Atharva Veda
The Brahman's cow
atimātram avardhanta nod iva divam aspṛśan bhṛguṃ hiṃsitvā sṛñjayā vaitahavyāḥ parābhavan
The Brahman's cow
They grew excessively; they did not quite (iva) touch up to the sky; having injured Bhrigu, the Sriñjayas, Vāitahavyas, perished.
ye bṛhatsāmānam āṅgirasam ārpayan brāhmaṇaṃ janāḥ petvas teṣām ubhayādam avis tokāny āvayat
The people who delivered up (? arpay-) the Brahman Brihatsāman, descendant of An̄giras—a he-goat with two rows of teeth, a sheep, consumed (av) their offspring (toká).
ye brāhmaṇaṃ pratyaṣṭhīvan ye vāsmiñchulkam īṣire asnas te madhye kulyāyāḥ keśān khādanta āsate
They who spat upon a Brahman, or who sent [their] mucus at him—they sit in the midst of a stream of blood, devouring hair.
brahmagavī pacyamānā yāvat sābhi vijaṅgahe tejo rāṣṭrasya nir hanti na vīro jāyate vṛṣā
The Brahman's cow, being cooked, as far as she penetrates (?), smites out the brightness (téjas) of a kingdom; no virile (vṛ́ṣan) hero is born [there].
krūram asyā āśasanaṃ tṛṣṭaṃ piśitam asyate kṣīraṃ yad asyāḥ pīyate tad vai pitṛṣu kilbiṣam
Cruel is the cutting up of her; harsh to eat (?) is her prepared flesh (piçitám); in that the milk (kṣīrá) of her is drunk, that verily is an offense against the Fathers.
ugro rājā manyamāno brāhmaṇaṃ yo jighatsati parā tat sicyate rāṣṭraṃ brāhmaṇo yatra jīyate
A king who thinks himself formidable, [and] who desires to devour a Brahman—that kingdom is poured away, where a Brahman is scathed (jyā).
aṣṭāpadī caturakṣī catuḥśrotrā caturhanuḥ dvyāsyā dvijihvā bhūtvā sā rāṣṭram ava dhūnute brahmajyasya
Becoming eight-footed, four-eyed, four-eared, four-jawed, two-mouthed, two-tongued, she shakes down the kingdom of the Brahman-scather.
tad vai rāṣṭram ā sravati nāvaṃ bhinnām ivodakam brahmāṇaṃ yatra hiṃsanti tad rāṣṭraṃ hanti ducchunā
It leaks verily into that kingdom, as water into a split boat (nāú); where they injure a Brahman, that kingdom misfortune smites.
taṃ vṛkṣā apa sedhanti chāyāṃ no mopa gā iti yo brāhmaṇasya sad dhanam abhi nārada manyate
Him the trees drive away, saying "do not come unto our shadow," who, O Nārada, plots against that which is the riches of the Brahman.
viṣam etad devakṛtaṃ rājā varuṇo 'bravīt na brāhmaṇasya gāṃ jagdhvā rāṣṭre jāgāra kaścana
King Varuṇa called that a god-made poison; no one soever, having devoured the cow of the Brahman, keeps watch in the kingdom.
navaiva tā navatayo yā bhūmir vyadhūnuta prajāṃ hiṃsitvā brāhmaṇīm asaṃbhavyaṃ parābhavan
Those same nine nineties whom the earth shook off, having injured the progeny of the Brahman, perished irretrievably.
yām mṛtāyānubadhnanti kūdyaṃ padayopanīm tad vai brahmajya te devā upastaraṇam abruvan
The kūdī́ which they tie on after a dead man, as effacer (?) of the track, that verily, O Brahman-scather, did the gods call thy couch (upastáraṇa).
aśrūṇi kṛpamānasya yāni jītasya vāvṛtuḥ taṃ vai brahmajya te devā apāṃ bhāgam adhārayan
The tears of one weeping (kṛp), which rolled [down] when he was scathed, these verily, O Brahman-scather, did the gods maintain as thy portion of water.
yena mṛtaṃ snapayanti śmaśrūṇi yenondate taṃ vai brahmajya te devā apāṃ bhāgam adhārayan
With what they bathe a dead man, with what they wet (ud) beards, that verily, O Brahman-scather, did the gods maintain as thy portion of water.
na varṣaṃ maitrāvaruṇaṃ brahmajyam abhi varṣati nāsmai samitiḥ kalpate na mitraṃ nayate vaśam
The rain of Mitra-and- Varuna does not rain upon the Brahman-scather; the assembly (sámiti) does not suit (kḷp) him; he wins (nī) no friend to his control.