Brahma Vaivarta Purana Chapter 21:91-100

Brahma Vaivarta Purana

Çryäga-bi Indra-haïjana

Breaking the Indra-yajïa

Chapter 21: Verse 91-100

ENGLISH TRANSLATION 91.The piety that comes from bathing at holy places, the piety that comes from feeding brähmaëas, the piety that comes from giving generous charity, the piety that comes from serving Lord Hari, . . . 92. . . . and the piety that comes from all vows and fasts, all austerities, circumambulating the earth, and speaking truthfully, . . . 93.. . . as well as all the demigods, always stay in the bodies of the cows. The holy places always stay in the cows' hooves. O father, Goddess Lakñmi always stays in the cows' hearts. 94.A person that wears tilaka of mud that touched a cow's hoof attains the result of bathing in a holy place. He is fearless at every step. 95.A place where cows stay is holy. One who dies there is at once liberated. 96. One who harms a brähmaëa or a cow is the lowest of men. he commits a great sin, as if he had killed a brähmana. Of this there is no doubt. 97.A person who harms the cows or the brähmaëas, who are the limbs of Lord Näräyana, goes to hell for as long as the sun and moon shine in the sky. 98.O Närada, after speaking these words, Lord Kåñna became silent. Happily smiling Nanda then spoke to Him. 99.Çri Nanda said: This worship of noble-hearted King Indra is a tradition in our family. Indra gives good rains. From rain come crops. Crops are life for the living beings. Because of crops everyone lives. 100.To attain auspiciousness and protection from troubles and obstacles, the people of Vraja traditionally worship King Indra at the end of each year.