The
Mahabharata (
Adi Parva) records that Kamadhenu-Surabhi rose from the churning of the cosmic ocean (
Samudra Manthana) by the gods and demons to acquire
amrita (ambrosia, elixir of life). The
Satapatha Brahmana also tells a similar tale:
Prajapati created Surabhi from his breath. The
Udyoga Parva book of the
Mahabharata narrates that the creator-god Brahma drank so much
amrita that he vomited some of it, from which emerged Surabhi. However, in the
Puranas, such as
Vishnu Purana and
Bhagavata Purana, Surabhi is described as the daughter of Daksha and the wife of Kashyapa, as well as the mother of cows and buffaloes. The
Matsya Purana notes two conflicting descriptions of Surabhi. In one chapter, it describes Surabhi as the consort of Brahma and their union produced the cow Yogishvari, She is then described as the mother of cows and quadrupeds. In another instance, she is described as a daughter of Daksha, wife of Kashyapa and the mother of cows. The
Harivamsa, an appendix of the
Mahabharata, calls Surabhi the mother of amrita,
Brahmins, cows, and the
Rudras. The
Devi Bhagavata Purana narrates that
Krishna and his lover
Radha were enjoying dalliance, when they thirsted for milk. So, Krishna created a cow called Surabhi and a calf called Manoratha from the left side of his body, and milked the cow. When drinking the milk, the milk pot fell on the ground and broke, spilling the milk, which became the
Kshira Sagara, the cosmic milk ocean. Numerous cows then emerged from the pores of Surabhi's skin and were presented to the cowherd-companions (gopas) of Krishna by him. Then Krishna worshipped Surabhi and decreed that she—a cow, the giver of milk and prosperity—be worshipped at
Diwali on
Bali Pratipada day. Various other scriptural references describe Surabhi as the mother of the Rudras including
Nirrti (Kashyapa being the father), the cow
Nandini and even the serpent-people
nāgas. The
Mahabharata also makes a passing reference to Surabhi as the mother of Nandini (literally "daughter") in the context of the birth of
Bhishma, an incarnation of a
Vasu. Nandini, like her mother, is a "cow of plenty" or
Kamadhenu, and resides with sage
Vashistha. Nandini is stolen by the divine Vasus and thus cursed by the sage to be born on the earth. The
Raghuvamsa of
Kalidasa mentions that the king
Dilipa—an ancestor of god
Rama—once passed by Kamadhenu-Surabhi, but failed to pay respects to her, thus incurring the wrath of the divine cow, who cursed the king to be rendered childless. Since Kamadhenu had gone to Patala, the guru of Dilipa, Vasishtha advised the king to serve Nandini, Kamadhenu's daughter, who was in the hermitage. The king and his wife propitiated Nandini, who neutralized her mother's curse and blessed the king to have a son, who was named
Raghu. In the
Ramayana, Surabhi is described to be distressed by the treatment of her sons—the oxen—in fields. Her tears are considered a bad omen for the gods by
Indra, the god-king of heaven. ==Wealth and protector of the Brahmins==