Chapter 35 - The mode of gifting the golden cow

Sanatkumāra said:

1. Henceforth, I shall mention to you the procedure of the gift of a golden cow. It dispels all sins and destroys evil planets and famine.

2-3. It suppresses all evil portents and calamities. It dispels all ailments.

The form of the cow shall be made in gold using a thousand, five hundred, two hundred and fifty or hundred gold coins. It shall be endowed with all attributes.

4. The form of the cow shall have beautiful hoofs and endowed with all divine characteristics. At the tip of the hoof a diamond shall be fixed. Ruby stone shall be placed on the horn.

5. O excellent sages, a divine pearl shall be fixed in between the eye-brows. The four udders shall be made by means of Vaidūrya (Lapis lazuli). The splendid tail shall be made by means of blue gem.^[1]

6. In the place of the teeth a splendid topaz shall be fixed. After making the mother cow the devotee shall make a splendid calf.

7-8. The calf shall be made by means of ten golden coins. It shall be beautified by means of all gems. After drawing the mystic diagram in the middle of the altar mentioned before, the devotee who knows all principles shall place the cow in its middle along with the calf. With a pair of clothes he shall wrap the cow along with its calf.

9-11. He shall worship the cow and the calf by repeating the Gāyatrī mantra. He shall perform the Homa duly in accordance with the injunctions relating to the single fire. Using sacrificial twigs or ghee in accordance with the injunctions he shall perform the remaining rites too as before. After bathing the Liṅga with ghee, etc. the worship of Śiva shall be performed. After touching the splendid cow with Gāyatrī mantra it shall be dedicated to Śiva. O highly intelligent one, thirty gold coins shall be given away in gift.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

nīlataḥ—nīlaratna [nīla-ratnena] Śivatoṣiṇī. with the blue-coloured gem.