Devanagari
गोमूत्रेण स्नापयित्वा पुनर्गोरजसार्भकम् ।
रक्षां चक्रुश्च शकृता द्वादशाङ्गेषु नामभि: ॥ २० ॥
Verse text
go-mūtreṇa snāpayitvā
punar go-rajasārbhakam
rakṣāṁ cakruś ca śakṛtā
dvādaśāṅgeṣu nāmabhiḥ
Synonyms
go
—
mūtreṇa — with the urine of the cows
;
snāpayitvā
—
after thoroughly washing
;
punaḥ
—
again
;
go
—
rajasā — with the dust floating because of the movements of the cows
;
arbhakam
—
unto the child
;
rakṣām
—
protection
;
cakruḥ
—
executed
;
ca
—
also
;
śakṛtā
—
with the cow dung
;
dvādaśa
—
aṅgeṣu — in twelve places ( dvādaśa-tilaka )
;
nāmabhīḥ
—
by imprinting the holy names of the Lord .
Translation
The child was thoroughly washed with cow urine and then smeared with the dust raised by the movements of the cows. Then different names of the Lord were applied with cow dung on twelve different parts of His body, beginning with the forehead, as done in applying tilaka. In this way, the child was given protection.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The child was thoroughly washed with cow urine and then smeared with the dust raised by the movements of the cows. Then different names of the Lord were applied with cow dung on twelve different parts of His body, beginning with the forehead, as done in applying tilaka. In this way, the child was given protection.
KB 10.6.20
The child was completely washed with the urine of a cow, and the dust created by the hooves of the cows was thrown all over His body. This was all just to save little Kṛṣṇa from future inauspicious accidents. This incident gives us a clear indication of how important the cow is to the family, society and to living beings in general. The transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa did not require any protection, but to instruct us on the importance of the cow, the Lord was smeared over with cow dung, washed with the urine of a cow, and sprinkled with the dust upraised by the walking of the cows.
After this purificatory process, the gopīs, headed by Mother Yaśodā and Rohiṇī, chanted the names of Viṣṇu to give Kṛṣṇa’s body full protection from all evil influences.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Using cow dung, they protected Krsna by touching twelve places on his body while pronouncing twelve names of Visnu starting with Kesava on the forehead.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
This shows how they completely protected him. They protected him by touching cow dung to twelve parts of his body while chanting twelve names of Viṣṇu. The names are those mentioned in Padma Purāṇa when putting on tilaka.
lalāṭe keśavaṁ dhyāyen nārāyaṇam athodare
vakṣaḥ-sthale mādhavaṁ tu govindaṁ kaṇṭha-kūpake
viṣṇuṁ ca dakṣiṇe kukṣau bāhau ca madhusūdanam
trivikramaṁ kandhare tu vāmanaṁ vāma-pārśvake
śrīdharaṁ vāma-bāhau tu hṛṣīkeśaṁ tu kandhare
pṛṣṭhe ca padmanābhaṁ ca kaṭyāṁ dāmodaraṁ nyaset
When one marks the forehead with tilaka, he must remember Keśava. When one marks the lower abdomen, he must remember Nārāyaṇa. For the chest, one should remember Mādhava, and when marking the hollow of the neck one should remember Govinda. Lord Viṣṇu should be remembered while marking the right side of the belly, and Madhusūdana should be remembered when marking the right arm. Trivikrama should be remembered when marking the right shoulder, and Vāmana should be remembered when marking the left side of the belly. Śrīdhara should be remembered while marking the left arm and Hṛṣīkeśa should be remembered when marking the left shoulder. Padmanābha and Dāmodara should be remembered when marking the back.
Because they were the greatest Vaiṣṇavas they protected him by this method.