaś ca tejaś ca sahaś ca balaṃ ca vāk cendriyaṃ ca śrīś ca dharmaś ca

Both force, and brilliancy, and power, and strength, and speech, and sense (indriyá), and fortune, and virtue (dhárma),—

brahma ca kṣatraṃ ca rāṣṭraṃ ca viśaś ca tviṣiś ca yaśaś ca varcaś ca draviṇaṃ ca

And holiness (bráhman), and dominion ⌊kṣatrám⌋, and kingdom, and subjects (víças), and brightness (tvíṣi), and glory, and honor, and property,—

āyuś ca rūpaṃ ca nāma ca kīrtiś ca prāṇaś cāpānaś ca cakṣuś ca śrotraṃ ca

And life-time, and form, and name, and fame, and breath, and expiration, and sight, and hearing,—

payaś ca rasaś cānnaṃ cānnādyaṃ cartaṃ ca satyaṃ ceṣṭaṃ ca pūrtaṃ ca prajā ca paśavaś ca

And milk, and sap, and food, and food-eating, and righteousness, and truth, and sacrifice (iṣṭá), and bestowal (pūrtá), and progeny, and cattle:—

tāni sarvāṇy apakrāmanti brahmagavīm ādadānasya jinato brāhmaṇaṃ kṣatriyasya

All these depart from the Kshatriya who takes to himself the Brahman-cow, who scathes the Brahman.

saiṣā bhīmā brahmagavy aghaviṣā sākṣāt kṛtyā kūlbajam āvṛtā

This same Brahman-cow [is] fearful, having deadly poison, witchcraft incarnate (sākṣā́t), kū́lbaja when covered.

sarvāṇy asyāṃ ghorāṇi sarve ca mṛtyavaḥ

In her are all terrible things and all deaths.

sarvāṇy asyāṃ krūrāṇi sarve puruṣavadhāḥ

In her are all cruel things, all men-killers (puruṣavadhá).

sā brahmajyaṃ devapīyuṃ brahmagavy ādīyamānā mṛtyoḥ paḍbīśa ādyati

This Brahman-cow, when taken to oneself, binds the Brahman-scather, the god-reviler, in the shackle of death.

meniḥ śatavadhā hi sā brahmajyasya kṣitir hi sā

Verily (hí) a hundred-killing weapon (mení) is she; verily the destruction of the Brahman-scather is she.

tasmād vai brāhmaṇānāṃ gaur durādharṣā vijānatā

Therefore indeed is the cow of the Brahmans hard to be dared against by one who understands (vi-jñā).*

vajro dhāvantī vaiśvānara udvītā

[She is] a thunderbolt when running, Vāiçvānara when driven up (údvīta).

hetiḥ śaphān utkhidantī mahādevo 'pekṣamāṇā

A missile when extracting (ut-khid) her hoofs, the great god when looking away.

kṣurapavir īkṣamāṇā vāśyamānābhisphūrjati

Keen-edged (kṣurápavi) when looking; when bellowing, she thunders at one.

mṛtyur hiṃkṛṇvaty ugro devaḥ pucchaṃ paryasyantī

Death when uttering hing; the formidable god when slinging about her tail.

sarvajyāniḥ karṇau varīvarjayantī rājayakṣmo mehantī

Total scathing when twisting about her ears; king-yákṣma when urinating.

menir duhyamānā śīrṣaktir dugdhā

A weapon (mení) when being milked; headache when milked.

sedir upatiṣṭhantī mithoyodhaḥ parāmṛṣṭā

Debility when approaching (upa-sthā); mutual strife when felt of.

śaravyā mukhe 'pinahyamānartir hanyamānā

A shaft when her mouth is being fastened up; mishap (ṛ́ti) when being slain.

aghaviṣā nipatantī tamo nipatitā

Deadly poisonous when falling down; darkness when fallen down.

anugacchantī prāṇān upadāsayati brahmagavī brahmajyasya

Going after him, the Brahman-cow exhausts the breaths of the Brahman-scather.

vairaṃ vikṛtyamānā pautrādyaṃ vibhājyamānā

[She is] hostility when being cut up, the eating of one's children when being shared out.

devahetir hriyamāṇā vyṛddhir hṛtā

A gods' missile when being taken, failure when taken.

pāpmādhidhīyamānā pāruṣyam avadhīyamānā

Evil when being set on, harshness when being set down.

viṣaṃ prayasyantī takmā prayastā

Poison when heating (? pra-yas), takmán when heated.

aghaṃ pacyamānā duṣvapnyaṃ pakvā

Evil (aghá) when being cooked, bad dreaming when cooked.

mūlabarhaṇī paryākriyamāṇā kṣitiḥ paryākṛtā

Uprooting when being turned about (? pari-ā-kṛ), destruction when turned about.

asaṃjñā gandhena śug uddhriyamāṇāśīviṣa uddhṛtā

Discord by smell; pain (çúc) when being taken up, a poison-snake when taken up.

abhūtir upahriyamāṇā parābhūtir upahṛtā

Non-prosperity when being served up, disaster when served up.

