Verily, as Ganga is the
foremost of all rivers, even so is a Kapila cow the foremost of all kine.'
"Yudhishthira said, 'Why, O grandsire, do the righteous applaud the gift
of a Kapila cow (as more meritorious) when all good kine that are given
away should be regarded as equal? O thou of great puissance, I wish to
hear what the distinction is that attaches to a Kapila cow. Thou art,
verily, competent to discourse to me on this topic!'[371]
"Bhishma said, 'I have, O son, heard old men recite this history
respecting the circumstances under which the Kapila cow was created. I
shall recite that old history to thee! In days of yore, the Self-born
Brahman commanded the Rishi Daksha, saying,--Do thou create living
creatures! From desire of doing good to creatures, Daksha, in the first
instance, created food. Even as the deities exist, depending upon nectar,
all living creatures, O puissant one, live depending upon the sustenance
assigned by Daksha. Among all objects mobile and immobile, the mobile are
superior. Among mobile creatures Brahmanas are superior. The sacrifices
are all established upon them. It is by sacrifice that Soma (nectar) is
got. Sacrifice has been established upon kine.[372] The gods become
gratified through sacrifices. As regards the Creation then, the means of
support came first, creatures came next.
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