Text 10]
The Hainsa-guhya Prayers
199
the animals also.  Śūdras , too, eat animals such as goats. Cows, however, are never meant to be killed or eaten by human beings. In every  śāstra , cow killing is vehemently condemned. Indeed, one who kills a cow must suffer for as many years as there are hairs on the body of a cow.  Manu-samhitā  says,  pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānām nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā : we have many tendencies in this material world, but in human life one is meant to learn how to curb those tendencies. Those who desire to eat meat may satisfy the demands of their tongues by eating lower animals, but they should never kill cows, who are actually accepted as the mothers of human society because they supply milk. The  śāstra  especially recommends,  kṛṣi-gorakṣya : the  vaiśya  section of humanity should arrange for the food of the entire society through agricultural activities and should give full protection to the cows, which are the most useful animals because they supply milk to human society.
TEXT 10
यूयं च पित्रान्वादिष्टा देवदेवेन चानघाः ।
प्रजासर्गाय हि कथं वृक्षान् निर्दग्धुमर्हथ ॥१०॥
yūyam ca pitrānvādiṣṭā  
 deva-devena cānaghāḥ  
 prajā-sargāya hi katham  
 vṛkṣān nirdagdhum arhatha
yūyam —you;  ca —also;  pitrā —by your father;  anvādiṣṭāḥ —ordered;  deva-devena —by the Personality of Godhead, the master of the masters;  ca —also;  anaghāḥ —O sinless ones;  prajā-sargāya —for generating the population;  hi —indeed;  katham —how;  vṛkṣān —the trees;  nirdagdhum —to burn to ashes;  arhatha —are able.
TRANSLATION
O pure-hearted ones, your father, Prācinabarhi, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead have ordered you to generate population. Therefore how can you burn to ashes these trees and herbs, which are needed for the maintenance of your subjects and descendants?