Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 75: Bharata’s Conversation with Kausalyā-devī
Text 2.75.30
गाश्च स्पृशतु पादेन गुरून्परिवदेत्स्वयम्।
मित्रे द्रुह्येत सोऽत्यन्तं यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः॥
gāś ca spṛśatu pādena gurūn parivadet svayam
mitre druhyeta so ’tyantaṁ yasyāryo ’numate gataḥ
gāḥ = cows; ca = and; spṛśatu = may touch; pādena = with his foot; gurūn = his gurus; parivadet = criticize; svayam = personally; mitre = toward his friend; druhyeta = become hostile; saḥ = he; atyantam = extremely; yasya = whose; āryaḥ = noble Rāma; anumate = with consent; gataḥ = has departed [to the forest].
May he who consents to the noble Rāma’s departure [to the forest] touch cows with his foot, personally criticize his gurus and become extremely hostile toward his friend.
Text 21 was about striking a cow but here it is stated that even touching cows with one’s foot leads to sinful reactions.
NOTE. One should not criticize his gurus, that is, authorities according to the scriptures; but he should not carry out their wrong instructions either—he should correct them in a nice manner. See note to 2.62.8 for a statement from Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda that explains how it should be done.