अन्यदा किल धर्मज्ञा सुरभिः सुरसम्मता।
वहमानौ ददर्शोर्व्यां पुत्रौ विगतचेतसौ॥
anyadā kila dharmajñā surabhiḥ sura-sammatā
vahamānau dadarśorvyāṁ putrau vigata-cetasau
anyadā kila = it is said in the past; dharmajñā = and who knew the nature of the time for ploughing; surabhiḥ = the surabhi cow; sura-sammatā = who was honored by the devas; vahamānau = while pulling a plough; dadarśa = noticed; urvyām = [and that they had fallen] on the ground for some reason; putrau = that her two sons; vigata-cetasau = had fainted.
It is said that in the past the surabhi cow who was honored by the devas and who knew the nature of the time for ploughing noticed that her two sons had fainted while pulling a plough [and that they had fallen] on the ground for some reason.
Bharata now begins to provide historical evidence that a mother’s distress about her son is intolerable for her.
The surabhi cow was a wish-fulfilling cow.