śarvaḥ kruddhaḥ piśyamānā śimidā piśitā

Çarva angered when being dressed (piç), Çimidā when dressed.

avartir aśyamānā nirṛtir aśitā

Ruin when being partaken of, perdition when partaken of.

aśitā lokāc chinatti brahmagavī brahmajyam asmāc cāmuṣmāc ca

When partaken of, the Brahman-cow cuts off the Brahman-scather from the world, from both this one and the one yonder.

tasyā āhananaṃ kṛtyā menir āśasanaṃ valaga ūbadhyam

The slaying of her is witchcraft, her cutting up (āçásana) is a weapon (mení), the contents of her bowels a secret charm.

asvagatā parihṇutā

[She is] homelessness when hidden (? pari-hnu).

agniḥ kravyād bhūtvā brahmagavī brahmajyaṃ praviśyātti

The Brahman-cow, having become the flesh-eating Agni, entering into the Brahman-scather, eats him.

sarvāsyāṅgā parvā mūlāni vṛścati

All his limbs, joints, roots, she cuts off (vraçc).

chinatty asya pitṛbandhu parābhāvayati mātṛbandhu

She severs (chid) his paternal connection, makes perish his maternal connection.

vivāhāṁ jñātīnt sarvān apikṣāpayati brahmagavī brahmajyasya kṣatriyeṇāpunardīyamānā

All the marriages, acquaintances of the Brahman-scather does the Brahman-cow scorch (? api-kṣā), when not given back by a Kshatriya.

avāstum enam asvagam aprajasaṃ karoty aparāparaṇo bhavati kṣīyate

Without abode, without home, without progeny, she makes him; he becomes without succession (?); he is destroyed:—

ya evaṃ viduṣo brāhmaṇasya kṣatriyo gām ādatte

Whatever Kshatriya takes to himself the cow of a Brahman who knoweth thus.

kṣipraṃ vai tasyāhanane gṛdhrāḥ kurvata ailabam

Quickly, indeed, at his killing the vultures make a din (āilabá).

kṣipraṃ vai tasyādahanaṃ parinṛtyanti keśinīr āghnānāḥ pāṇinorasi kurvāṇāḥ pāpam ailabam

Quickly, indeed, about his place of burning dance the long-haired women, beating on the breast with the hand, making an evil din.

kṣipraṃ vai tasya vāstuṣu vṛkāḥ kurvata ailabam

Quickly, indeed, in his abodes do the wolves make a din.

kṣipraṃ vai tasya pṛcchanti yat tad āsī3d idaṃ nu tā3d iti

Quickly, indeed, they ask about him: what that was, is this now that?

chinddhy āchinddhi prachinddhy apikṣāpaya kṣāpaya

Cut thou, cut on, cut forth, scorch, burn (kṣā).

ādadānam āṅgirasi brahmajyam upadāsaya

O daughter of An̄giras, exhaust thou the Brahman-scather, that takes to himself [the cow].

vaiśvadevī hy ucyase kṛtyā kūlbajam āvṛtā

For thou art called belonging to all the gods, witchcraft, kū́lbaja when covered.

oṣantī samoṣantī brahmaṇo vajraḥ

Burning (uṣ), consuming, thunderbolt of the brahman.

kṣurapavir mṛtyur bhūtvā vidhāva tvam

Having become a keen-edged death, run thou out.

ādatse jinatāṃ varca iṣṭaṃ pūrtaṃ cāśiṣaḥ

Thou takest to thyself the honor of the scathers, their sacrifice and bestowal, their expectations.

ādāya jītaṃ jītāya loke 'muṣmin prayacchasi

Taking to thyself what is scathed for him who is scathed, thou presentest [it to him] in yonder world.

aghnye padavīr bhava brāhmaṇasyābhiśastyā

O inviolable one, become thou the guide of the Brahman out of imprecation.

meniḥ śaravyā bhavāghād aghaviṣā bhava

Become thou a weapon (mení), a shaft; become thou deadly poisonous from evil (aghá).

aghnye pra śiro jahi brahmajyasya kṛtāgaso devapīyor arādhasaḥ

O inviolable one, smite forth the head of the Brahman-scather that has committed offense, of the god-reviler, the ungenerous.

tvayā pramūrṇaṃ mṛditam agnir dahatu duścitam

Let Agni burn the malevolent one, slaughtered, crushed (mṛd) by thee.

vṛśca pravṛśca saṃvṛśca daha pradaha saṃdaha

Cut (vraçc) thou, cut off, cut up; burn thou, burn off, burn up.

brahmajyaṃ devy aghnya ā mūlād anusaṃdaha

The Brahman-scather, O divine inviolable one, do thou burn up all the way from the root.

yathāyād yamasādanāt pāpalokān parāvataḥ

That he may go from Yama's seat to evil worlds, to the distances.

evā tvaṃ devy aghnye brahmajyasya kṛtāgaso devapīyor arādhasaḥ

So do thou, O divine inviolable one, of the Brahman-scather that has committed offense, of the god-reviler, the ungenerous,—

vajreṇa śataparvaṇā tīkṣṇena kṣurabhṛṣṭinā

With a thunderbolt hundred-jointed, sharp, razor-pronged,—

pra skandhān pra śiro jahi

Smite forth the shoulder-bones, forth the head.

lomāny asya saṃchinddhi tvacam asya viveṣṭaya

His hairs (lóman) do thou cut up (sam-chid); his skin strip off;—

māṃsāny asya śātaya snāvāny asya saṃvṛha

His flesh cut in pieces; his sinews wrench off;—

asthīny asya pīḍaya majjānam asya nirjahi

His bones distress (pīḍ); his marrow smite out;—

sarvāsyāṅgā parvāṇi viśrathaya

All his limbs, [his] joints unloosen.

agnir enaṃ kravyāt pṛthivyā nudatām udoṣatu vāyur antarikṣān mahato varimṇaḥ

Let the flesh-eating Agni thrust him from the earth, burn (uṣ) up; let Vāyu [do so] from the atmosphere, the great expanse (varimán);—

sūrya enaṃ divaḥ praṇudatāṃ nyoṣatu

Let the sun thrust him forth from the sky, burn him down.