Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations | Chapter 8: The Churning of the Milk Ocean |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 8.8.1
havirdhani tato 'bhavat
SYNONYMS
sri-sukah uvaca -- Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; pite -- was drunk; gare -- when the poison; vrisha-ankena -- by Lord Siva, who sits on a bull; pritah -- being pleased; te -- all of them; amara -- the demigods; danavah -- and the demons; mamanthuh -- again began to churn; tarasa -- with great force; sindhum -- the ocean of milk; havirdhani -- the surabhi cow, who is the source of clarified butter; tatah -- from that churning; abhavat -- was generated.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Upon Lord Siva's drinking the poison, both the demigods and the demons, being very pleased, began to churn the ocean with renewed vigor. As a result of this, there appeared a cow known as surabhi.
PURPORT
The surabhi cow is described as havirdhani, the source of butter. Butter, when clarified by melting, produces ghee, or clarified butter, which is inevitably necessary for performing great ritualistic sacrifices. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18. 5), yajna-dana-tapah-karma na tyajyam karyam eva tat: sacrifice, charity and austerity are essential to keep human society perfect in peace and prosperity. Yajna, the performance of sacrifice, is essential; to perform yajna, clarified butter is absolutely necessary; and to get clarified butter, milk is necessary. Milk is produced when there are sufficient cows. Therefore in Bhagavad-gita (18.44), cow protection is recommended (krishi-go-rakshya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava jam).
Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness